There is a type of player Spanish football never stops producing: composed, positionally aware and understated midfielders.
Chema Andres, a former Real Madrid academy graduate now playing in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, belongs to that lineage — and has even drawn comparisons to Manchester City and Spain’s Rodri. But the 20-year-old does not want to believe the hype.
Stuttgart, who sit third in the German top-flight table, paid €5million ($5.8m; £4.4m at current exchange rates) plus €1m in bonuses to sign Chema, as he is commonly known, last summer.
His football education has been shaped by a distinctive trio of former Madrid youth managers — Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and their legendary former striker Raul — each of whom left an impact on him during his nine years of development, from 2017-2025, in the Spanish capital. He made his senior debut under Carlo Ancelotti last season and played three times for the first team, before moving to Germany in search of more playing time.
“There’s one thing all players who’ve been at Madrid — and these three coaches — share: the hunger to win,” Chema tells The Athletic.
Chema is not yet a headline name, but Madrid retain a 50 per cent buy-back option for the midfielder. We spoke to him while he was with Spain’s under-21s, before their 7-0 win against Cyprus last week.
The Valencia-born Chema arrived in Germany after growing up at Madrid’s academy, known as La Fabrica, and was heavily involved at the start. But he has since found things more challenging as he has had to adapt to the Bundesliga.
Chema has played 32 times for Stuttgart in all competitions this season, scoring twice and providing two assists. And, while he always stood out as a promising defensive midfielder in Madrid’s youth system, his new side’s system demands more mobility and a willingness to venture into the box.
“Last year I don’t think I scored any goals, and this year I have already scored two; if I’d been more clinical, I could have scored more,” he says. “That means being more attacking, covering more ground, the kilometres I cover without tiring thanks to the fitness I’ve gained, which is what allows you to go from box to box.”
Chema Andres, left, celebrates scoring for Stuttgart against Young Boys in the Europa League (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Chema says he has put on three to four kilograms (about 8lbs) of muscle since he arrived in Germany. He has also started to establish himself with Spain’s under-21s, playing five times since his debut in September — although the midfield options at the senior side’s disposal make a call-up unlikely for now.
“I’m realistic about my situation,” he says. “The level of the Spanish national team is the highest in the world, with Rodri, (Martin) Zubimendi and others who haven’t been called up.
“My role is with the under‑21s and to qualify for our Euros (which take place in Albania and Serbia next year). Playing for the senior team is a dream, but you have to keep a level head and be realistic.”
That has not stopped those comparisons with the Ballon d’Or-winning Rodri since his breakthrough in the UEFA Youth League, the under-19 equivalent of the Champions League, in 2024. Both are 6ft 2in (190cm) midfielders with a more positional style of play and approachable personalities.
The parallels extend to their academy paths. Rodri developed at Atletico Madrid and Villarreal in eastern Spain, and Chema was formed in the same region at one of Valencia’s top academies, Levante, and arrived at La Fabrica in 2018.
“Those comparisons come from you guys (journalists),” Chema says. “They’re more about our physical profile because he’s still miles ahead. Hopefully, one day I can reach his level. They don’t affect me at all.
“It would be an honour to speak to him and tell him how much I admire him. From what I’ve read, he’s an exceptional person.
“I see myself as cheerful, humble, and someone who gets on well with everyone. I don’t like footballer stereotypes. Some people like that sort of thing, and that’s fine, but I’m more low-key.”
Chema on his Liga debut against Las Palmas in January 2025 (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Chema feels indebted to Madrid for his time in their academy. It is a good time to be a graduate from their youth system — 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch is shining for the first team under Arbeloa as one of several youngsters given a chance by the coach.
But Barcelona’s La Masia still tends to supply more players to the national team. During the last international break, seven Barca players were called up by Luis de la Fuente’s European champions, many of them formed at the Catalan club, while there was just one from Real Madrid (the Dutch-born centre-back Dean Huijsen, who grew up in Malaga).
Barca’s homegrown players tend to be more schooled in Spain’s way of playing, although Chema sees similarities with Madrid’s footballing DNA, too.
“The family you form within the (youth players’) residence stays with you for life,” says Chema. “Madrid and the national team have similar objectives — everyone expects them to win. That competitive spirit, the desire to win, to dominate the ball. The styles of play are quite similar.
“Real Madrid are the best team in the world; playing there is the hardest job in football. That reality shapes everything: the best players want to go there, and usually do. For the academy, that raises the bar even higher, in a context very different to Barcelona’s, shaped in part by financial pressures and squad dynamics.”
Chema is in a unique position as a player coached by Raul, Alonso and Arbeloa. He recalls his time with the under-19s under Arbeloa, from 2022-2024, as challenging.
“I wasn’t playing much, I wasn’t at my best, and I was struggling quite a bit,” he says. “Arbeloa knew it and he did what he believed was best. It helped me a great deal. He told me things as they were. He always tried to understand me, and he made me understand why he was doing what he did. That’s why Arbeloa is the best communicator I’ve had.”
Raul, Real Madrid’s record appearance holder (741 games), who coached him for the ‘B’ team, Castilla, for two years from 2023-2025, also left a deep impression.
“He trusted me when I was going through a difficult period,” Chema says. “That meant a lot. Behind the scenes, he was exceptional, always very kind to us. He was incredibly intense, but he also knew how to balance that with a good atmosphere.”
And Alonso, who coached him for the under-14s in the 2018-19 season? “I was very young, but from the little I remember, he was very approachable,” Chema says. “We’d finish training and get pizzas in the dressing room all together, he tried to foster that sense of unity.”
Chema made his senior debut in a Copa del Rey match in January 2025 but then played just 10 minutes across two matches in La Liga for Madrid. Breaking into the first team was always likely to be difficult against top competition from midfielders such as Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Chema found gametime hard to come by at Real Madrid (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The sporting project suited what I wanted: to make the leap to professional football and have the chance to gain experience and playing time,” he says. “I spoke to the coach Sebastian Hoeness, and he convinced me — I could see he wanted me there and had faith in me. He gave me that sense of confidence.”
Germany has also broadened his perspective on football culture: “Football in Germany, and especially in Stuttgart, belongs to the fans. The stadium is full for every match. They make it easy for the fans to come along and they organise meetings so we can talk to them. People really value the players and what we represent.”
Chema remains focused, despite ongoing reports linking him with a move back to Madrid, who have that buy-back option, as the club tend to insert in their departing youngsters’ deals.
“That’s something the club has to decide — I’d be delighted to return to Madrid, but it’s not something I’m worrying about right now,” he says. “I’m very happy at Stuttgart.
“I’ve told my agent I don’t want to know anything about that. When the time comes, we’ll talk and see what options we have.”
He has joked with team-mate Angelo Stiller, though — the 24-year-old Germany midfielder who reports have also linked to Madrid — about potentially playing together there in the future.
“Everyone knows about Madrid, but there have been a few jokes between us: ‘Are you off there? Am I coming and you’re leaving?’. But that’s it,” Chema says. “He’s our best player, he’s spectacular. If you watch a Stuttgart match, you’ll see he’s the one calling the shots. He’s a top-class player and could play for any team — hopefully Madrid, or wherever he wants.”
For now, Chema continues to define himself on his own terms — calmly, steadily, and without distractions.
