Carlos Dotor (born in Madrid in 2001) spent most of his youth in Real Madrid's academy, nearly helping Real Madrid Castilla achieve promotion to the Segunda División. Fate brought him to Málaga, where he miraculously secured promotion to La Liga. Ahead of the match against Real Madrid, the Málaga midfielder gave an exclusive interview to AS.

You came through Real Madrid's academy and are about to play against Real Madrid. How do you feel right now?

Honestly, I'm thrilled. It's a wonderful feeling to step onto the Bernabéu pitch. I spent many years there, and I consider it my home.

All I have to do is give my all on the field. We earned our place on this pitch, and now we have to play with all our might and enjoy the game.

You've imagined playing in this stadium countless times, but back then you wore a Real Madrid shirt. Does it feel strange now?

Definitely. As a child, I sat in the stands countless times, watching the Champions League and other competitions. But now, entering as a player—as the protagonist on the field—it will be a completely different experience.

It's true that I'm wearing another club's shirt, but that's fine. Honestly, I never thought I could become a Real Madrid first-team player based purely on individual ability. My dream was to play in La Liga at the Bernabéu.

Why did you never feel you could establish yourself in the Real Madrid first team?

I played with great passion and always wanted to improve, but I truly never believed I could make it into the Real Madrid first team, and the statistics support that. I always had hopes and wanted to see what the future held, but I never deluded myself.

I did have experiences training with the first team and being included in matchday squads, but I knew my technical level ultimately wasn't up to par. That's another level entirely; the team is filled with the world's top players. Perhaps I also lacked confidence at the time.

Only a handful of academy players successfully make it to the first team.

Real Madrid's academy operates differently. Selling academy players is also part of the club's strategy, and this model works well, with many academy graduates playing for important clubs around the world. Making the leap to the first team is incredibly difficult.

When you train with first-team players and see their physical and technical abilities, you realize that perhaps you don't belong there. Maybe your abilities and football intelligence can develop further to reach that level, but at that time, there was an insurmountable gap between them and me.

I know very well that playing in La Liga is not easy, and I also know that I am a capable player. My playing style isn't flashy, and although I've had productive seasons, I'm not exceptionally talented. My strength lies in my mentality—knowing how to maximize my value.

Many players far more talented than me are still struggling in lower leagues. This isn't about skill; it's about my philosophy: "Give your all, do everything within your power, and let the outcome take care of itself." This mindset has benefited me greatly and made me who I am today, and I won't abandon this approach.

You were prolific at Real Madrid Castilla, but goals have become harder to come by in professional football.

Sometimes I lament, "I used to score all the time." I used to convert chances that I now miss repeatedly, but I believe the goals will come eventually. Last season, I made a huge breakthrough with no injury problems. I hope to maintain this form. I won't set limits for myself; I'll go as far as I can.

This summer, Real Madrid sold several academy players, with transfers totaling nearly 200 million euros. Does this demonstrate the strength or weakness of the club's youth system?

I think this reflects the academy's value perfectly. For these young players, reaching La Liga is the goal. While joining the Real Madrid first team is a dream, it's the strongest club in the world, and achieving that is incredibly difficult.

I strongly support this model: selling players, and if they perform exceptionally well, the club can buy them back. Through the Real Madrid academy, countless youngsters enter professional football. Being able to make a living from football and play in La Liga is wonderful in itself.

What did your years at Valdebebas give you?

Everything—both in terms of football skills and personal growth. Day-in and day-out competition and struggle. Every year the club brings in two or three players in your position to fight for your spot. Nothing comes free; you can only constantly push yourself to improve. This experience also opened the door to professional football for me.

Can you see the changes Mourinho has brought to the team?

I haven't had much chance to observe closely—I only watched the first half of the match against Espanyol. Real Madrid's attack was fierce in the opening 15 minutes, after which Espanyol gradually found their rhythm. Real Madrid's players are extremely physically gifted and technically proficient. However, we need to treat this like any other league game.

Do you admire Mourinho? He likes versatile midfielders like you.

I'm watching his documentary. He's a coach with an incredibly strong winning mentality and places immense value on competitive spirit, which is exactly what Real Madrid needs.

Raúl once managed Real Madrid Castilla. Was the criticism of him somewhat unfair?

It was somewhat a matter of timing. When Raúl managed Real Madrid Castilla, Ancelotti was in charge of the first team. Later, the club signed Xabi Alonso, and Raúl didn't remain with the club. If he had stayed at that time, he definitely would have promoted many academy players.

He is a very good coach and can bring a lot to Real Madrid. Winning runs in his blood. But at the top level, opportunities are already very scarce.

After being plagued by injuries, you made significant lifestyle changes.

I decided to overhaul my diet, adopting an anti-inflammatory approach: more vegetables, fish, reduced carbohydrates—no pasta or bread, and completely avoiding gluten. My diet is balanced with fish, seafood, meat, and eggs.

I eat two meals a day, occasionally three or even four. I have dinner very early and also train on an empty stomach. These changes have helped tremendously. I have trusted fitness coaches and nutritionists guiding me. Not only has my athletic performance improved, but I also have more energy overall. The results have been very significant. I recommend this approach to everyone around me. The process requires sacrifice, but the rewards are worth it.

From your description, this sounds somewhat similar to Llorente's approach. Can we expect to see you wearing red glasses in the future?

I won't copy everything he does, but many of his habits are indeed very healthy. If that approach works for him, he should stick with it, and hearing different perspectives can also be insightful.

As a midfielder, how would you rate Real Madrid's midfield? Did the team really need Rodri?

In my opinion, Rodri is one of the world's top players. If he could join Real Madrid, it would naturally make them even stronger. However, Real Madrid has Bellingham, Tchouaméni, Bernardo Silva—all top-tier players—as well as excellent players like Güler.

If Real Madrid loses just two games, outsiders completely write off the team. Everyone needs to stay rational. Mourinho has just arrived and needs time—not an entire season, but at least two years to judge this project.

No team wins the Champions League every year; there are always down seasons, but Real Madrid always bounces back quickly. I think the issue with Real Madrid fans is that if the team loses one game, they want to fire Mourinho and all the players, but football doesn't work that way. Ask the Málaga fans—losing is normal for us.

Is Real Madrid's primary threat in the attacking department?

We have our own tactical plans. For some opponents, you spend an entire week studying defensive strategies, but Real Madrid can undo all that preparation with just one attack. We know what we're facing and will do our best to limit them. Our defenders are strong, and it will be an exciting contest.

Málaga has never won at the Bernabéu.

I didn't know that before, but records are made to be broken. Last season, we also beat several opponents we had never defeated before, and this is another new challenge.

Will Málaga play attacking football?

Of course, we'll continue with our usual style, which is what we do best. If we change our approach abruptly during the match, we'll only play poorly. Real Madrid will inevitably dominate possession, but we'll maintain the right mentality for every league match.

If you score a goal, will you celebrate?

No, I absolutely will not celebrate at the Bernabéu. I have immense respect for this club, and I have a deep connection with Real Madrid. I certainly hope I can score and help the team secure three points, but I will not celebrate it.

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