Luca Zidane benched at Leganés after four consecutive defeats

Luca Zidane is no longer Leganés’ number one goalkeeper. Manager Luis Carrion dropped the Franco-Algerian keeper from his starting eleven for the match against Mallorca, opting instead for Raul Fernandez after a run of performances deemed insufficient.

The context was difficult: Leganés had suffered four consecutive defeats in La Liga, including a heavy 4-0 loss at Cádiz and a 3-0 defeat at Almería, two matches in which Zidane had failed to impress. These poor performances were compounded by his absence from the squad called up by new Algerian manager Brahim Hamdeni during the last international break.

Raul Fernandez, himself sidelined since his red card on matchday two, seized his opportunity. The experienced goalkeeper delivered a solid performance, contributing to the 1-1 draw secured by Leganés that ended the Madrid club’s poor run.

Carrion sought to downplay the significance of his decision in his press conference. “Both goalkeepers are very good goalkeepers. I decided to make this change, but that in no way means I don’t trust Luca, far from it. I consider him one of the best goalkeepers in the category. And so far, he has played very well, that’s the truth,” he said.

The Spanish manager clarified the tactical motivations behind his choice: “I wanted to make a change for more tactical reasons in how we animate the goalkeeper position. The principle is to always fight for your place. Whoever isn’t playing must try to take his teammate’s spot, and whoever is playing must give everything to keep it.” The door therefore remains open for Zidane, but competition in Leganés’ goal is now back on.