The ‘Beast’ roars again at Valdebebas: Baptista takes over the reins of Madrid's youth team

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Julio Baptista returns home: joins Real Madrid as youth coach

There are returns that don't need big announcements. Some names are heard and the memory of the fans does the rest. That is the case with Julio Baptista, who, almost 20 years after his signing as a Real Madrid player, is back in white... although this time from the bench. The ‘Beast’, as he was nicknamed in his golden era, returns to Valdebebas to coach one of the club's youth teams.

The Brazilian joins the new wave of movements that is shaking up the club's technical structure. And it's not all down to the first team, where Xabi Alonso will take over the reins after Carlo Ancelotti's tenure. At Castilla, Raúl González has decided to end his time in the reserve team and his place will be taken by another old acquaintance: Álvaro Arbeloa. Meanwhile, Baptista joins the training project at La Fabrica with the mission of moulding Madrid's future stars.

Julio is no stranger to the bench. His most recent coaching experience was at Valladolid, where he worked with various teams within the Castilian club's structure, eventually coaching the second team. Although his coaching career is still under construction, his profile fits perfectly with the club's model: a former player with Madrid DNA, charisma in the dressing room and ambition to develop young players.

But beyond what he can contribute as a coach, the signing of Baptista has an emotional component. The Brazilian was part of that Madrid of the galacticos, signed in 2005 after shining at Sevilla. His decisive goal in a Clasico against Barcelona is still fondly remembered by many Whites fans. Although he did not have the continuity that was expected, he was always an exemplary professional and left a good memory in the dressing room and with the board.

After leaving Europe as a footballer, Baptista spent time in Brazil, the United States and Romania before hanging up his boots. Since then, he has maintained a close relationship with Madrid, participating in various club events and acting as an occasional ambassador. His return, in that sense, seems more a natural continuation of that bond than a surprise signing.

Valdebebas has now become his new working home. There, among promising players who dream of setting foot in the Bernabéu, Baptista will bring his experience of top-level football, his knowledge of the game and the competitive nature that has accompanied him throughout his career. He will not be the most media-friendly face in the new Real Madrid set-up, but he will be one of the most recognisable for those who grew up watching LaLiga in the 2000s.

Real Madrid continues to rely on its own players. If before it was Zidane or Raúl, now it is the turn of Arbeloa and Baptista. Former players who have become coaches, who understand the demands of the crest and who know how to develop talent within an institution that does not forgive mistakes, but which values loyalty and commitment.

The white youth academy, like the first team, is also on the move. With Baptista joining the project, Madrid's message is clear: history is respected, but it is also used as a basis for building the future. And the ‘Beast’, this time, will be the one to teach those who come after him to roar.