Hard Times for a former Great: What Real Madrid Needs to Learn from the Champions of Europe

[Vermont Red]

I can barely remember when Real Madrid were champions of Europe and were the standard by which all ambitious clubs measured themselves, as well as clubs like Arsenal. Now the club is an embarrassment, resorting to nefarious means to unsettle players that they desire, oblivious to things that make winning teams like balance and chemistry. It's not a coincidence that Manchester United, Champions of Europe, have these things in abundance.

If Real Madrid wants to approach their former glory, they could do worse than to try to emulate the class of Europe, Manchester United. In this thread, we should discuss the behaviors that Real Madrid should eliminate (galactico-ism, manipulating the Spanish press to further their own agenda, selling club assets to the Spanish government in dodgy transactions, slavery) and what behaviors Real Madrid should adopt from the class of Europe, Manchester United (team-building, honorable transfer dealings, developing players instead of buying finished products).

[Karloski]

I think Real maybe need to look at the way Manchaester United - Champions of Europe, have stuck with their manager through good times and bad (although mainly good). So as to build a consistent winning mentality (the envy of all Europe). They need to understand their limits and cease firing managers for only winning one cup per season.

[YOUNGSTARS87]

I can barely remember when Real Madrid were champions of Europe and were the standard by which all ambitious clubs measured themselves,

You may not remember....

but your golden boy Cristiano dreams of it every night. :D

It's not a coincidence that Manchester United, Champions of Europe, have these things in abundance.

It is also not a coincidence, that my only pain, is that a great Champion like Manchester United, can't even keep the trophy.

They must give it back.

How many more CL's till you guys can keep it? My memory just like yours fails me time to time. :(


If Real Madrid wants to approach their former glory, they could do worse than to try to emulate the class of Europe, Manchester United.

We're trying our best to emulate you.

We're pulling a Hargreaves! The only thing left for us to do is invite Cristiano to visit the Bernabeu, then after the Euros have Schuster meet him and discuss Madrid with him. ;)

They need to understand their limits and cease firing managers for only winning one cup per season.

We fired Schuster already!?

Oh noes!

[Vermont Red]

How many more CL's till you guys can keep it? My memory just like yours fails me time to time.

As I've stated, we're only six behind you now. That sensation you feel is Manchester United breathing down your neck.

We're pulling a Hargreaves! The only thing left for us to do is invite Cristiano to visit the Bernabeu.

I think its been proven conclusively that Bayern management publicized the Hargreaves negotiation before Manchester United made any statement on it. Not similar to the mult-front campaign currently being engineered by Real Madrid with regards to Cristiano Ronaldo, top scorer for the Champions of Europe.

[YOUNGSTARS87]

As I've stated, we're only six behind you now. That sensation you feel is Manchester United breathing down your neck.

All of our trophies don't count.

Franco bought them. :rolleyes:


I think its been proven conclusively that Bayern management publicized the Hargreaves negotiation before Manchester United made any statement on it. Not similar to the mult-front campaign currently being engineered by Real Madrid with regards to Cristiano Ronaldo, top scorer for the Champions of Europe.

Interesting. You can really learn something every day...

So was this before or after Manchester brought Hargreaves to OT for a visit? Before or after SAF discussed with him one on one?

[Vermont Red]

So was this before or after Manchester brought Hargreaves to OT for a visit? Before or after SAF discussed with him one on one?

If Hargreaves happened to come to OT to train with the England team and he happened to run into Fergie, I don't see how this compares to the systematic pursuit of Ronaldo by Real Madrid.

[YOUNGSTARS87]

If Hargreaves happened to come to OT to train with the England team and he happened to run into Fergie, I don't see how this compares to the systematic pursuit of Ronaldo by Real Madrid.

Ah, just like if Cristiano happened to visit his good buddies Pepe and Heinze on vacation in Madrid, and just so happen to run into Schuster and Calderon while getting an ice cream.

Everybody likes an ice cream.

[Jakker27]

[quote=YOUNGSTARS87;14704837]

He dreams of spain - it is people like you who think spain = madrid. Ronaldos also mentioned Barcelona. Get it right son. the fact your the madrid fans representative is funny. Mr Calderon, don't you have something better to do? Like be booed by your own supporters?

Figo drempt of England and like Ronaldo said, sometimes dreams don't come true....

And the reason he dreams of spain is because that is the league he grew up watching but times change and you are no longer the number one league, are you :)

United are no different, retaining the trophy IS unheard of now a days. That is because the quality around the world is so high. That is because more teams are involved

But United have as good a chance as any of doing it because of the attitude of the players, the confidence in the coaching staff and the players ability. As good as Madrid were...past tense....were ,to win it five years in a row there are variables you must consider

The european cup was different back then. One rep from each country, it was ALOT easier to win it. But one thing never changes and that's officials decisions.

I am sure for all your talk you would love to have the european cup, even if you had to give it back....:) but you can't have it..cause you didn't win it...

The talk of hargreaves shows how far you've fallen. I'm not talking as a club i'm talking about you. The doctor that delivered you must have been a giant because that's some bump on the head to make you such a prat.

Ps: Someone posted a title of a thread on the madrid forum. Cry other clubs we get all your players.....which is why Maradona, Pele etc played for Madrid?

[sdotsom]

I really do hope that we get a CL tie against Madrid next year. Would love to see Ronaldo run wild on them.

[YOUNGSTARS87]

I really do hope that we get a CL tie against Madrid next year. Would love to see Ronaldo run wild on them.

You and me.

I hope we have to play each other for the next couple of years, just like you had to play Roma.

The excitement would be great.

[Harry Boulton]

I think it's fairly obvious that we were talking to Hargreaves agent before we spoke to Bayern. Bayern also said on a number of occassions that they didn't want to sell but we persisted anyway. I don't deny that. We were out of order.

However, two wrongs don't make a right.

Real Madrids endless and imorrale persuit of Ronaldo should be landing them in big trouble, yet FIFA or UEFA won't act. They're talking as if he's already their player already, about how to help him with the press and how he's GOING to fit in.

They shamelessly did it with Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo as well. When Cannavarro had a great world cup you knew they would get him too. It's tedious.

Have you noticed how Barceona approached us about Pique, and then spoke to the player? They were very diginified in the press about having an interest and that they would like to talk to us. Business was done tidily and a deal was struck. However, if we'd have told them we weren't willing to sell then they would have gone elsewhere.

Real Madrid Madrid would learn a thing or two from their bitter, but ultimately classier rivals........

[Invincible]

real madrid and the Joke they've become.

Never before, in the history of the beautiful game, have I seen such a fall from grace like real madrid. Wednesday, April 19th, 2000, Old Trafford, 52nd minute. Manchester United 0 real madrid 3. Old Trafford silenced, Manchester United fans across the world silenced. We were all witnessing the best team in Europe, and they were not in red. Utterly torn to shreds we all just had to accept that we were no where near that level. real madrid were the club in Europe, and not a damn soul could stop them. They went on to trounce Valencia in the subsequent final that year and added another CL trophy a couple years later to make it an astronomical 9 Champions League titles won.

What followed was an incredibly rapid collapse that would make the Iraqi government blush. Drunk off their own success, they proceeded to stumble, fumble, bumble and fall flat on their faces. Like a mangy mutt, they proceeded to scratch and bite themselves silly, sacking Del Bosque(a man who'd won them 2 CL titles. Real smart.), going on a manic hiring and firing binge and gorging themselves on any top talent in world football..a policy that hasn't changed to this day(although to be fair to the buffoons they've attempted to stabilize themselves. Two managers in two seasons aint so bad...right?)

Like Fox News is to the fascist Neo-Conservative Republican Party, Marca is to real madrid. In both situations, everyone knows that one is the mouthpiece of the other, yet the hapless, dumbed down, dellusional subjects of both(republicans and real madrid) cannot seem to see or comprehend what's going on. "Conspiracy theory! The terrorists hate our freedom! Everyone in Europe hates our success!" The similarities are startling to say the least. Will both hapless subjects ever wake up to reality? Unlikely, as the tailspin continues, as they, in their tunnel vision state continue to doggedly pursue Cristiano Ronaldo(go on, sign him for 100 mil while we go sign about 5 more prodigies and you continue to tailspin into oblivion), as they continue to claw and nibble themselves silly in their manic state the question is...will they ever return to their regal selves?

[YOUNGSTARS87]

I think it's fairly obvious that we were talking to Hargreaves agent before we spoke to Bayern. Bayern also said on a number of occassions that they didn't want to sell but we persisted anyway. I don't deny that. We were out of order.

However, two wrongs don't make a right.

Thanks for actually addressing the Hargreaves transfer and not just replying with a "Youz a liar! We aintz du dats!"

The thing I would like to point out that since two wrongs don't make a right, why is it that it's always acceptable for Manchester to do the wrong, however whenever they reap what they sow they cry foul?

I guess it's only a crime when it's done against Manchester, eh?

real madrid and the Joke they've become.

How long did it take you to pick out which colors you were going to use? It's amazing a joke club can get so many players to dream of playing for them. no?


Who here likes ice cream?

[Jakker27]

[quote=YOUNGSTARS87;14705410]

No your right we have a newspaper that we used everyday to entice the resistant hargreaves who inspite of wanting to be closer to his family, felt german but the paper was so persistant with every angle used under the sun we eventually broke his reisistance.......

We also got half our team to talk about him and we even sent him posters to sign and packed some reporters in a box labeled 'top secret' to ask him the same question over and over again until we found interesting comments we could use to mesh together and create a new reality..

So many players want to play for madrid, it's the same with every bloody club but we don't use marca. Therefore the media is spread amongst all clubs. Your paper is 99% lies and whoevers the pin up of the week.

Look at Ruud. One of the best strikers of his generation. Turned down madrid for who?...

[YOUNGSTARS87]

So nobody likes ice cream?

Guess it's just Hleb and I.

[littleman]

Vermont Red laced the thread with shit.

The fly sure came buzzing quick. :D

[Vermont Red]

Official statement regarding Ronaldo:

Manchester United has watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. The facts are:

The player is on a long-term contract and his registration is held by Manchester United. The player is not for sale. The Club will have no alternative but to report Real Madrid to the world governing body, FIFA, if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion. These public attempts to unsettle the player are completely against the regulations and the Club will not tolerate them any longer.

In addition, the Club is certain that they are a distraction for the Portuguese national squad as they prepare for the European Championships. No-one should be in any doubt that Manchester United will do everything in its power to keep its best players.

[Invincible]

How long did it take you to pick out which colors you were going to use? It's amazing a joke club can get so many players to dream of playing for them. no?
Shhhh... Hush little subject don't say a word. Marca's gonna bring you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Marca's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Marca's going to buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Marca's going to buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat won't pull,
Marca's going to buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Marca's going to buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Marca's going to buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little subject in town.

[YOUNGSTARS87]

Vermont Red laced the thread with shit.

The fly sure came buzzing quick. :D

You realize, I asked him to make this thread for me.. right? *sigh*

Go to the end of the line, try again. :(

Official statement regarding Ronaldo:

VR, do you think your club contacted Bayern to ask for a rough draft of their official statement to contact Fifa about Manchester?

Anyways, lets get back on topic.


Seriously nobody here likes ice cream?

[Vermont Red]

VR, do you think your club contacted Bayern to ask for a rough draft of their official statement to contact Fifa about Manchester?

As we negotiate with Hargreaves through the media then I'm not sure how these two situations are parallel.