The German passed his physical with flying colours and will be presented on Wednesday

Two days after landing in Madrid, Christoph Metzelder was at Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital to undergo the required physical. The German defender passed with flying colours and will be the first new player of the Schuster era. Metzelder will be officially presented on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.


Christoph Metzelder landed at Madrid's Barajas International Airport on Sunday at 3:45 pm CET ready to become the second signing of the week after Ramón Calderón's presentation of Bernd Schuster as the new coach of Real Madrid on Monday. The defender's first stop since his arrival in Spain was the Mirasierra Suites Hotel, where he is staying until his official presentation on Wednesday. Today he had an appointment at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital to undergo the required physical to show that he is in optimum playing form.

As expected, Metzelder passed every test he underwent under the supervision of Doctor Alfonso Del Corral, Chief of Real Madrid's Medical Services. The physical included locomotor skills tests, blood and biochemistry analysis, cardiorespiratory tests, and x-rays. The results showed that the player is in perfect health.

Following the check-up, Dr. del Corral commented, “We ran a variety of tests. What worried us the most were the two operations he had on his Achilles Tendon. He's a player who has been playing for both his national team and team, and he is fit to play for Real Madrid. However, he is a player that we will have to keep a close eye on due to the surgeries he has undergone.”

The Chief of Real Madrid's Medical Services did, however, clarify that it's just a matter of watching out for the player in order to prevent any possible injuries. “I can confirm that his Achilles Tendon is fine although it's been operated on twice. He shouldn't have any problems. Of course, as goes for any athlete, but especially one that undergoes the rigors of Real Madrid, he is at risk of being injured, but we will stay on top of him to avoid any relapse. He is perfectly capable of playing for Real Madrid.”