Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has hit out at the Spanish press and said they have made him a scapegoat for anything negative surrounding the club this season.
Los Blancos find themselves five points behind Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid in La Liga already this season, having lost the Madrid derby at the Bernabeu and dropped vital points in a draw away at newly-promoted Villarreal. Critics in the media have said Madrid’s style of play is too slow, and Khedira told German magazine Kicker that he feels he is being made the scapegoat for Real’s slow start.
“I feel insulted by the Spanish press, I will never be one of their favourite sons. I began the season on the bench and once again I’ve been made a scapegoat,” he stated.
The 26-year-old, who joined Los Blancos from Stuttgart following the World Cup in 2010, said his close relationship with former boss Jose Mourinho may explain why he is an unpopular figure in the local press.
He said: “They don’t value me, even when I play well. I’m not Spanish, I didn’t cost a lot and I’m a disciple of Mourinho.”
Khedira has been linked with a move away from the club, with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal believed to be interested in his services.
