Endrick’s father criticizes Real Madrid: ‘He found happiness again in Lyon’

Real Madrid went through a roller-coaster season that ended without a trophy, a rare outcome for the club. With what seemed like an overload of forwards, they loaned Endrick to Lyon at the end of last year, a major move for the player.

Endrick has returned to the version of himself he was before joining Real Madrid, making the most of the minutes he did not get in Spain to show his talent in Lyon. About that decision, the Brazilian’s father, Douglas Sousa, spoke to ESPN in his country.

Sousa said: “Endrick has a saying: his fun park is the soccer field. What he wanted was to play, but they took away his fun park. He found happiness again in Lyon. He’s happy. His whole family is happy.”

Sousa on Endrick’s World Cup chances

The main effect of getting more minutes in Lyon has been the chance of returning to Brazil for the World Cup. His dream was fading at Real Madrid because he was not playing regularly, but he now has a real shot at being called up by Carlo Ancelotti.

A few injuries also gave him a place in the national team lineup in recent friendlies, especially against Croatia, where he made a difference. He now looks like a very interesting option for the Italian manager.

Sousa said: “The expectations are high, and after the match against Paris Saint-Germain, Ancelotti has more reasons to consider him. Endrick keeps his feet on the ground. He thinks he could be in the World Cup if he plays well in the next four matches with Lyon.”

Endrick’s spell in Lyon

Endrick agreed to join Lyon on loan last December and made his debut for the club in January. He has played 12 matches and scored four goals in Ligue 1, helping the team stay in third place. The forward also added three matches and two goals in the French Cup, and he has two Europa League matches and one goal as part of his overall record.