Real Madrid fans had to watch in anger as PSG hoisted the Champions League title for the second season in a row after letting Kylian Mbappe walk to the Santiago Bernabeu for free at the behest of former Barcelona treble winner Luis Enrique, who has become the grand architect of a dynasty that is budding and now wants to try to match Madrid's historic three peat feat.
And while Real Madrid need to be taking a hard, honest look at themselves after going trophyless in back to back seasons during this time while becoming a laughingstock to the world as PSG were with Mbappe heading their project, president Florentino Perez, mired in reelections for the first time in ages, appears to be doing the opposite.
Speaking at another press conference as he tries to fend off a relatively tame challenge from Enrique Riquelme, Perez made a claim about the Madrid squad that even Madridistas can't get behind. Florentino said, via the Madrid Zone, that he thinks Real Madrid have the best squad in the world.
Florentino Perez is completely wrong
That is a level of delusion so grandoise that even Real Madrid fans have to be wondering if it's time for grandpa to step down. Now, things won't go that far, but it is a bit ridiculous that Florentino Perez thinks Real Madrid are still the best when they have been nowhere near since winning the Champions League in 2023/24 - and the reasons go beyond just Kylian Mbappe destabilizing the squad.
PSG won the Champions League twice in a row. They obviously have the best squad in world football. Barcelona won La Liga twice in a row. They clearly have a better squad than Real Madrid in Spain alone. Bayern Munich and Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid convincingly in the last two Champions Leagues; they both have substatially better squads than Real Madrid. You can even make a case that Manchester City and Inter Milan have more depth, fewer weaknesses, and much better team spirit than Los Blancos.
At best, Real Madrid have the fifth best squad in the world. And at worst, they are fighting for seventh place with the likes of Liverpool. Real Madrid have major holes in defense, a midfield that is the weakest it has been since the last time they went trophyless in back to back seasons, and an attack that is far from Galactic, especially in comparison to what PSG and Bayern have been capable of.
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