Real Madrid sack chief medical officer
- Niko Mihic has been let go by Real Madrid following Arda Guler's injury setback
- Croatian worked as chief medical officer since 2017
- Summer signing Guler is yet to make his debut for Los Blancos
Real Madrid have parted company with chief medical officer Niko Mihic over concerns regarding injuries to several players dating back to last season.
The Croatian doctor is believed to have had a relationship with president Florentino Perez and compatriots Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric for over a decade. He then joined Madrid on a permanent basis in 2017.
However, that tenure appears to have become strained and has subsequently ended.
The problems summer signing Arda Guler has experienced since joining in a high-profile transfer from Fenerbahce seem to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Marca has reported Mihic was initially of the opinion that the teenage starlet would not need surgery after suffering a knee problem during the club's pre-season tour. It had been hoped that staff could manage the problem, but they had to make it public when Guler was sent to Spain for treatment. It was eventually decided surgery was required.
The bigger issue with regard to Guler, who is still to make his Madrid debut and was ruled out again for Saturday's La Liga win over Valencia after taking a place on the bench for the two previous games against Rayo Vallecano and Braga.
It is suggested the various problems Guler has encountered are responsible for causing division between the different branches of Madrid's medical and physiotherapy department.
Guler is not an isolated case, with Karim Benzema - who has since left the club - David Alaba and Dani Ceballos experiencing similar muscle-related issues in the last year or so.
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