Really Bad Madrid

Filed in archive General on December 22, 2005

Source: Realmadrid.com

Raul looks as lost as his teammates at the moment. Why? Like Arsenal to the north across the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, Real Madrid are enduring a change of fortune these days. But unlike Arsenal (so far) the Galacticos of the Bernabeu are being booed off the pitch just about every week now -- a new tradition of sorts. Sid Lowe's excellent reporting from La Liga for the Guardian captures the decline of what was until recently Europe's footballing powerhouse, gracefully escorting even top-drawer competition from the field with style and verve.



Now Real Madrid are simply an average, sometimes downright poor, mid-table side, sitting fifth in La Liga after a crashing defeat to Racing Santander Wednesday. Recently hired sporting director Arigo Sacchi has left the Bernabeu, and as discussed here several weeks ago, Real are now on their fifth coach in 36 months after Wanderlei Luxemburgo was ousted last month. According to Lowe, Lopez Caro, the interim replacement, will stay because Real's real choice of replacement said no.

What causes such an implosion? Some pundits (myself among them) put it down to the inevitable unstitching of the galactico system, where superstars are bought for top dollar only as short-term business investments (driving up the gate and shirt sales), but fail to ultimately stay together as a squad. Robinho has turned out to be the first real flop of the galatico program, if you don't count David Beckham. Meanwhile Barcelona have managed to blend rising stars and solid scouted or homegrown young talent, and probably a more stable board room, to pull away from Real. And I count myself generally a Real fan over Barça.

Just a changing of the guard? Perhaps, but it points out that teams that are grown instead of assembled solely from high-priced superstars have a better likelihood of succeding over the long-term. Are you listening Mourinho? You could be next.