Who needs Ronaldo? Real Madrid’s new No 7 Mariano takes centre stage — theguardian.com

“It’s just a number,” Mariano Díaz said. But it isn’t. Over on the touchline, the fourth official held up the board. Coming off: No 11. Coming on: No 7. Mariano stood and waited for Gareth Bale, wearing the shirt Cristiano Ronaldo wore for eight of the nine years he spent at Real Madrid until his departure this summer, that Raúl González Blanco wore for the 16 years before that and Emilio Butragueño wore for the 12 years before that.

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