Endrick, the prodigy: paradox and pain.

Joining Lyon from Real Madrid on loan, Endrick's dream of playing was quickly dashed when he was unable to make his Ligue 1 debut as planned due to administrative issues.

The Brazilian player's registration process is only expected to be completed on January 2nd, meaning his chances of playing on Saturday, January 3rd, when Lyon visit Monaco, are very low. It's more likely that Endrick will only be able to play his first game on January 11th in the French Cup match against Lille.

Looking back at the period since Endrick moved to Europe, his time on the pitch has always been a challenging one.

Over the past season and a half, Endrick has only played 946 minutes, accounting for 11% of Real Madrid's total 8,490 minutes of playing time, as the team has participated in 10 competitions, including 7 last season and 3 this season.

Surprisingly, his performances weren't bad, averaging one goal every 135 minutes of play. Including assists, he was involved in a goal-scoring situation on average every 118 minutes. This statistic highlights Endrick's dedication in the few minutes he gets on the pitch.

When Endrick was introduced at the Bernabeu before 45,000 spectators, everyone understood the importance of the €60 million deal. Real believed the 18-year-old was not only the future, but also the present of the Royal team.

In his first season, Endrick played only 13% of the total playing time (847/6,240 minutes). There was a period of 196 days when he didn't play more than 20 minutes in a match (excluding Cup matches). Endrick scored 5 goals in 37 matches during that time. By the end of the 2024/25 season, he had scored 7 goals, averaging a goal contribution every 106 minutes.

This season under Xavi Alonso, things have been even worse. He has only played 4.5% of the total playing time (99/2,250 minutes). Excluding 5 matches missed due to a recurring hamstring injury, the Brazilian prodigy has appeared in the remaining 20 games. In 15 of those, he sat out the entire match, in 2 he was suspended, and in the other 3 he only made brief appearances.

That's why Endrick had to move to Lyon on loan, hoping the French club would abide by the contract clause requiring him to play at least 25 matches. Without bonuses, the 19-year-old star arrived in southeastern France with a suitcase and a burning desire to play regularly, a factor that could help him reach the 2026 World Cup and prove himself one of the greatest talents in world football.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/than-dong-endrick-nghich-ly-and-noi-dau-post1809721.tpo