La Liga - Inside Real Madrid: The Perez effect

Eurosport - Mon, 06 Jul 09:25:00 2009

As the attention of the football world is firmly fixed on the Bernabeu this summer, Real Madrid TV's Duncan McMath gives his view on Florentino Perez's eye-popping return as club president.

2009 Real Madrid Kaka Florentino Perez - 0

It came as no surprise to anyone who reads Marca when Florentino Perez announced his intention to return as Real Madrid president. Even before Ramon Calderon was forced to resign following allegations of electoral vote-rigging, there were plenty of rumours that Florentino fancied his old job back. And when Calderon finally lost his grip there was only one man likely to step up.

In the end there were no elections because once Perez officially revealed that he would stand, nobody else bothered. The majority of Real Madrid fans knew that a certain ex-president was the only man to usher in a new era.

The club and the fans were at a low at the end of last season, with the 6-2 drubbing at home at the hands of Barcelona their lowest ebb. It was such a downer that all the confidence and belief was completely knocked out of the side, and they lost the remaining four games of the season.

Before that defeat they really believed they would catch Barca. Between the two Barcelona games, Madrid cut the deficit at the top from 12 to four points, put together a record-breaking eight consecutive away wins, all while missing a number of key players.

No Real Madrid fan would deny that last season Barcelona were better, but amid the dreams of a last-gasp title win nobody really cared that the club's usual brand of stylish football had gone out of the window.

Juande Ramos's emphasis on hard work was immediately apparent and games were won with stamina and strength rather than skill and flair. But in the end Barcelona were in a league of their own, something that was unacceptable to all Madridistas.

Under those conditions, Perez was a dead cert to resume his old job, but even so it was an exciting day when he was unveiled, a day that fans knew would represent a new era, a new Real Madrid. All over again.

Suddenly Madrid were once again linked with the biggest, the best and, of course, the most expensive, and that is what Madrid fans are used to. There has never been a massive, Chelsea or Manchester City-style cash injection from a billionaire foreigner. Madrid have always attracted the world's best players, since the days of Alfredo di Stefano. That's exactly what the fans demand, and exactly what was missing during the Calderon years.

Perez's return was almost universally well-received by Real Madrid fans, although probably not so much in Barcelona. Madrid 'socios' had watched the best players in the world, week in, week out, when Perez was first in charge.

In fact, right in the middle of the Perez reign there was a Real Madrid v World XI charity game, which proved problematic because the world's best players were all representing the opposition.

In the end mistakes were made and perhaps too much emphasis was put on individuals rather than the team. However lessons have been learned ahead of Perez's second spell at the helm.

But, let's be honest, if you're a fan and you hear that your team are about to buy three or four of the very best footballers in the world, would you complain? I think that Real Madrid fans all over the world are very excited about the coming season.

At Kaka's presentation there were 500 journalists, 50 different TV stations and 40,000 fans - that's more fans than attend most games in La Liga. It was incredible; a massive event on the world stage. And, love it or hate it, that's what Madrid are all about. The biggest, most famous club in the world. Perez wants to attract the world's best and win everything - what fan is going to argue with that?

They've already netted arguably the two most famous names in football today, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, and more will follow. They've won the tug of war for Karim Benzema, and now Franck Ribery is saying that only Madrid tickles his taste buds.

Their total summer spending could exceed 300 million euros; a staggering sum, even for the man who brought Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham to the Bernabeu.

Two very shrewd signings in the midst of the megabucks deals saw Manuel Pellegrini sign up as manager a quiet, well respected coach who worked miracles in getting modest Villarreal playing some of the best football in La Liga - and defender Raul Albiol join from Valencia, proving that the emphasis was on young, up-and-coming recruits as well as world famous goalscorers.

The defence could do with further reinforcements, especially the full-backs, but both Perez and Pellegrini are intelligent men and defensive cover will surely come.

There has been talk that some of the current squad members are annoyed that a host of new faces is being bussed in, but many of the Real Madrid players like Iker Casillas, Raul, Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy are used to playing alongside the biggest names in the world.

As a Real Madrid player you have to want to play alongside the best in order to be the best. And they certainly weren't the best last season. Their humbling at the hands of Liverpool in the Champions League and Barcelona in La Liga asked a few questions and highlighted the need for a dramatic change. And the players were very honest, admitting that in the end they were simply not good enough.

Under Calderon the side had won back-to-back titles, but in the Champions League the team haven't got past the first knock-out stage in five attempts and that, more than anything else, meant that change was well overdue. All eyes will be on Madrid's Champions League run next season - until then the fans are more than happy to bask in the knowledge that their club is once again the talk of the town.

Duncan McMath / Eurosport

Comment 7 - 26 of 26

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  1. FUTURE YAHOO HEADLINE== ­

    CORRUPTION SCANDAL ROCKS REAL. PEREZ ARRESTED

    From wa_cker, on Sat 11 Jul 10:35PM

  2. come on people think about barca wish that they could­ do what real madrid are doing, barca will away be sh@t­ compared ro real even in the past to now, just beacause­ you a few things this year so f@cking what, its been a­ few years coming

    From emiliano m, on Sat 11 Jul 1:17PM

  3. come on people think about barca wish that they could­ do what real madrid are doing, barca will away be sh@t­ compared ro real even in the past to now, just beacause­ you a few things this year so f@cking what, its been a­ few years coming

    From emiliano m, on Sat 11 Jul 1:13PM

  4. anthony b. You are totally right. It´s very good for­ football that the “REAL history” of real MADSHIT­ starts to be known in Europe, XXI century but never­ late. Underneath their white uniform everything is­ darkness and corruption.

    From Eslay, on Mon 6 Jul 7:04PM

  5. no matter what Real ever achieve, barca will always be­ considered number 1 by proper football fans around­ europe,madrid suit the pages of vouge, cosmopolitan etc­ more than 442, and also di stefano was signed by barca­ and end up playing for madrid because of francos­ bullyboy tactics, l,m irish and i can tell that would­ never have happened in england, mon the Bohs

    From anthony b, on Mon 6 Jul 5:29PM

  6. how can real be barcas whipping boys. real 31 ligas.­ barca 19 or maybe 20. real 9 european cups barca 3.­ sound a bit off if we are the whipping boys to barca. 1­ season does not make us whipping boys. remember we won­ liga 2 previous seasons last year by a massive points­ diff. cant remember but i think 19 points ahead of­ barca was it. whipping boys dont make me laugh

    From EWEN W, on Mon 6 Jul 4:57PM

  7. hahaha! pathetic you guys are! You guys think C Ronaldo­ will get Madrid out of trouble! He's just a crybaby­ with way too much of an inflated head at a too young­ age. He just loves himself too much! He'll do­ f$%&all with madrid next season but Kaka' will­ make a massive difference in the midfield.

    From kevenprovencal, on Mon 6 Jul 2:08PM

  8. Technically Real are not bailed out by the government.­ A few years ago they had millions of debt wiped out by­ royal decree but as they were not a European force at­ the time no-one really worried. The Galacticos came­ later. However if the same thing was tried nowadays­ there would be uproar and they would be banned from­ European competitions.

    From Bill, on Mon 6 Jul 12:10PM

  9. Indonoob, you are assuming that the new Galacticos will­ do better then the old galacticos. One Champions League­ in 2002. The greatest players and the most expensive­ players in the history of football, all in the same­ team, THE GALACTICOS, so good they came from outer­ space. Yet they won only one champions league. And did­ not exactly win the Copa del Rey or La Liga ever year­ did they???? NO!!!

    Why are you so sure the new­ Galacticos are better then Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo, (The­ real one,) and the rest of the great stars. Maybe you­ think that the old Galacticos won everything every­ season because you are blind to the truth. Now you will­ learn a new truth. Teams full of very expensive super­ stars are always cr.p. We will remind you of this next­ season

    From trouble, on Mon 6 Jul 11:47AM

  10. getachew44
    so if you get ribery as well, where will­ kaka, ronaldo, and ribery all play? and who's gonna­ do the defending part? Plus ramos is rubbish, over­ hyped or what, only looks good in spain as every1 bails­ him out.

    From terri-ann, on Mon 6 Jul 11:39AM

  11. As the Spanish Govt bail Real Madrid out all the time,­ is that not against the EU fair competition rules? I­ know the banks keep writing off their debt, but do the­ Spanish Govt really bail them out and get away with it.­ Do you not think that the legal advisors of Barca, Man­ U, Milan, Juve, Chelsea, Bayern etc., would allow that­ to carry on. I don't think so, so that means you­ are probably wrong.

    From trouble, on Mon 6 Jul 11:39AM

  12. England showed 11 good players dont make a good­ football team, all these so called superstars will be­ falling over each other trying 2 do the same things,­ can't wait 2 c them play, they have the chance of­ being a world force in football, but i just cant c it.

    From terri-ann, on Mon 6 Jul 11:38AM

  13. indonoob
    Man u get over 110 million per year just in­ gate money, plus there shirt sponsor, and many millions­ in shirt sales all over the world, plus our tv money­ and compitition money, so what u on about, also the way­ english football is run is totally different to spain,­ we've always had billionaire owners, like most­ countrys, this is how football is over here, so i dont­ get your point, is it because real madrid are a­ laughing stock of international football now, and who­ barca call there whipping boys lol

    From terri-ann, on Mon 6 Jul 11:36AM

  14. Real Madrid can only afford these players because of­ the government? Have you seen Real Madrid's­ sponsors? With sponsors alone, we get around 180­ million euros a year, not including the world record tv­ deal, which we earn over 100 million euros a year.­ We're not like English clubs. You could never have­ afforded those players if it wasn't for your­ billionaire owners.

    From Bob, on Mon 6 Jul 11:21AM

  15. Perez is to be humiliated as he will understand the­ hard way that football is about putting a solid team in­ all area ... TEAM I said, and TEAM I will say again!­
    Take the best on each position in the world and I­ still doubt that it will result in the BEST­ TEAM...
    Kaka, Benzema, Ronaldo, etc... who will­ sacrifice himself to let the other shine and get the­ golden boot or the FIFA Best player of the­ year!
    NONE... they will all go for each individually

    From hervé a, on Mon 6 Jul 10:55AM

  16. real madrid are not the best team in the world because­ there are trying to buy there way into being the worlds­ best team and hopefully they will not win anything this­ season.

    From stevie_1994, on Mon 6 Jul 10:54AM

  17. KAKA is my hero... Just know a great cel eb site­ ___BigTalls CO M___ where you can me et many big beau­ tiful wo man and hand some guys.

    From Erica S, on Mon 6 Jul 10:48AM

  18. real only can afford these players because the spanish­ goverment bail them out with money will love watching­ real fall on there @#$% next year and all you real fans­ wont like it when ronaldo loses the ball and dosnt­ track back instead he will be sulking on the halfway­ line barca will still crush you next year plus prem­ 100% better the la liga UNITED 4 LIFE

    From brysie, on Mon 6 Jul 10:25AM

  19. Finally one post that is objective.

    From Brane, on Mon 6 Jul 10:19AM

  20. spanish football it terrible, its like watching ballet.

    From Claire, on Mon 6 Jul 10:11AM
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