Few days ago, one of my personal idols, Fernando "God" Redondo decided to finish his life as soccer player. He was the perfect midfielder, perfect defending, and even better attacking. He made the work of two players. He was Pure class inside and outside the field. With a great personality. A leader. He was a god in the big games, in that games he was the owner of the midfield, he did want he wanted with incredible authority. Probably any midfielder of current soccer have the same level of the Redondo of the best years (1998 -2000). His champions league games of 2000 when we win the 9 Champions league, are beautiful lesson of how to be the perfect midfielder. With that Redondo this RM would be unstoppable, Makelele was a great defensive specialist, one of the best, but he hadn't vision of play, and he wasn't a leader. Redondo was even better than Makelele defending, and was pure class moving the team. Fernando Redondo left a great memory in all Real Madrid supporters. I personally never forget him. I wish him very good luck in his new life. And i hope that he can do something related with RM. I have 3 Redondo jerseys. One black that i wore in Paris when we won the 9th Champions league (2000) against Valencia. And a white one, that Redondo wore in a game against Valladolid few month before win the 8 CL (1998). The white one is very special, not only because it was a jersey that he really wore, also because few days later, he signed the jersey with a great dedication to me. That jersey is the envy of all my friends, and probably some people will pay a important money for the jersey, but i will never sell him. Here you have a interview that he did with "AS" few days ago. His decision was front page of Marca and As this week. His feeling about Real Madrid ------------------------------ "I feel deeply Madridista. My commitment with this club was much more beyond of my work inside the field and the people has valorated it. That marks you forever". Offers to continue playing -------------------------- He didn't accept the Milan offer to continue playing another year. "I did not have continuity and for that reason i did not feel well. The years don't go by in vain and, on the other hand, it was my family. My second daughter was going to begin in the school and i wanted that she studied his first year in Madrid. I received offers to play of Spain, England and even of Qatar, but it seemed unfair to me to move the family again" Possibility to accept a "possible" offer of RM: "I would not accept it, because I could not give the team the best of myself. However, I would have enjoyed to play with Figo, Raul, Zidane and Ronaldo. He would have been something extraordinay to play in Bernabéu surrounded by all that players". About Real Madrid future ------------------------- "I am optimistic; I'm sure that Real Madrid will win some throphy. It is true that the team needs a little more balance, but Guti can fulfill perfectly the function of Midfielder. He will need some time to get used to the position, but he will do it well because he has the quality, he knows how to handle the time of the games and he has vision of play. Pirlo was able to do it in Milan and Guti will be able to do it in Real Madrid. The problem is that, when you attack so much, the team suffers when it has to defend. But the players are conscious of it and they are making an effort to cover those spaces. With this project of great starts, with which I'm very agree, Real Madrid is going to have to fight much. But the team will managed to get through it, because it is a magical team, a winner team, that at the most difficult moments always offers something extra" About why actually exits very few players of his style of play in soccer ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "the midfielder has stopped being reference, because the majority of the teams has opted by the double-pivot. The teams defend more, losing in the distribution of the play. It is true that currently it isn't in fashion players of my style, but we still can see some of them. To me, the one that I like more is Xavi (Barcelona). It is occupying another position, but he conserves the handling of the ball, the vision of play and the judgment". His relation with RM supporters ------------------------------- "Since i left the team, I only have been once time in the stadium, when Milan played in the Champions league. it was strange to return in those circumstances, but also very touching, because i waited for a good reception, but anything similar to the affection that demonstrated the people to me. That one was my party of homenaje" I must say that i was in the stadium, and it was the biggest and warmest reception that i have seen in Bernabeu to a "ex-Real Madrid player" in all my life. When Redondo entered in the field, all the people stand up, applauding and singing "Redondo, Redondo, ..." for 5 minutes, the same when he was changed by Pirlo in the second half. His relation with RM players and the club ----------------------------------------- "I was with Raul when it was celebrated his 500 games with Real Madrid, i meet Florentino, and i said hello to him. Few days ago, Butragueño phoned me to thank me the years that i had played in Real Madrid and to say that the doors of the club will always be open for mi. It was a nice gesture. Maybe i will return soon, because i'm very excited to train with the veteran team and, maybe, even play some minutes with them." About his future ---------------- "I am going to take this year to think. I do not know if I will be manager, but I am going to study to obtain the certificate. I will continue related with soccer as manager or as journalist, because i want to transmit all my experience in the world of soccer all these years. However, I don't see myself in an office; I do not believe that i can be useful as sport director or general manager" About Samuel ------------- "He has had injuries that has slowed down his adaptation. In addition, Spanish soccer is very different from the Italian; the play is more elaborated in Spain. He, on the other hand, in Rome played of "libre(last man of defense just behind the two CBs)", with two CBs ahead of him. Here he is more unprotected. The beginnings are not easy. My begin was also difficult. I remember a game against Oviedo. Hierro pass me the ball in midfield, I lost it and Oviedo scored. After that, a sector of Bernabeu wishled me everytime i touched the ball. It has happened to everyone". About his managers ------------------ Capello It was a challenge, because he said to me when he arrived that i didn't convince him. But when he left the team to go to Milan, He wanted that i went with him" Del Bosque "With Del Bosque I enjoyed very much because he gave me a total freedom. They were two incredible years. It surprised me that he won't continue in Real Madrid, because he was the perfect person to manage the team. His psychology made him manage perfectly a locker room as dificult as RM locker room. He arrived in a dificult moment and we won the 8 champions league." In my opinion all the interview is very interesting but maybe the most interesting is his opinion about Guti, very important coming from a player like Redondo. And also i'm very happy to know that Butragueño have the great gesture to phone him.
I still think it was a mistake to let him go, and get Figo. And I think Figo was one of the best Madrid players in the last few years, that says enough about how I think of Redondo as a player.
As a Depor fan, I couldn't stand Redondo. As a soccer fan, he was always worth watching. Every. Single. Time.
Redondo...wow! what can i say? he is one of my idols. he's the reason i started watching la liga. even though i cant stand madrid, it was worth watching him play. i remember one game against man u in the cl, where he absolutely dominated the game, i remember thinking he was the greatest midfielder i have ever seen. the moment which sticks out was when he nutmegged a defender to set up rauls goal. and it was no ordinary nutmeg! lol, i was in my garden the next day, practising on my brother.
I think that it should be made mandatory to always insert the work God when mentioning Fernando "God" Redondo's full name. In an age of galacticos and superstars, where footballers are valued in terms of image and where player/club greed have resulted in a culture of egoistical, selfish, me-first prima-donnas (including sadly my footballing favourite Ronaldo), Redondo stood out for his class, humility, effort and intelligence as much as for his genius on the field. I think part of the reason why I have never learnt to love Figo is because his arrival was directly correlated to Redondo's departure, and consequently the end of his career. It saddened me that the greatest Real Madrid player of my generation was forced to leave against his wishes to accommodate a player who, because the money was right, walked out on the club whose supporters believed he represented their soul. It was as though we had lost appreciation for loyalty and all the other values that Redondo exemplified and that Figo had betrayed. And while I have grown to respect Figo and do not doubt his commitment to Madrid, he will always be the reason why my club let go of my favourite player. I guess the parallel would have been if Madrid had let go of Raul in 2002 to sign Ronaldo. In a lot of ways the legend of Redondo was cast in stone when he refused to take a salary from Milan during his injury. I can't imagine any other player making a gesture like that to a new club (not a club that you have developed a sense of loyalty to over a number of years). More than Hierro, more than Valdano, more than El Buitre, I believe that if any player deserves to be made a part of the Madrid set-up and I would love to see him coach us someday, and not just because of the common sense, vision and intelligence I am certain he will bring as a coach... but because it will be a day when the team will be lead by a man who can show the players and the club all that they could and should be. The day Fernando "God" Redondo takes his place on the Madrid bench will be the day dignity and class once again take their place along the touchlines of the Bernabeau.
Yes, it was a first big mistake of Florentino, the second big mistake was to not renew Del Bosque and the last one ............... probably will be not sign a good DM in the winter market to reinforce the team. El Buitre is a very serious candidate to be Real Madrid President. He is highly regarded by all RM supporters, because he represent the values of a Madridista, the same values that represents Redondo. Since Butragueño "El buitre" left the soccer he always has been asked about his possibility to be president for his great charisma. He has great possibilities in a not very far future. Althoug he isn't ambitious. To accept a place as General manager could be a bad move for that future, because he is very loyal to the institutution and he can pay the price for things that he probably won't be 100% responsible. For that reason i liked the phone call to Redondo, because Butragueño has showed the first "official" gesture of gratitude/esteem from RM offices to Redondo since Florentino is president. That "little" gesture of Butragueño has been a big rupture with the policy of the club about Redondo in the last 5 years, and for that reason "Redondo" has valorate so much the gesture. And Redondo has been very very elegant speaking good about "Florentino policy", when he was clearly "maltreated" by Florentino. Instead of simply don't say anything or speak bad in a moment that the team isn't playing great and he could easily attack Florentino, he speaks good. He has demostrated that he isn't resentful, that like always he has a great class, and the he isn't a opportunistic. He is a true Madridista and he show it continously with facts. Florentino made a big mistake sell him, but he made another mistake trying to hide the question about the sell of Redondo in the last 5 years. I must be fair and i have to say that Florentino have make tributes to a llot of legendary players since he is president, but ignore a player because you know that you make a mistake sell him isn't what i speak from a RM president. And i must say it.