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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