Denis Cheryshev is experiencing a moment of glory in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, after scoring two great goals in Russia's victory over Saudi Arabia, but few remember that he had to endure harsh mockery after his time at Real Madrid.
From mockery to glory. It was December 2015, Real Madrid faced Cádiz FC in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. However, the result was not the focus. What caught people's attention was the improper alignment of the Madrid team, which included Denis Cheryshev, when he was suspended.
Rafa Benítez was managing Real Madrid and his team was embarrassingly eliminated from the Copa del Rey. It wasn't his fault (perhaps he should have been aware of his disqualification), but Denis Cheryshev went down in history and became the object of mockery from Barcelona fans who would sing "Cheryshev, te quiero" every time they saw him in a soccer match.
Cheryshev moved to Valencia and now plays for Villarreal. His two goals with Russia in the 2018 World Cup do not erase that embarrassing episode at Real Madrid, but clearly improve his image.