Thursday 11 June 2009

Real talk

Real Madrid are sending shockwaves through European football.

They wrapped up the world-record £56 million purchase of Brazilian superstar Kaka only two days ago, yet they have already embarked on completing an £80 million deal to prise Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United.

These are undoubtedly the two biggest transfer coups in football history and are soon to be followed by a third - Valencia's David Villa is set to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu for the princely sum of £35 million with Alvaro Negredo going the other way.

Some are outraged at the money being splashed about by returning former club President Florentino Perez. I'm not.

FC Barcelona won the treble of La Liga title, Copa del Ray and Champions League in the most successful season in their history. They have done so playing beautiful, attacking football scoring more goals than ever before.

Real finished second in La Liga - their heaviest defeat being a 6-2 thrashing by Barca at home, exited early in the Copa del Ray, and were humiliated by Liverpool in the Champions League quarter final. They have to spend. They have to fight back against a supreme Barcelona. A team that look untouchable under a Pep Guardiola that has Catalonia running through his veins.

They are the two biggest clubs in the world. The rivalry between the two clubs is the biggest in football. When the teams meet in an 'el classico' it is watched by a global audience of hundreds of millions. Imagine the shame of that 6-2 defeat.

I cannot wait to witness another team of 'galacticos' attempt to reinstate the club as one of the greatest footballing institutions in the world. And attempt to regain the pride that was savaged so severely last season.

It will be 'una cosa bella'.

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