In the last European Summer Real Madrid fired Juande Ramos and hired Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, becoming the club’s eighth manager in seven years. The same administration then proceeded to spend more than a third of a billion dollars (at the height of the Global Financial Crisis) bringing in arguably the world’s two best players in Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo in addition to one of the world's most promising in Karim Benzema. Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa were also secured, as was Valencia’s centre back Raul Albiol, for 15 million Euros, ironically presented with his jumper by a player out for the season with unresolved heart problems.
Today Real were knocked out of the Champions League. The very competition this obscene amount of money was explicitly invested in with the purpose of winning. And knocked out at the Round of 16 at that. For the sixth season in a row Real Madrid have failed to join the final 8 teams in the world's premier club tournament.
How a club, anywhere in the world, and in any sport, can spend that kind of money and still fail is baffling. Disregarding the ethical elements of this question (both socially or on a sports equality level) or the fact of where the shady, Almodovar like character of Florentino Perez (or how any of the other Real stake holders for that matter) get their hands on this kind of money is scary to contemplate. What sports fans however are just as interested in is how a team who already has a host of other seasoned internationals such as Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Guti and of course Raul on its books is unable, at minimum, to advance to the final eight of the European Champion’s League? Not to mention from a club who last season finished a credible second to the all conquering Barcelona in La Liga.
Ruben de la Red, I sympathise with your heart problems. I’m just thankful my own investment in Real wasn’t near the $350 million mark.
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Maybe this is added proof that championships/titles cannot be bought but are rather won by building a team with the appopriate culture, discipline, teamwork and respect. What is the old adage? "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts". I think I prefer it that way. In fact it is one reason why I truly believe sport is such a special and unique entity.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, Real were probably a bit unlucky not to be four to the good at half time. However, you're right in highlighting the lack of morals in spending what they did when they did. Part of me wants to feel that being knocked out in the round of 16 is a good dose of karma biting them on the arse...
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