It has been a quiet few months for Real Madrid. As the rest of Europe's football elite spent the Summer being courted by wealthy Sheikhs and other such billionaires, the aristocrats of Spain kept an unusually low profile... at least compared to previous years.
Indeed, it would be untrue to suggest that Real Madrid have become modest. President Ramon Calderon and Sporting Director Pedrag Mijatovic spent months locked in a Cold War with Manchester United brought about by an unashamedly public and long-standing pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. Not for the first time, the manner in which Madrid went about their business was put into question, with certain characters – not least, Sir Alex Ferguson – perceiving such tactics as typical of the sleaze one has come to expect from the Spanish club.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo stayed and Madrid – at least as far as I am concerned, and if reports of how much they were willing to spend on the Portuguese are true – begin the season £70million better off.
Consequently, Ronaldo’s no-go made for a rather withdrawn summer at The Bernabeu. Few would wonder whether a situation such as this represents a shift in that of either Madrid's buying power or their transfer policy. The club were yet again confirmed as the richest in the world and, despite Calderon's publicly-stated intention to scrap the Galactico policy introduced by former President Florentino Perez, Madrid continue to target the biggest and the best of players.
It is evident that Los Merengues' failure to secure Ronaldo was not for want of trying. Indeed, although the current transfer window has now passed, this move looks certain to happen at some point in the future - especially if Ronaldo's sycophantic claims of 'love' and 'dreams' for Real Madrid are anything to go by.
Ronaldo was, of course, not the only man on Calderon's shopping list – notice how I said Calderon and not (manager) Bernd Schuster (it has, of course, become a prerequisite at Real Madrid that the manager will have little control over transfers). Indeed, it has since been revealed that Valencia rejected bids for David Villa, one of which almost certainly came from Madrid. This, coupled with the loss of Robinho to the newly-crowned Princes of European football, Manchester City (if you can call £32.5million a 'loss'), meant that Madrid were – for the first time in years – destined to start the season short of firepower up front.
That is, of course, greatly depending on what you consider ‘short’. Raul is still going strong and – at 31, and although continually overlooked by Spain Coaches Luis Aragones (and now Vincent Del Bosque) – he remains Spain’s all-time top goalscorer. The likes of Fernando Torres and David Villa may have staked their claim as the new darlings of Spanish football by leading the national team to success in Euro2008 – but in Madrid, where Fernando Torres is Prince (at least of Atletico), Raul is still very much King.
A similar thing can be said of Madrid’s other experienced players. Alongside Raul in attack, Ruud Van Nistelrooy remains the most consistent goalscorer in Europe and, in defence, World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro (now 35) is still the classy and commanding presence he always has been.
With such age and experience continuing in fine form, it is important to mention that Madrid are, for the most part, building a young side. The Galacticos of Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Zidane – all of whom were successful, it must be said – have all made way in recent years. They have gradually been replaced by such players as Gonzalo Higuain, Marcelo, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago (from South America); and Pepe, Mahamadou Diarra and Sergio Ramos (from Portugal, Mali and Spain respectively). All of whom have come at a cost – the South Americans, alone, cost a combined fee of €40million – but are, so far (with the exception of Garay, who has been immediately loaned back to Racing Santander, from which he was bought) getting their fair share of chances in the first team. The same cannot necessarily be said of other imports at other big European clubs. Gago, in particular, is looking a thoroughly exciting prospect with his combination of creative passing, positional awareness and strength coming from deep in midfield.
Of particular interest, is the number of young Dutch players Schuster has bought in: Last year’s recruits of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Roysten Drenthe were joined this year by Rafael Van Der Vaart, who arrived as second choice to Cristiano Ronaldo. Some second choice, is Van Der Vaart; the former Ajax and Hamburg man has been dominant so far this season. His range of passing, attacking link-play and command on the ball have been most impressive and, when you consider he cost probably one-seventh of what Ronaldo would have cost, it provokes questions as to why Madrid would ever need the Portuguese.
Amidst all their wheeling and dealing, it often goes unnoticed that Real Madrid actually have a flourishing youth system. Real Madrid C won the Tercera Division in 2006, and the club’s B side – Real Madrid Castilla – regularly compete in the Secunda Division. This year, academy graduates Javi Garcia and Ruben De La Red return to the squad, fresh from successful loan spells at Osasuna and Getafe respectively. De La Red, in particular, has improved so much that he has already started a number of games for Madrid this season – he was also part of Spain’s European Championship squad. Other graduates include Raul, who has been at Madrid his entire life (barring a brief stint in the Atletico youth team) and the wonderful Iker Casillas who, at only 27, captained the Championship-winning national side in Austria and Switzerland. Casillas is a model professional who has been the club’s most consistent player of the last 5 or so years. For all the attacking players that have played at Real Madrid in recent times, it is an ironic and humbling testament to Casillas that a Goalkeeper such as himself has proved so influential.
Even the manager Bernd Schuster is young – 48, to be exact – and it is perhaps symbolic of a new and less axe-wielding attitude at Madrid that he has stayed on another year. One may argue his position was never in doubt: Having won La Liga in his first year at The Bernabeu following his move from Getafe, he currently holds the position of Real's most successful permanent manager in terms of win-percentage (currently standing at 72%). However, when you consider that Madrid have had 7 managers in 5 years, and that Fabio Capello was sacked after having won the league in a single year in charge in 2006/07, then it comes as a relief that Schuster has survived the Summer.
With Schuster staying, and with the arrival of Van Der Vaart over that of Cristiano Ronaldo, I have high hopes for the coming season. Such relative stability, and the lack of a loud, ‘superstar’ signing will, I hope, work in the team’s favour this term. Things have started fairly well: Having won the Spanish Super Cup over two legs against Valencia, Real Madrid lost away at Numancia in the opening game of the La Liga season. The result was, perhaps, symptomatic of the unusually understated summer the Spanish Champions have had. Since then, the team have gained momentum both in the league and Champions’ League, typified by a resounding 7-1 win against newly-promoted Sporting Gijon. A particularly savourable result given that rivals Barcelona only managed 6 against the same team just the week before. Such results may, come the end of the season, bring about a joyous and most lavish feast for Calderon and the aristocracy but, at least for now, let’s hope Madrid continue quietly… for once.
Indeed, it would be untrue to suggest that Real Madrid have become modest. President Ramon Calderon and Sporting Director Pedrag Mijatovic spent months locked in a Cold War with Manchester United brought about by an unashamedly public and long-standing pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. Not for the first time, the manner in which Madrid went about their business was put into question, with certain characters – not least, Sir Alex Ferguson – perceiving such tactics as typical of the sleaze one has come to expect from the Spanish club.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo stayed and Madrid – at least as far as I am concerned, and if reports of how much they were willing to spend on the Portuguese are true – begin the season £70million better off.
Consequently, Ronaldo’s no-go made for a rather withdrawn summer at The Bernabeu. Few would wonder whether a situation such as this represents a shift in that of either Madrid's buying power or their transfer policy. The club were yet again confirmed as the richest in the world and, despite Calderon's publicly-stated intention to scrap the Galactico policy introduced by former President Florentino Perez, Madrid continue to target the biggest and the best of players.
It is evident that Los Merengues' failure to secure Ronaldo was not for want of trying. Indeed, although the current transfer window has now passed, this move looks certain to happen at some point in the future - especially if Ronaldo's sycophantic claims of 'love' and 'dreams' for Real Madrid are anything to go by.
Ronaldo was, of course, not the only man on Calderon's shopping list – notice how I said Calderon and not (manager) Bernd Schuster (it has, of course, become a prerequisite at Real Madrid that the manager will have little control over transfers). Indeed, it has since been revealed that Valencia rejected bids for David Villa, one of which almost certainly came from Madrid. This, coupled with the loss of Robinho to the newly-crowned Princes of European football, Manchester City (if you can call £32.5million a 'loss'), meant that Madrid were – for the first time in years – destined to start the season short of firepower up front.
That is, of course, greatly depending on what you consider ‘short’. Raul is still going strong and – at 31, and although continually overlooked by Spain Coaches Luis Aragones (and now Vincent Del Bosque) – he remains Spain’s all-time top goalscorer. The likes of Fernando Torres and David Villa may have staked their claim as the new darlings of Spanish football by leading the national team to success in Euro2008 – but in Madrid, where Fernando Torres is Prince (at least of Atletico), Raul is still very much King.
A similar thing can be said of Madrid’s other experienced players. Alongside Raul in attack, Ruud Van Nistelrooy remains the most consistent goalscorer in Europe and, in defence, World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro (now 35) is still the classy and commanding presence he always has been.
With such age and experience continuing in fine form, it is important to mention that Madrid are, for the most part, building a young side. The Galacticos of Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Zidane – all of whom were successful, it must be said – have all made way in recent years. They have gradually been replaced by such players as Gonzalo Higuain, Marcelo, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago (from South America); and Pepe, Mahamadou Diarra and Sergio Ramos (from Portugal, Mali and Spain respectively). All of whom have come at a cost – the South Americans, alone, cost a combined fee of €40million – but are, so far (with the exception of Garay, who has been immediately loaned back to Racing Santander, from which he was bought) getting their fair share of chances in the first team. The same cannot necessarily be said of other imports at other big European clubs. Gago, in particular, is looking a thoroughly exciting prospect with his combination of creative passing, positional awareness and strength coming from deep in midfield.
Of particular interest, is the number of young Dutch players Schuster has bought in: Last year’s recruits of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Roysten Drenthe were joined this year by Rafael Van Der Vaart, who arrived as second choice to Cristiano Ronaldo. Some second choice, is Van Der Vaart; the former Ajax and Hamburg man has been dominant so far this season. His range of passing, attacking link-play and command on the ball have been most impressive and, when you consider he cost probably one-seventh of what Ronaldo would have cost, it provokes questions as to why Madrid would ever need the Portuguese.
Amidst all their wheeling and dealing, it often goes unnoticed that Real Madrid actually have a flourishing youth system. Real Madrid C won the Tercera Division in 2006, and the club’s B side – Real Madrid Castilla – regularly compete in the Secunda Division. This year, academy graduates Javi Garcia and Ruben De La Red return to the squad, fresh from successful loan spells at Osasuna and Getafe respectively. De La Red, in particular, has improved so much that he has already started a number of games for Madrid this season – he was also part of Spain’s European Championship squad. Other graduates include Raul, who has been at Madrid his entire life (barring a brief stint in the Atletico youth team) and the wonderful Iker Casillas who, at only 27, captained the Championship-winning national side in Austria and Switzerland. Casillas is a model professional who has been the club’s most consistent player of the last 5 or so years. For all the attacking players that have played at Real Madrid in recent times, it is an ironic and humbling testament to Casillas that a Goalkeeper such as himself has proved so influential.
Even the manager Bernd Schuster is young – 48, to be exact – and it is perhaps symbolic of a new and less axe-wielding attitude at Madrid that he has stayed on another year. One may argue his position was never in doubt: Having won La Liga in his first year at The Bernabeu following his move from Getafe, he currently holds the position of Real's most successful permanent manager in terms of win-percentage (currently standing at 72%). However, when you consider that Madrid have had 7 managers in 5 years, and that Fabio Capello was sacked after having won the league in a single year in charge in 2006/07, then it comes as a relief that Schuster has survived the Summer.
With Schuster staying, and with the arrival of Van Der Vaart over that of Cristiano Ronaldo, I have high hopes for the coming season. Such relative stability, and the lack of a loud, ‘superstar’ signing will, I hope, work in the team’s favour this term. Things have started fairly well: Having won the Spanish Super Cup over two legs against Valencia, Real Madrid lost away at Numancia in the opening game of the La Liga season. The result was, perhaps, symptomatic of the unusually understated summer the Spanish Champions have had. Since then, the team have gained momentum both in the league and Champions’ League, typified by a resounding 7-1 win against newly-promoted Sporting Gijon. A particularly savourable result given that rivals Barcelona only managed 6 against the same team just the week before. Such results may, come the end of the season, bring about a joyous and most lavish feast for Calderon and the aristocracy but, at least for now, let’s hope Madrid continue quietly… for once.
