Real Madrid is scripting a season to be etched in golden letters in the Madridlore irrespective of what happens on May 28 in Paris. They are producing comebacks that can only be dreamt about. As the victory shirts said at the end of the 120 minutes in the Champions League semifinal, they are indeed going for the 14th.
As Peter Drury screamed at the end of the 120 minutes, it was the night of Real’s resurrection. A resurrection with a squad in ruins, according to numerous football pundits. But, this squad somehow produces what is exactly needed to keep going.
The squad definitely needs work. That is something I’d admit despite the heroics shown by these players week in and week out. Sometimes, there’s stuff beyond tactics that guides Los Blancos home. Its chaos, it’s the ability to paralyze opponents, or maybe it’s Juanito’s spirit that magically overpowers the Bernabeu on European nights. Guess we’ll never know.
But, Real Madrid does have a decent shot at reclaiming their status of being the generals of World Football. When the team boards the flight to Paris, they’d be booking an extra seat for the return trip for you know who. A certain Parisian boy has become a Madridista even before he has set foot in the Bernabeu in that Royal White Shirt.
One of the most sought-after players is, therefore, destined to join the club he dreams of. What about the other?
Borussia Dortmund’s hitman seems closer to a Manchester City deal than any other club at the moment. While Real Madrid is in no rush to compete with City in this transfer race for Erling Haaland, it may just be the start of an iconic European rivalry. A paralysis struck comeback knockout punch, and now both clubs adding one each of the two most sought-after footballers of the present time into their ranks.
No matter how great a player Erling Haaland is, I am of the view that Real Madrid are better off him. Here are four reasons why I think so.
Erling Haaland’s commitment to Real Madrid was questionable
While there was a time when bringing Erling Haaland to the Spanish Capital seemed a lucrative idea, the appeal of the same has boiled down. It partly has to do with the player settling for deals that pay him more. It may also have to do with the player’s behavior. He was famously spotted several times revealing that Madrid is his dream club. But when it’s time to materialize, he hasn’t been at it. He and his agents seem to be rather searching for the deal that’ll make the highest financial sense.
That is not how Real Madrid operates. To play for the European Royalty, you need commitment. When a player says that Real is their dream club, they should mean it. Anything less than that is an insult to this great institution. And recent young signings have lived up to this mental demand. Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Eduardo Camavinga, and Fede Valverde. When these players think of Madrid, they think of the glory of the White shirt and not how hefty their paycheck is. You join Real Madrid to be a part of its glory or at least to have one small chapter in its story. That hunger and zeal of wanting Real or nothing are sadly lacking in Erling Haaland.