Hassan Chamas
Nobody buys players better than Real Madrid, that’s a certainty. The White House has an amazing ability to splash the cash, one that makes them the envy of the whole world. On the other hand, Real have been on the receiving end of various transfer sagas around Europe, some of them good, some of them bad, and on various noticeable occasions, some of these deals came back to haunt the record 31-time Spanish champions. Here’s a list of the top five transfers that Real Madrid have regretted over the past few years.
1) Robinho to Manchester City in September 2008 – €42.5M:
“And then God created Robinho!” was the banner of pro-Madrid tabloid AS the day after the Brazilian made his cameo appearance in the 2-1 win over Cadiz on the opening day fixture of the 2005/06 campaign.
The former Santos gem was brought in to form Real Madrid’s neo-galacticos during the first tenure of current president Florentino Perez, as the old system of Luis Figo-Ronaldo-Zinedine Zidane slowly started to deteriorate. During his three-year stint in Spain, “Binho” improved his ghetto skinny persona into that of a more professional footballer, even though his post-national team antics suggested otherwise. After it looked as if he has finally become superstar material under Bernd Schuster – he managed 11 goals and 14 assists in his last season – re-emerged the never-ending Cristiano Ronaldo saga. Feeling that he might lose his starting spot at Madrid, the club let him go on the final day on the 2007/08 transfer window to Manchester City, for a club record fee of €42.5M.
Ever since Robinho gained citizenship almost a year ago, Real Madrid have been missing his imposing presence, something that was seen throughout the 2008/09 campaign. Luckily for them, another Portuguese-speaking forward has landed this term.
2) Claude Makelele to Chelsea in August 2003 – £16.8M:
“He wasn’t a header of the ball and he rarely passed the ball more than three metres. Younger players will arrive who will cause Makelele to be forgotten”. So said Florentino Perez, blasting Claude Makelele upon his departure to Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea after being denied an improved contract. Little did the former-current Madrid mogul know that Makelele’s exit would signal the end of his beloved galacticos: The only other trophy the men in white managed to win in Perez’s reign was a worthless Spanish Super Cup.
What the Zaire-born French international did at Madrid was priceless. The former Marseille man revolutionised the defensive midfield position to a point that it is commonly known now as the “Makelele role”. His departure from Spain’s capital coincided with a three-year trophy-drought that only coaching guru Fabio Capello succeeded in reversing – on the last day on the 2006/07 season.
Los Merengues’ failure to get past over the last 16 of the Champions League in recent years stems from their incapability to replace the man that used to occupy the role of sweeper in front of their defence. After trying the likes of David Beckham, Thomas Gravesen, Pablo Garcia, Mahmadou Diarra, and most recently, Fernando Gago, the Madrid board might have finally found the new Makelele, who turns out to be nothing more than his doppelganger and former Blues teammate, Lassana Diarra. Lass has certainly become a fan-favourite in the minuscule period of time he has been at the Bernabeu. Whether or not Diarra manages to overthrow “Maka” as Real’s best ever defensive midfielder is of course open to debate.
3) Esteban Cambiasso to Internazionale in July 2004 – Free:
When Real Madrid opted not to renew the contract of 24-year-old Esteban Cambiasso back in the 2003/04 season, Los Blancos weren’t missing out on much. For despite his vast case of trinkets gained plying his trade for Los Galacticos, the egg-headed player’s career did not really seem to set to launch after lying in the shadows of the Zidanes and Beckhams for much of his two-year stint at the club. Opting for pastures new as his contract expired; “Cuchu” signed for Italy’s Internazionale, and has since been reborn, to say the least.
Partnering compatriot Juan Sebastien Veron in the heart of the Nerazzurri midfield, Cambiasso led Inter to Coppa Italia victory in his first season in Europe’s fashion capital. The player’s abilities kept on improving as he became integrated more and more into the squad, developing pin-point passing ability along with shot accuracy – he scored a screamer of a goal against Roma in the 2006 Italian Cup final. Realising that they were harbouring Italy’s best midfield terrier, the Beneamata tied him down to a deal that expires in 2014. Rumour has it that Cambiasso is next in line to wear Inter’s armband when club legend and fellow Biancoceleste Javier Zanetti steps down for good.
4) Samuel Eto’o to Barcelona – €12M:
Signed by Real Madrid’s famous Cantera system as one of Africa’s most promising players, Samuel Eto’o never managed to kick-start his career in the Spanish capital. In a three-year stint, Eto’o only managed three league games and just a single goal, squeezing in various loan spells at Leganes, Espanyol and RCD Mallorca.
Seeing his presence as something of a burden, the Blancos hierarchy decided to sell 50% of his rights to Mallorca, and it was there that the Cameroonian’s name started to be prepared for stardom. During his four-year stint on the island, “Samu” guided the team to its highest ever ranking by finishing third in the league standings. His flashy performances for Los Barralets persuaded Florentino Perez to bring the forward back home in 2004, with plans to loan him out again as Madrid’s non-EU quota was full. However, then-Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard was well aware of the player’s potential, and after a three-way negotiation with Madrid and Mallorca, was successful in luring the player to Catalunya.
With Los Cules, Eto’o bagged three La Liga titles and was part of Barcelona’s 2006 and 2009 Champions League winning team, the latter of which is most famous for its Treble. Eto’o won also the club’s third top goalscorer – all that in a matter of five years. His accolade winning performances didn’t stop however the sour relationship between him and new coach Josep Guardiola, who managed to exchange the striker for Inter’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic in football’s greatest ever swap deal.
5) Fernando Hierro to Al Rayyan – Free:
He may not have been a Real supporter since childhood, but few out there bleed Real Madrid more than the former Seleccion defender Fernando Hierro. After two years as a professional with Real Valladolid, the Malaga-born centre-back exchanged Spain’s old capital with its new one, signing a professional contract with Real Madrid. Superb dead-ball ability along with his imposing defensive leadership enabled him to score an astronomical 44 league goals in his first three seasons at the Casa Blanca, of which 21 came in the 1991/92 season. Hierro’s partnership with captain and club legend Manuel Sanchis was one to savour and rewarded him with five La Liga crowns and three Champions Leagues.
Although the defender was 35 when Real Madrid surprisingly chose to rescind his contract, and question marks were posed concerning his ability to carry on in the top flight, the exodus of Real Madrid’s former skipper from the club’s backline left a gaping hole in Los Blancos’ defence, one that was not even close to being filled by the cohort of suitors that applied for the job, with only Sergio Ramos coming close to Hierro’s achievements. However, the Sevillian shines most when he’s on the right-flank, and as such, the search continues to find Real’s new Fernando Hierro. It could be a long wait.
Atletico Madrid 09/10 Away Real Madrid 09/10 Away
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