AS Real Madrid confirm that they have paid £56m to AC Milan for the services of Brazilian playmaker Kaka, smashing the world-record transfer fee in the process, one question keeps nagging away; why would he want to sign for a club that makes Newcastle United look stable?
Madrid are a prime example of a club living off past glories, and the fact so many top players want to sign for them is a complete mystery. They change manager more often than Chelsea, and conduct their business affairs in a shoddier manner than one of Alan Sugar’s apprentices. True, they generally finish in the top two in Spain, but that’s akin to saying Rangers usually finish in the top two in Scotland.
They have failed to make any impact in the Champions League for a number of years, and their 5-0 aggregate drubbing at the hands of Liverpool came as no surprise to knowledgeable football fans. That it was closely followed by a 6-2 home defeat by Barcelona merely confirmed their current standing in the European game.
There is certainly no doubting Kaka’s ability, and he may well prove to be a success in La Liga. However, how many players that have moved to the Bernabeu in recent years have taken their game up a level? Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Ruud Van Nistelrooy have all but disappeared off the radar, and for £56m, the flamboyant no.10 will certainly be expected to buck that trend.
Madrid are a prime example of a club living off past glories, and the fact so many top players want to sign for them is a complete mystery. They change manager more often than Chelsea, and conduct their business affairs in a shoddier manner than one of Alan Sugar’s apprentices. True, they generally finish in the top two in Spain, but that’s akin to saying Rangers usually finish in the top two in Scotland.
They have failed to make any impact in the Champions League for a number of years, and their 5-0 aggregate drubbing at the hands of Liverpool came as no surprise to knowledgeable football fans. That it was closely followed by a 6-2 home defeat by Barcelona merely confirmed their current standing in the European game.
There is certainly no doubting Kaka’s ability, and he may well prove to be a success in La Liga. However, how many players that have moved to the Bernabeu in recent years have taken their game up a level? Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Ruud Van Nistelrooy have all but disappeared off the radar, and for £56m, the flamboyant no.10 will certainly be expected to buck that trend.
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