Real Madrid enters new normality
Everything indicated that Real Madrid had received almost 100 million euros from the sale of assets during this summer. The reality of James' departure has brought back to White's memory those "sold out" players. In fact, it was Robben the player for whom the club got 25 million euros and the imminent arrival of Ribery to Madrid. Neither was sold at a good price nor did the Frenchman show up at the Castellana. But Real Madrid's account book begins to work, although the sporting and economic balance will never balance. And that stadium does not pay for itself.
The new Bernabéu stadium is the pharaonic work with which Florentino Pérez will look at Santiago Bernabéu's face for trying to be the best president in the history of Real Madrid. The prize for one was to bequeath his name to an emblematic stadium and for the other will be to give it to the sports city of Valdebebas one day.
The works of the new stadium can reach up to 600 million euros and that, together with the economic crisis derived from the pandemic, will have the club very conditioned when it comes to signing stars. James was the last galáctico to arrive at the white house after his successful 2014 World Cup in Brazil with Colombia. His performance has been erratic and his exit through the back door without leaving any money in the coffers does not look like a solvent operation. Revenue from membership and subscription fees remains in limbo as the public wait to return to the stadiums. And Real Madrid, for the moment, has no stadium because it accelerated the works as soon as the coronavirus stopped football.
The last four European Cups are the perfect excuse to make sporting and institutional decisions and to silence any criticism. Zidane is not a temporary coach at Real Madrid. He is not one of those who gathers around strangers to justify a future performance. The Frenchman came to the club as a player in 2001 and returned in 2013 as assistant coach of Ancelotti. He took the reins of the first team in 2016, made history in Europe and left in 2018 when he foresaw the disaster that was to follow Cristiano's departure. He had to return in 2019 at the request of the president to be the reference point for players who only know how to respect their fellow men.
Zidane refused when Kepa arrived at the white gate in the winter market. Navas and Casilla were his goalkeepers and no one could destabilise a dressing room with not enough confidence. The rest is history. Specifically, the sad story of Kepa at Chelsea which keeps him on the edge of a sporting desert. Then came Llorente. Zidane gave the go-ahead to his departure to a direct rival and with a coach expert in squeezing potential. He bet on Valverde to relieve the white midfield in a future without Modric and with Casemiro in his birthday. His decisions, right or not, are aimed at Real Madrid and not at ensuring his future. He has always said that his time on the white bench will be brief. Real Madrid y no para asegurar su futuro. Siempre ha dicho que su paso por el banquillo blanco será breve.
The sale of canteranos is one of those inexplicable policies for many partners that can only be understood from the sports perspective. Selling Achraf and Reguilón for some 60 million euros after the performance they gave in the Dortmund and Sevilla respectively does not seem a good idea. What is left is a veteran player with an ease for injuries like Marcelo. Another one who is not regular like Nacho and another one with an uncertain future like Odriozola. Mendy and Carvajal together with the Brazilian will be the ones who will have to defend the white bands. If these two sales can be bloody for the sporting future of the team there are others that can result in some economic relief. Dani Gómez, De Frutos, Soro, Javi Sánchez and Óscar Rodriguez are all canteranos with the projection that comes from training at La Fábrica. They will leave almost 30 million euros in the coffers and that door ajar for a possible return. A policy which Florentino Pérez has finally got the partner used to. The years of Quinta del Buitre, of Raúl, Casillas or Guti knocking down the door are over and they will not return.
While the canteranos are used to make cash, Real Madrid has opened a line of young foreign transfers. The idea is to look for the future Neymar and dress him in white as soon as possible. The result is good in the medium term and should be in a few years. The economic heat of Madrid is not available in another club at certain ages. The white exit operation is always stuck and, in the end, it is the contracts that expire before the patience of some players. Kubo is 19 years old and has had a promising season in a renovated Villarreal. Odegaard returns to Real Madrid at 21 years of age and at Zidane's express request to provide quality midfield. Reinier and his 18 years old will go to Dortmund, an expert in young players. Brahim will wear the historic Milan shirt at 21. Lunin (21) arrives to compete with Courtois. Rodrygo (21), Militão (22), Valverde (21) and Vinicius (20) are already well deserved first team players and future whites. Jovic (22) and Mariano (27) are precisely the two strikers who have failed to score the goals the team needs. The reason for this policy is given by proven players such as Isco, Asensio and Casemiro.
Real Madrid can emerge victorious from this social, sporting and economic crossroads. The price of the new stadium would normally condition the new signings as it happened to Arsenal with Wembley. But the pandemic has made it impossible for the big European clubs to make big moves and that will equal the forces. Florentino Perez will change his new galactic for an astronomical stadium in price and aesthetics. The contracts of the stars will be extinguished and the young people will not be weighed down by the white shirt. Bale is amortized no matter what. Hazard may not be the Chelsea man, but he still has football to play. A Real Madrid with foundations waiting for a figure. And Barça... who remembers Barça?
