2014 has been a pivotal year for Isco Alarcón. Beyond the four trophies won by Real Madrid, over the course of the last 12 months he has experienced the greatest mutation in his still short footballing career.
Isco arrived at Real Madrid with an unmistakable reputation as a playmaker. He was backed by his two extraordinary seasons at Málaga and an undeniably important role in the Spain under-21s - a flair player with brilliant ball control, dribbling ability, self-confidence, and an eye for goal to boot.
All of these virtues were confirmed in the first games which he played for Real Madrid, when he got off to a flying start. That was back in the initial months of the 2013/14 season, and Isco did not take long to win over the Bernabéu. However, he gradually ended up playing less and less. This was not due to a lack of quality, but the result of the huge amount of competition in a squad replete with stars.
Little by little, Isco came to realise that quality - with a few dummies and sparkling pieces of play in a game, and even goals, as brilliant as they might be - was not the only thing required to play for 'Los Blancos'. He had to work hard, pull up his socks and help out at the back as much as he did up front.
In this regard, the Copa del Rey final marked a turning point in the starlet's career. Carlo Ancelotti gave him the nod in the middle of the pitch, given that Cristiano Ronaldo's absence left a free space in the XI, and Isco responded with a real workhorse performance - somewhat surprisingly for a highly technical player. This very attribute allowed him to come on in the second half of the Champions League final and join the siege on Atlético's goalmouth which ended in Sergio Ramos's goal.
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