REAL MADRID THE CLUB OF MADRIDISTAS

I am a Real Madrid fan and people ask why Madrid and not Man U Barcelona or AC Milan and I say nothing and just smile so here I am giving my brain some peace and my heart some love by replying to all those beautiful people who asked me why Madrid??

Alfredo Di Stefano

 Quinta del Buitre

Am I a Blancos fan because we are the best European team with nine Champions League title to our name, which included five consecutive titles. OR is it because we always have the most expensive team line-ups. OR is it because we have Di Stefano’s name engraved on each and every brick of Santiago Bernabeu. OR is it because we brought fashion to the green turf with an all white kit in the early nineties. OR is it because when you think of Real the faces that start flashing in my head are of Stefano, Butragueno, Manuel Sanchis, Rafael Martin Vasquez, Miguel Pardeza, Hugo Sanchez, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Hierro, Salgado, Raul, Casillas, Ronaldo, Figo, Beckham, Morientes, Van Nistelrooy, Ramos, Pepe, CR7, Ozil, Kaka, Di Maria, Joselu, Jesus, Morata, Sarabia and the never ending Galacticos. Now looking at other side of the coin do I follow Real cause even though we have the brightest or if I can say whitest bright history, in the past 6-7 seasons we have been nothing but just a name a brand and I want to see the old Blancos back?? Or is it cause I am tired of the politics within the club and want the brutal and almost killing news of Del Bosque been sacked removed from my head?? I say I am a Blancos follower cause I BELIEVE. I am a Real Madrid follower cause this is the club which comes to my mind when I think about the most beautiful and magical game in the world. And with this belief and trust comes both side of the coin which I just talked about which gives both immense pleasure & satisfaction and also immense pain & sadness.

And this season again I know we are not the Tiki-Taka maestros or we don’t have the backing of crazy but filthy rich oil tycoon or we don’t have a knighted manager on the sidelines but one thing we surely are and have been in the dry and lacklustre recent seasons is that we are a unit and I am sure this season again all the Madridistas around the world are again going to dream to bring the silverware home and give their 110% support to “the most magical club in the world” i.e. Real Madrid. And on a personal note I do believe we have the team this season to relieve those dreams again which saw Hugo Sanchez scoring goals at will, which saw Di Stefano being the most decorated footballer in the world which saw Zinedine Zidane walking all around Bernabeu with tears of joy in eye and a bottle of champagne in hand.

Zidane with 9th UCL

Many say we are only European glory hungry that is why we keep buying very expensive players and don’t care about our youth. Totally disagree we do have a good youth system may be not as good as La Masia or the Arsenal Football Club academy. And excuse me but don’t make stupid comments that Los Merengues don’t care about La Liga we still are the most successful team in Spain with 31 league titles. Surely agree we have strayed away from our path but we are coming back and when we do my words won’t hold any importance because action speaks louder than word.

So this is to all the Blancos fan all around the world keep the BELIEF TRUST & RESPECT for REAL MADRID stronger than ever cause those 11 players in White kit with gold stripes on the green turf deserve that. 

And a well made video by Galaktyczny1990 for all the Madrididistas do check it out:

The Puppeteers

Its always an honor when you get to write about the great players but it’s a bigger honor and greatness when you get to write about the managers who have made those players great.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United

1986 – Present

Previous Clubs:  Aberdeen, Scotland National Team

Age: 69

The great Scot of English football has been credited to transform how managers look at football in England bringing up new and different tactics for every new opponent and making his presence felt when he enters the Locker room and showing who the Boss is what defines Ferguson. Lets see what else completes the introduction of the great Scot, he is one of the greatest manager that world would ever witness and he is considered to be Master of mind games he is like the Professor X of football world.

Like seeing a blood sucking Dracula is just not possible be it in day light or in the darkness of the night same way Ferguson never plays the same team in consecutive matches as I said he has a different game plan for each of his opponent. This also gives him the edge over the opponent as the opponents have no clue what Fergie is hiding in his mind and whats ringing in his players ears. He protects his players as his own children but as a parent he gets angry when his sons don’t obey which has led to the departure of many great players from Old Trafford most famously being the departure of son of Manchester David Beckham.  But what he means to his players is visible when till date even after his departure from Manchester United Beckham still never fails to express that Ferguson is like a father to him who actually made this English star.

Ferguson’s 2011-12 season would be his 25^th season at the helm of Red Devils so it wouldn’t be wrong to say he is the biggest devil of all. He has transformed how world looks at the Manchester club who were at second from the bottom when he joined in ’86 and now they are the best club in English football with 19 Premier League titles over taking Liverpool last season. Sir Alex has presented the world with few of modern day football’s biggest stars starting from Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Peter Schmeichel, Rio Ferdinand and few other youth team youngster who were later called as “Fergie's Fledglings” which included Neville brothers, Beckham and Nicky Butt and most recently Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez . After their 19^th title it was quoted in newspapers and articles that Fergie has at last helped the City of Manchester get over the 1958 Munich crash.

Achievements:

Aberdeen

• ·        Scottish Premier Division: 3
• ·        Scottish Cup: 4
• ·        League Cup: 1
• ·        UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1
• ·        UEFA Supercup: 1

Manchester United

• ·        Premier League: 19
• ·        FA Cup: 5
• ·        League Cup: 4
• ·        Community Shield: 9
• ·        UEFA Champions League: 2
• ·        Intercontinental Cup: 1
• ·        FIFA Club World Cup: 1
• ·        UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1
• ·        UEFA Supercup: 1
• ·        Premier League Manager of the decade
• ·       Premier League Manager of the year: 10

Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid

2010- Present

Previous Clubs: Benfica, FC Porto, Chelsea & Inter Milan

Age: 48 yrs

Real Madrid voted by FIFA as the most successful club in 20^th century, thirty one La Liga titles and nine UEFA Champions League titles most by any other club but no one can live on their laurels forever so till last season the state of the world’s most illustrious club spoke three simple facts no silverware since 2007-08 season, hadn’t qualified past the Round of 16 in past 6 seasons and most importantly eleven coaches in past seven seasons. So who does Madrid turn to Jose Mourinho so how is ‘The Special One’ so special? What makes him a manger who is today counted as one of the best manager in the world? What makes him a perfect mould of 21^st century tactician?  What makes him a person all other clubs hate except his own?

Most of the coaches have exposure of playing against clubs from England, Spain, Italy, Portugal or Ajax. But Mourinho has not only has this exposure but also the exposure of coaching clubs from Spain where at the early part of his life he was the interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at FC Barcelona, Portugal where he coached Benfica, Leiria and the FC Porto, England where he came into Chelsea FC during the start of reign of Roman Abramovich, Italy he came at power at Internazionale and now finally back to Spain as the Head Coach for the Blancos. And I believe he very well knows how to convert this exposure into his tactics.

Mourinho has a counter tactics kind of a mindset he researches he digs deep to find the loop holes and faults in opposition and sets up his game plan accordingly which counters opposition’s all possible tactics. Mou is known to be a perfectionist as he knows what he wants and when he wants. He is one of those coaches whose achievement precedes him wherever he goes because these are the coaches who understand their achievements are possible only with the progress of his team. Mourinho has coached 6 clubs in over 510 matches and out of which won 348 matches and drawn 102 and lost only 60 which actually summarizes to a win % of 68.24. Mourinho might be arrogant but his knowledge in football, his game plans, and his decisions right now in the world of coaches is very much unbeatable. He is one of the few coaches to have led two different clubs from different continent to UEFA Champions league glory when no one even considered them as a contender.

Achievements:

FC Porto

·        Premeira Liga: 2

·        Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1

·        Taça de Portugal: 1

·        UEFA Cup: 1

·        UEFA Champions League: 1

Chelsea

·        Premier League: 2

·        Community Shield: 1

·        FA Cup: 1

·        League Cup: 2

Internazionale

·        Serie A: 2

·        Supercoppa Italiana: 1

·        Coppa Italia: 1

·        UEFA Champions League: 1

Real Madrid

·        Copa del Rey: 1

Pep Guardiola

Barcelona

2008- Present

Age: 40 yrs

Pep is like a household name in Barcelona, he joined La Masia at the age of 13 and at the age of 40 he is still the part of La Masia, Barcelona B and Champions League winner Barcelona. He is the man with many faces at Nou Camp started from La Masia played as Defensive Midfielder for Barcelona most of his life and then coached the Barcelona B side and in 2008 came to the helm of FC Barcelona with the senior side. When a coach has seen the good bad and ugly of the club for whom he has played whole of his life he then doesn’t need to find the strengths and weaknesses of the club its already in his heart and soul.

That is the kind of manager he is he treats his team as his fellow team mates cause there are many with whom he has had opportunity to play with at some phase of his career. He doesn’t try too hard to make things possible his plans are always simple his tactics are always straight forward and his head is always calm & composed. On top of that he is the luckiest manager in the world to have players like Xavi, Iniesta, Villa and Messi in the squad.

But one question that keeps an intriguing worm in my head is will he be equally successful in any other club he goes. Most of the first team players he has now he has also worked with them in Barcelona B so he knows what they are best at so all he has to do is find the right missing piece to complete the puzzle. On the other hand you can say he has done what most managers take a long time to do which shows that his presence in Nou Camp in not limited to being a manager but also a person who is involved in all branches of the Catalan Oak tree. But if someone asks me where would he go next I would say he would go to a club where high importance is given to youth system and where he has the freedom to be involved in all spheres of a club.

Achievements:

Barcelona

·        La Liga: 3

·        Cope del Rey: 1

·        Supercope de Espana: 2

·        UEFA Champions League: 2

·        UEFA Super Cup: 1

·        FIFA Club World Cup: 1

Andre Villas-Boas

Chelsea

2011-Present

Age: 33 yrs

Youngest of the lot dreamer by heart, yes Villas-Boas is only 33 years of age and has recently taken charge of Chelsea after the sacking of Carlos Ancelotti. I call him a dreamer because anyone who would see he is career progression would say the same thing, started with a job at the observation department at FC Porto why because he got into a discussion with Sir Bobby Robson. As time progressed Robson was so impressed with this 16 year old lad that under his guidance AVB got a UEFA class C coaching license at the age of 17. With an eye for brilliance he soon became the official scout for Porto and by the age of 21 he was the assistant coach to Mourinho at FC Porto.

As Mourinho is known to be the Special One I call AVB the Chosen One. For the next eight years he learned the ticks and trade of coaching from then budding coach and his mentor Jose Mourinho he followed him to Chelsea also from Porto retaining his position as 2^nd to Mou. This might be a very good reason for him now becoming the head coach at Chelsea as the club wanted someone who could start working right away as they knew AVB was already familiar with Blues system or should I say Abramvich’s system. After Mourinho left for Inter after his much productive stint AVB decided to part ways as he wanted to now concentrate on his own career but till then he had no clue what was in store for him in the near future. He spent the 2009-10 as the head coach for Academica in Primeira Liga where he saved the club from relegation and got them to a respectable 11^th place. Soon after that season he was signed by FC Porto the powerhouse of Portugal or the place where it all began. Jumping directly on his achievement for his one and only season at Estadio de Dragao he won the league with a margin of 21 points, he broke Mourinho’s record  at the club of being unbeaten in all competition by winning 36 games on the trot. More importantly he completed a quadruple while being incharge of his first big European club.

AVB is known for his attractive and attacking style of play. While at Porto he used Hulk and Falcao to their full potential that for the 2010-11 season they managed to score a staggering total of 75 goals in all competition. Brought into a Chelsea side after they suffered a trophy less last season to bring that energy to win matches and hence bring a sense of satisfaction to the supporters club and most importantly to Mr. Owner. Critics consider him too young to cater for the need of Chelsea but I would ask them if a players age is not dependant on how many goals he can score then why should a person who has gained so much knowledge, learned from the best and proved himself to be the best in short time be questioned.

Achievements:

FC Porto

·        Primeira liga: 1

·        Taça de Portugal: 1

·        Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1

·        UEFA Europa League: 1

3 Wrong Moves

Like in chess one wrong move and your king dies which marks the end of your game and all your strategies that is the case when it comes to clubs making their moves in transfer market. So here I am trying to point out some of the wrong moves made by the clubs in the past:

Xabi Alonso

Considered to be one of the most technically sound and class apart kind of midfielder that the footballing world has ever witnessed. Joined the Benitez brigade of Liverpool along with fellow Spaniard Luis Garcia in the summer of 2004-05 and as soon as he arrived at Anfield Benitez started building the team around him and Gerrard. Coincidently that was the very season in which the world witnessed the biggest comeback in sports history. I call it the biggest comeback cause in the Finals of UEFA Champions League that very season at the end of first half Liverpool were trailing AC Milan 3-0 but the Kops managed to make a comeback which included a penalty from Xabi to make the score 3-3 and at the end of that day Liverpool were declared champions with them winning the penalty shootout 3-2. Since that day Xabi has always been praised for his pivotal role in the Merseyside and Benitez had always put strong praising words when it came to Xabi’s role in the side. Since then Alonso managed to win one UEFA Champions league, one FA cup, one European Super Cup and one community shield.

In the summer transfer window of 2008-09 season rumours surrounded Anfield with Alonso thinking of moving out as Liverpool were thought to be in pursue of England international Gareth Barry. But as the season started neither Barry nor Alonso changed their jersey color but that left the Spaniard unsettled and unimpressed with the transfer strategies that Liverpool management were trying to imply behind his back. Some of his wounds were surely healed with the support he was getting from his supporters on and off the field as undoubtedly he was a crowd favorite. Even though he went through all the rumors that surrounded him during the transfer window Xabi managed to have a very impressive 2008-09 season.

But with the end of season much to the shock of the faithful Anfield supporters the management of Liverpool had made it clear to him that he was surplus to their requirement.  The man who had given so much to the club and its history finally decided to leave the Merseyside which would save him from furthermore embarrassment from the club which he till date loves. In the summer of 2009 Xabi joined Spanish giant Real Madrid and there also it didn’t take the pass master much of a time to settle at Santiago Bernabeu  who once completed 1000 passes in EPL in one season. 

And what happened after that to Liverpool everyone has seen that and till now the players the followers and the media criticize the wrong move that has left the club in disarray. Still whenever Alonso gets a chance he never holds himself back from saying he still misses Liverpool.

Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas is going back to Barcelona oh! He is not … no no he is going to Barcelona oh again!! Arsenal not happy with deal this is what I have been hearing for past 2 seasons. This part of my blog is not much of a wrong move but this passage would surely signify what has been a pain in arse for both Arsenal and Barcelona supporters. Fabregas signed for the world renowned respected star factory La Masia in 1997 at the age of 10. Barcelona has so much belief in this youngster that they actually wanted him to be hidden from scouts from around the world he was like their precious treasure. He belonged to the same batch of budding young footballers which also has Messi and Pique.

Seeing that players like Xavi and Iniesta who had huge potential were already playing in the first team squad Fabregas supposedly soon sensed that he would only be getting limited number of chances to play for Barcelona. This reason got him unsettled and the rule in Spanish football that a player under the age of 18 couldn’t be held under any contract got many clubs interested in this youngster. Hence Arsenal which is said to be having the second best youth system in the world after Barcelona took advantage of the restless and unsettled mindset of 16 year old Fabregas and brought him to North London in 2003. So Fabregas left La Masia and Barcelona looking for first team opportunity which he actually did get in the same year making him the youngest player to play in first team for Arsenal.

And now after 8 years and after becoming the youngest captain at Emirates stadium and now being one of the best player in his position and finally after the drying of silverware at Arsenal rumors are haunting the Gunners faithful that Fabregas might return to where he was born. But I fail to understand why leave a club which has given him so much, why break the trust of may be his biggest fan and his coach Arsene Wenger all because he doesn’t get to win Premier League or FA Cup or Carling cup or Champions League. If given a chance I would resonate with Emirates faithful and call upon Cesc and say  Mr. Captain if you really want it go snatch it from the hand of Manchester United, Manchester City, Birmingham City or even Barcelona cause fact remains same neither you nor your clubs are loosers. I say that cause Arsene Wenger is still there may be off path now and at the age of 16 no child in the world has the guts to leave his country leave his club leave his family all to make his future.

But all said and done this tussle between Barcelona to bring him back and Arsenal to either keep him at Emirates  or get a lot of money for him has surely left the supporters the media in a dizzy situation.

Samuel Eto’o

In 1997 a 16 year old African kid known as Eto’o came to Spain’s capital Madrid with big dreams in his small little eyes, he signed for Spanish giant Real Madrid. For a small kid coming so far from his I am sure he must have dreamt to give everything to this club as this is the club is not only his first step on international but for most Real is a big step. As a Madrid supporter I am disheartened and sad they didn’t care a penny about Eto’o. In his first season being a minor he could only play for Real Madrid B which in the season got relegated so Eto’o was loaned out to Leganes the next season where he gained a lot of experience by playing 30 matches that season and scoring four goal. The very next season now 18 after returning to Madrid Eto’o was again loaned out to Espanyol when he could have easily been retained given some experience playing in Santiago Bernabeu.

After getting no chance to play at Espanyol he was now loaned out to Mallorca in the winter window. That is where Eto’o actually showed what he is worth, notching up 54 goals in 133 appearances for Mallorca. And at the end of 1999-2000 season I am sure Eto’o must have felt unwanted at Bernabeu and was signed by Mallorca for £4.4 million with Madrid still holding some portion of his contract.

After proving to himself and the world the he can score goal at his own will and what a hard worker he has proven to be while playing for Los Bermellones at the end of 2003-04 season Barcelona came knocking on his door. And after a three way tussle he was finally sold to Catalan giants for a mammoth amount of €24 million. And that is when actually not the ghost of Eto’o but Eto’o himelf actually returned to haunt Bernabeu, where he went on to score 108 goals in total of only 145 appearances and out of the five seasons he spent at Nou Camp he won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and two Champions League crown and on an individual note one Pichichi trophy. Where during the same duration all Real could manage was two La Liga titles.

I am sure if today also a Madrid supporter sees these fact all he would say what were they thinking when they made such a bad move to let such talented striker leave. And if a list of bad moves made by Madrid is made today letting go of Eto’o would give a very strong competition to sacking of charismatic Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque.

Some bad moves I feel that can actually be made this transfer market are:

1.     On selling note:

a.     Meireles (Liverpool) – déjà vu Xabi situation

b.     Kaka (Real Madrid) – don’t know why

c.      Torres (Chelsea) – Abramovich is crazy

d.     Fabregas (Arsenal) – Never ending

2.     On buying note:

a.     Coentrao (Real Madrid) – why when Marcelo is playing at the peak

b.     Fabregas (Barcelona) – he goes back to bench from being a captain 

La Masia Part I

First time in the history of football the final three nominee for Ballon d’Or were from same school of football, it was only the third time that a World Cup winning team had seven players from the same youth system, they are called the factory of magician who always leave their supporters spell bound and it is the might be the only school in the world where humility is the first lesson for rest of your life. Yes I am talking about La Masia whose English translation comes out to be The Farmhouse and this is the farmhouse which has given the galaxy of football most of its stars. And the list includes Pep Guardiola, Luis Milla, Guillermo Amor, Sergi Barjuan, Ivan de la Pena, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Pepe Reina, Thiago Motta, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Mikel Arteta and Pedro.

La Masia is actually the name given to the youth academy of the present La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners the Catalan giants FC Barcelona. It caters and develops more than 300 youngsters who one day dreams to be a star which shines in the world and stands apart from the rest. As the world says and agrees La Masia have a huge hand in Barcelona’s recent success and achievements. Where other clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan have been spending 100 million dollars every year to build the perfect team Barcelona have spent nothing to have football maestros like Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pique, Busquets, Pedro and Valdes in their side without spending much.

If a personal unknown to this youth academy passes by this facility all he would see is a 18^th century country house but this is the place where every young footballer dreams to get a diploma in tiki-taka which is a Spanish term given to an attractive style of football involving short 1-1 passes. As the present manger Guardiola may be the most decorated player and coach that La Masia has ever produced with 16 trophies as a player and presently 10 trophies as the coach quotes “The player who has passed through La Masia has something different to the rest”. And sir the world agrees to this especially when in the present side you see Xavi, Messi, Iniesta and Pedro in the midfield Pique, Puyol and Valdes in the defense every time you see this side play all you say is Oh My God. The only reason being the players of La Masia are taught the lesson of comradeship and humility first then the lessons of football.

La Masia being world’s most high maintenance youth system in the world with every 5 million pounds spent on the academy. Its different from other academy in a lot of way first of all being studies are given equal importance as the knowledge of football as its gives a sense of self confidence that even if you don’t prove to be a big star you are able enough to live your life. Second being the youth system on which La Masia runs which is said to be the brain child of then coach the Dutch footballing genius Johan Cryuff its based on three stages involving advancement of a player from being a Juvenile to Barcelona B and then finally first team. And at all stages there is always a sense of interaction or connection in all the three levels.

This whole system as Guardiola puts in front of the world comes out with the first stage involving a rotation policy for the youth players in the Barcelona B side. Second stage involves making a player aware of the team its importance its capability and its drawbacks and even making a young player the captain of the side irrespective of the experience that might be one of the reason why Fabregas at such a young age is the captain of the Arsenal side. And the last stage involves giving a key role to a player and may be given a call into the first team depending on your performance.

These are the few reasons why La Masia is at present the best academy in the world and a lesson to all the clubs which prefers to buy players rather than growing a player. Cause I believe the players who have grown together seen the ups and downs together are much better as a team than any other team.

And I would end this blog of mine with description of La Masia by none other than the best player in the world Messi :

“As a kid they teach you not to play to win but to grow in ability as a player”