Mendy’s journey from wheelchair to Bernabeu

MADRID: New Real Madrid signing Ferland Mendy recalled at his presentation on Wednesday the moment when he thought he would never play football again.

The France left back, 24, joined Real last week from Olympique de Lyonnais for a reported €48 million (RM225 million), part of a huge squad rebuild by the 13time European Champions which has already surpassed €300 million.

“When I was 15 years old I had a hip operation and they told me I wasn’t going to play football again,” Mendy said.

“I was in a wheelchair for a while and I spent between six and seven months in hospital doing rehabilitation so I could walk again. Now I’m at Real Madrid and it’s really incredible.”

Mendy has experienced a dramatic change of fortunes in the last two years, after beginning his career in the second tier of French football with Le Havre until joining Lyon in 2017.

He made his debut for France last November and has made four appearances for the 2018 World Cup winners, but he said he still had to pinch himself.

“At the beginning I just couldn’t believe it,” he added.

“This is a great club and being able to sign a contract with them to me is something absolutely incredible, fantastic. I’m absolutely overjoyed and hopefully everything will go well here.”

 MAURIZIO Sarri arrived in Turin on Wednesday on the eve of his presentation as new coach of Serie A giants Juventus.

“Sarri touches down in Turin,” the club confirmed on their website along with photographs of the former Chelsea boss walking away from a private jet.

“The new Juventus head coach touched down in Turin earlier this evening. Welcome Sarri.”

The 60-year-old former banker returns to Italy on a three-year deal just a season after leaving his hometown team Napoli for Stamford Bridge, where he spent one troubled campaign.

Sarri takes over from Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juventus to an eighth consecutive Scudetto title, but paid the price for another Champions League failure.

Juventus were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Dutch side Ajax.