In
perhaps what has been the most prestigious and important Madrid Derby ever to
be played, Real Madrid finally ended a 12 year long wait for their 10th
Champions League trophy as they beat local rivals Atletico Madrid by a final
score of 4-1 at the Stadium of Light, Lisbon on the 24th of May. Los
Blancos (The Whites), as Real Madrid are popularly known as, have now become
the first ever team to win the Champions League in double figures, and one can
only speculate as to what this victory signifies for them in the long haul.
One
way of looking at future prospects may be clearly defined in monetary and
material terms. If it wasn’t already the case before, Real Madrid will now be
more secure than ever in covering any financial deficits as the money from
sponsorships, shirt sales, prize money etc. would be subject to hefty rises,
and the profit margin will only further encourage more heavy investments. A
hugely noteworthy development in material terms will be Real’s renewed ability
to attract the best of players. Now I realize that Real has never really had
any major problems in luring players to the Bernabeu, but the fact remains that
in recent years Real Madrid have not even been the most dominant team in Spain,
let alone Europe. Therefore, it is possible that from now on Real Madrid will
not need to make such hefty offers to buy the best of players, although there
is a possibility that this very attribute may be reinforced since individual
stars like Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have turned out to be such important
assets for the team.
The
more momentous change however lies in what La Decima signifies to the footballing
world in general. As Real supporters would like to think, La Decima announces a
return to the good old glory days of Real Madrid. A return not only to the
glamour and prestige of the yester years, but also a return to occupying the
dominant central role in football which eventually earned them the title of ‘FIFA
Club of the 20th Century’. Heavily linked with this idea of glamour
and prestige is the Real dream of forming another Galacticos, a dream team
which comprises the best of the best. And with the financial base and
accessibility which Los Blancos now possess, Florentino Perez should have no
problems in creating the sort of world XI which Real Madrid had acquired during
the early 2000’s. Plus, taking into account the rich history associated with
the club, as well as the fact that Real Madrid provides an opportunity to play
with world class players and sustain serious challenges to major trophies place
the elite club among the finest places to cultivate one’s career. Thus, moving
into the summer transfer window now, it will be interesting to see how Luis
Suarez is able to resist the temptations of Madrid.
A
popular saying in football suggests that ‘those who remember the past are
destined to live through it again’, and Real Madrid will be looking to do
exactly that as they attempt to fabricate their future glories by recreating
their past grandeur.
Akhil Goswami
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