Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid - A Signing Five Years in the Making

Five years ago Florentino Perez could have signed Xabi Alonso from Real Sociedad for a meager 15 million euros. That was Real Sociedad's asking price, but the then and now Real Madrid president wouldn't budge from 12 million. The Basque midfielder headed to try his luck in England. An FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Super Cup later, and today Real Madrid got their man for 30 million euros.

Alonso was a longtime target and dream signing of Florentino Perez. Madridistas far and wide have lamented the day Xabi Alonso got away many times over, as we've watched footballing luminaries like Pablo Garcia, Gravesen, and Gago try their hand (and fail) at filling the role Xabi now assumes. General Director Jorge Valdano announced today that the squad is closed, and no more signings are expected. In Madrid, the tone is one of satisfaction and excitement. Though Real overpaid for Xabi, he is considered a critical piece in this new Madrid.

Marca's internet frontpage proclaims that Xabi will be the "director of this blockbuster," the "brain" of the team, the "piece that completes the puzzle," and, of course, the cherry on top. Prone to hyperbole, the Spanish daily is neverthless spot on. Xabi is likely the best player in his position in the world right now. Willing to do the dirty work required of a midfielder, Xabi alternates between holding and intelligently distributing the ball forward from depths few others would dream of. Pirlo was as good in his day, and certainly there have been others in that position that excelled. But right now, you couldn't name one. Xavi is a better distributor with marginally better passing and finishing, but lacks the size, power, and vision to defend, dispossess, and intercept. Essien, Yaya Toure, and Carrick are fantastic players, but none combine creation from depth, holding, or distributing quite the way Xabi has done at Liverpool. Simply put, he is world class, and it's no surprise Liverpool fans are embittered and worried about losing him. Indeed, they voted him Liverpool's best player behind Gerrard last season.

Perhaps more importantly, he is absolutely indispensable to Pellegrini's current vision of this team. The "Engineer" prefers not to play with pure wingers, and has been devising a complicated 4-2-2-2 formation that requires playmaking from the back to allow Ronaldo free reign up top and Kaka freedom in the middle. Xabi paired with one of the two Diarras (please God, make Gago go away) fits the bill to perfection. Kaka would connect these first tier midfielders with Ronaldo and whichever two strikers make the cut on the day (Higuain, Benzema, Raul, RVN, etc...). Overpriced? Yes, Rafa squeezed every last nickel out of the Basque. But Xabi serves as a bit of insurance that this particular galaxy isn't sucked into a black hole between the back four and Kaka.

And now the hard part - who's leaving, when, and for how much? Valdano may have closed the entryway, but the exit doors remain wide open. Salgado got the boot this morning, but there's still an exit sign flashing, and it's bright Oranje.

Thursday's Quick Hits

CONGRATULATIONS ESTUDIANTES!! The men from Argentina took their 0-0 home draw and wrangled a come from behind 2-1 win in Belo Horizonte against favorite Cruzeiro. If history continues, Estudiantes will be playing Barcelona in Japan this December for the Club World Cup. An interesting match indeed.

BOOM! Goes the dynamite. Not really. Looks like Filipe Luis will be staying at Deportivo after all. The asking price of 20 million euros was too much for Barcelona's tastes, and instead they announced the 4.5 million euro (.5 million variable) signing of another Brazilian leftback, Maxwell. That's right, R&B crooner and Columbia Records recording artist Maxwell will be playing for Barcelona next year. With such chart toppers as...oh wait, my bad. Wrong Maxwell. They signed the one from Inter Milan. Generally a leftback, Maxwell Andrade has played left winger, and though he has never been capped by Brazil is a solid replacement for Sylvinho.

Juventus finally completed the deal for Fiorentina and Brazil national team midfielder Felipe Melo. Melo and Diego may make Juve the team to beat in the Serie A this year. 25 million euros, and another player Wenger wanted slips away. Beaten by an old lady no less. Is Arsenal going to move for anyone this offseason? Or do they want to play in the Europa Cup in 2010-11?

Injury or no injury - Ribery will travel with Bayern Munich to their training camp.

In his efforts to grab the Asian market, Florentino Perez is proposing Real Madrid and other Spanish teams play a game at 3 p.m. Spanish time. That's 9 a.m. Eastern time. Not my cup of tea, and a bit contrary to the Spanish schedule. And by not my cup of tea, I mean I borderline hate the idea. But yeah, I'll be getting up.

Are Real Madrid Destroying the Game?

As HalaMadrid commented on in his last post, there's been a lot of noise about the Real Madrid signings this summer. It's not every day a signing gets "morally vulgar" or "imperialist". What is the basis of this criticism and how much of it is legitimate? Let's go over a few of the main criticisms of the signing.

Criticism #1: Arrogance

It's been said that Real Madrid are showing their arrogance in these signings. Let's just throw this out there: of course they are. Clubs, like people, have egos, and Real Madrid thinks of themselves as the greatest football club in the world. For a club that was voted the most successful in the 20th century by FIFA, this isn't an entirely unreasonable position. But this attitude is certainly arrogant. Just in this space, it's been argued Real Madrid have saved the football summer (by providing more money for transfers, though football would probably still be played just the same in the fall if fewer players changed teams) and have returned hope to La Liga and maybe Spain itself. Yikes.

Recently, Florentino Perez was talking favorably about the potential "Super League" featuring the top European clubs. He argued that the format doesn't benefit the biggest clubs. The Champions League, of course, does nothing but benefit the biggest clubs. Perez said, "We have to agree a new European Super League which guarantees that the best always play the best - something that does not happen in the Champions League." Ah, now the difficulty is clear. The problem with the Champions League is that there are these smaller clubs involved, and sometimes they actually win. The nerve of them! Some might say the opportunity for David to take down Goliath is part of the fun of Champions League. For Perez, the mere presence of that possibility gives a chance to clubs that don't really deserve it, not being of the ilk of Real Madrid. And therefore that possibility should just be eliminated. It doesn't get more arrogant than that. And it should be pointed out that the "best clubs" would get to play each other in Champions League if they could get past the Round of 16. And Liverpool would probably still be one of the "best clubs".

That said, the fact that Real Madrid is arrogant isn't necessarily a reason for criticizing the signings themselves. They were able to raise the most money, and therefore they bought the best players they could, in order to have the best chance to win. People may (will) hate Real Madrid for this, and be envious of their ability to assemble these new galacticos. But that in itself isn't a reason to say that the club should behaving differently.

Criticism #2: As a Means to Victory

Was the previous galactico side a success? The club won the Champions League in 2002, La Liga in 2003, and then went without a major trophy until winning La Liga in 2007. From a marketing standpoint, the club may have been a success, but that previous era could be described as underachieving on the pitch. In 2004 Real Madrid even managed to finish fourth behind Deportivo de La Coruna.

So this side, for all its talent, is not guaranteed success. Success for this club means winning La Liga and Champions League success. What if Real Madrid fails to win any trophies next year? With Barcelona in La Liga and the difficulties of Champions League, it's certainly not out of the question. Will this team be good enough defensively? Will all the egos mesh together? Will the team play as one? The beauty of football is that talent is nothing without determination and a willingness to work together. A selfish team will not succeed in the end.

But again, these are not really reasons to criticize the signings. It's possible that importing the most expensive talent that can be acquired and just throwing it out there on the pitch is not the ideal way to build a team. But if it isn't, it will be Real Madrid that pays the price. If they can get the pieces to mesh together, they will reap the reward. Let the football gods determine whether assembling these parts is a "proper" way to build a side.

Criticism #3: Morality/Vulgarity/Imperialism

My colleague (and Arsene Wenger) are correct on this point. The morality talk makes no sense. Some may think the signings excessive, but that's a question of market value. Could the banks be lending to small businesses instead? They could, but they would anyway if they thought it was profitable. As corporations, they'll behave in the way that they believe will make the largest profit.

Is it unseemly during a global recession to be spending this kind of money? It can certainly appear that way. But really the fact that Real Madrid thinks it might be worth that amount is a testament to the health of the sport, and how much money it makes on the global stage.

Most of this talk is envy, plain and simple. Most of the other clubs saying things like this would acquire these players if they could.

Criticism #4: Fairness/Competitive Balance

This is by far the most valid/interesting criticism. The spending by the big clubs, and Real Madrid does the most spending, is clearly altering the balance of the game. Is this a good thing? I'm honestly not sure. I believe there can be too much dominance by the big clubs, but I also don't necessarily favor total parity. People enjoy titanic clashes. Look at the level of hype that surrounded that Barca-Man U Champions League final.

So to answer the question, no, Real Madrid are not destroying the game. Are they, and the other big clubs, destroying the competitive balance of the game? If so, should there be some way to limit the amount that clubs can spend? This entry having wandered on long enough, those will have to be questions for another day.

The Moral High Ground and Football

It has become popular in Europe, after Real Madrid's two blockbuster signings, to assert various charges against Real Madrid and president Florentino Perez. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has gone so far as call Real Madrid's strategy "imperialist" and as having airs of arrogance. But the criticisms have come from far and wide, and most share a one remarkable trait - the attacks are founded in some greater footballing morality, some higher, holier ground from which Real Madrid and Florentino Perez may be properly judged.

UEFA president Michel Platini initially remarked that, "These transfers are a serious challenge to the idea of fair play and the concept of financial balance in our competitions." Platini has gone on to say that he's "embarrassed" by the Ronaldo transfer fee, and considered Maradona's transfer to Napoli "vulgar" (equivalent to 6.5 million euros today). Platini is reported to be considering salary caps in the coming years - an odd solution to a problem that has been driven by transfer fees and not player salaries.

Sir Bobby Charlton also found the Ronaldo transfer fee a bit "vulgar." Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero considered the transfer fees, "excessive," but at least acknowledged the social power of football. Spanish Economy Minister Elena Salgado said she was "surprised" and felt that the Ronaldo sum "escapes the dimensions she would consider" for a player. Unamused, she stated she'd ask banks, if they have the liquidity, to make the same efforts to loan money to small business and families. The president of the Catalan Generalitat, Jose Montilla agreed, noting that the sums spent were "not exemplary" considering the difficulties families and small business owners were having in securing loans, and the number of unemployed and underemployed in the nation.

Others have been even more reactionary. Frederic Thiriez, president of the French Professional Football League (LPF), tagged the transfer sums as "morally indecent" and "suicidal for European football in the sporting sense." Daniel Harris of ESPN writes Real Madrid's signing policy is: "morally repugnant, crass and vulgar just as it is in any walk of life." Harris continues, stating that teams should earn money "legitimately" (whatever that means) and passes off his opinion of how team-building should be done as fact. He, like Platini, suggests a salary cap, and takes digs galore at Real Madrid. Indeed to read Harris's apocalyptic view of the transfers and you'd think John Connor will need to save football from Real Madrid and Florentino Perez.

Certainly, there is a sense that the British critics are chomping at the bit to tear into Real Madrid for what the EPL's big four have been doing a lot of recently. These nationalistic fractures, however, are best left for another day. What is surprising, is the play on morality and vulgarity that continually enters the discussion of transfer fees. "Vulgarity" in this context carries the that classist connotation of criticism for being nouveau riche. As in, "Never speak about how much something cost - how vulgar." Think every rapper ever on MTV Cribs as they rattle how much it cost them to frame a Scarface poster in platinum. What this even means in relation to a transfer fee is unclear to me.

Presumably, those finding the fee "vulgar" would have preferred Real Madrid sit contently back (with proper form) and observe their footballing mediocrity, starkly accentuated by their rival FC Barcelona's meteoric rise. Oddly enough, if there is a club in the world that is not new money, it is Real Madrid. Even more contradictory, the classist overtones of this criticism stand in relief to the ostensible goal of the attack - to protect football's "middle class." Attacking a club's vulgarity may make for a good soundbite, or convey an appropriate anger at the moves, but this doesn't mean it's any less outlandish and unfounded of a critique. Particularly coming from ex-footballers and politicians, whose spending habits are themselves questionable at best.

The argument of "morality" is equally absurd. What morality the critics refer to is unclear. How, exactly, does Real Madrid's signing policy in any way affect banks lending to families or businesses? Did Florentino steal people's food to fund the signings? Had Kaka and Ronaldo not been signed, would Perez have donated the money to charity? I think not. Listen, I'm the first person to put AIG or Chrysler or Merrill Lynch to the sword for fiscal irresponsibility. But these are major corporations whose stake in the world economy is such that their actions affect everyone. Further, the irresponsibility of those financial entities has no bearing on the actions of a football club. And actually, Real Madrid's signing are not even fiscally irresponsible. The footballing repercussions are debatable, but financially, these moves are most likely sound. Why?

Because Real Madrid as an entity has only four goals: (1) turn a profit to survive as a club; (2) win; (3) win; and (4) win. Florentino thinks Real Madrid, caught in an extended institutional and footballing crisis for the past five years, has a better chance of winning if they have the world's best players. That's not so preposterous, is it? On top of that, signings like Kaka and Ronaldo, mean money, and lots of it. Observers have estimated that Kaka's signing alone could generate an additional 100 million euros a year for Real Madrid. Ronaldo sold 2,000 shirts in one day. Each shirt costs approximately $100 - do the math. Moreover, what price can you even put on a Champions League title? On a league title? On beating Barcelona? On top of making fiscal sense, these signings carry on a historical tradition at Real Madrid, they from part of the club's tradition too.

Real Madrid's General Director Jorge Valdano spoke eloquently on the subject when put to the flame by a journalist on TVE recently. Valdano explained that Santiago Bernabeu had a plan in place when he built a 120,000 person stadium in the heart of Madrid in 1947. This was to increase the club's revenues by filling the stadium. To do so, Bernabeu (the stadium didn't carry his name until much later), brought the world and Spain's finest players to play in the stadium and draw the necessary crowds (see: Di Stefano, Gento, Puskas etc...). The plan worked.

Valdano explained to the hardheaded journalist that today it's not an issue of filling the stadium, but of assuring that when a TV is turned on in China, Africa or Asia for a weekly football match, that Real Madrid be the match that's chosen. In his usual convincing way, Valdano stated that no one would have the audacity to question a production company's payment for a top billed star or director for the summer's latest blockbuster. Yet, somehow, everyone questions Real Madrid's decision to do much the same thing - produce a spectacle known as football with the highest production values possible. Valdano passingly mentioned, but it is a critical point to consider, that Real Madrid, unlike most of the rich clubs has no owner, and is rather owned by its "socios" or shareholders/season ticket holders (think Green Bay Packers). Therefore, its ability to market itself is its lifeblood. No wealthy Russian, American, or Arab benefactors in the Spanish capital.

And yet, everyone seems to be losing substantial hours of sleep due the vulgar immorality of Florentino Perez and Real Madrid. Needless to say, I'm sleeping just fine. Only two figures in the footballing world have gotten it right. Sepp Blatter commented that these fees demonstrate the economic health of football in the world and acknowledging the societal context of football. Arsene Wenger went further, and even while criticizing Real Madrid, admitted that morality should not be the judge of the signings, leaving all judgment to profitability. And we all know, profits in football come in cash or silverware.

So if morality is, as Nietzsche says, the herd instinct of the individual, then Real Madrid should embrace its alleged immorality. Rather than embracing the collective fear the majority of European clubs used to justify their complacency in the transfer market, Real Madrid stood apart and pushed its chips to the center of the table. Perhaps they had to do so for footballing reasons. Perhaps they owed it to their fans since the world's richest team had become one of the poorest on the field of play (certainly of the elite teams). Whatever the reason, Florentino rebuilt, reloaded, and recharged in the space of one month. He's returned hope to a team, a city, a league, and in some ways a country.

For those who read vulgarity and immorality into such actions, let them. But I assure you, once the whistle blows, it'll be those same naysayers who are tuning in to the end product of that alleged vulgarity - a football team, who madridistas hope, is anything but vulgar. And as for morality, well, there's only one judge of morality in sports, and it's the trophy room. So we'll soon find out how immoral Real Madrid is. If history were to serve as a guide...

Kaka Presented at the Bernabeu

Far from the 20,000 fans expected to welcome Kaka in the Bernabeu, most estimates today placed the number between almost 50,000 and up to 60,000 fans on hand to greet their new idol. Florentino Perez relentlessly tried to sign Kaka during his first tenure as Real Madrid president, but it wasn't until his second term and a worldwide economic collapse that AC Milan was ready to sell. He signed a six-year contract with the merengues.

Coming off of a strong performance in the Confederations Cup (enough to be the final's man of the match and receive the tournament's Golden Ball) Kaka arrives to Madrid having buried some of the doubts associated with his huge signing. At 27 Kaka's relevance on the world stage was called into question by many. Whether the reduced visibility of Milan in recent years, Milan surrounding him with slower, aging players, or his own dip in form, there was some sense that Kaka's best was past.

At his position, however, his prime may arguably be the next three years of his career, especially considering that pace has never been an integral part of his game. The undisputed leader of the Brazilian national side and AC Milan, Kaka is a born leader. The rare upper-middle class footballer, Kaka is a practicing evangelical who has stated that he will likely become a pastor after retiring from football. He shies away from the nightlife and has avoided the scandals and stereotypes that so often follow professional footballers, in particular Brazilians.

A consummate team player, Kaka is a distributor and creator above all else. At AC Milan he won a Serie A title, a Champions League (2007), two European Supercups, and one Club World Cup. Individually 2007 was, to date, his peak as an individual, when he won the FIFA World Player and the Golden Ball. That same year he was the Champions League's top goalscorer, and was named best the most valuable player of the Club World Cup. Questions remain if he will ever reach those heights again. Even in the event that he doesn't, Real Madrid has undoubtedly signed one of the world's top ten players in Kaka - especially in the notoriously difficult position to fill of creative midfielder.

Florentino Perez Saved My Summer - and yours too

Real Madrid is a club that is mired in constant crises. For all its historical greatness, the new millennium has been a cruel mistress for the club dubbed the best of the 20th century by FIFA. Though the club won its ninth, and so far its last, Champions League in the 2001-2002 season, it has had a rough go of it for the past few years. After winning the 2002-2003 league title, Real Madrid entered into its longest title drought in over fifty years, failing to win silverware for three years before Fabio Capello's triumphant return to the Bernabeu. Before his arrival, Madrid underwent a series of mini and mega crises including a revolving door of coaches, players and after Florentino's fall from grace, presidents.

In 2006-2007 Cappello's side caught a Barcelona team that had set the world afire the previous year in the Champions League and La Liga, winning both. But Capello's vision of the game was the antithesis of what Real Madrid stood for as an entity. Shown the door after a stellar season, Bernd Schuster promised to return "footballing excellence" to the Bernabeu. In truth, Schuster did little more than build off of an incredible team spirit and will to win that Capello had instilled in the team. If Capello's league title was called "La Heroica," then Schuster's 2007-2008 could have been dubbed "La Continuacion," for it was little more than that.

Much of this extended crisis resulted from Florentino's "galacticos" signing policy that was as remembered for the signings of Zidane (and his historic volley in Glasgow), Figo, Ronaldo, and Beckham, as it was for tossing away Makelele and Hierro, team players and stars in their own right, like so much trash. The club, however, was in economic ruin when Florentino arrived and he saved it financially thanks to some creative deal making - a fact any madridista recalls fondly. While Madrid may have returned to its winning ways and picked up two consecutive leagues, the inescapable truth was that it did so in unimpressive fashion, playing a brand of bland and insipid football that aside from testicular fortitude offered little to the demanding Bernabeu.

Add in a corrupt president in Calderon, an ebb in the youth system, and the rise of perhaps the best Barcelona side in history (winning the only treble in Spanish football history), a 6-2 drubbing in the Bernabeu, and the fifth consecutive exit in the first knockout round of the Champions League, and by Real Madrid's standards a spectacular crisis was on hand. Certainly fun for the many haters out there, but dreary for madridistas like myself. Enter Florentino Perez.

Within a week of his uncontested return to the presidency, Florentino had chosen Real legend Jorge Valdano as his General Director and Zidane as his personal adviser. Rebuffed by his own first choice, Arsene Wenger (likely in a not-so-subtle acknowledgement of the lack of stability at the club), Florentino quickly snapped up Valdano's first coaching choice, Villareal 's Manuel "the Engineer" Pellegrini. Pellegrini's unwavering allegiance to attacking football, knowledge of the Spanish game, and (somewhat) proven track record overrode other concerns. Less than a week later, Kaka was signed for 65 million euros. Shortly afterwards, Cristiano Ronaldo was signed for 96 million euros. Suddenly, a Madrid side that had lacked both stars and creative flair since Zidane's departure had two FIFA World Players on its roster again, and every madridista on earth was ecstatic and full of hope once more. The push for Villa, Benzema, Ribery, Xabi Alonso, and Maicon was on, and once again Madrid fans could see the (white) light at the end of the tunnel.

But Florentino has done more than save my summer - he may have saved yours as well. What's that you say? You hate Real Madrid, and even more after this post? Fear not, I'll explain how he saved your summer too. Obviously, he saved mine by signing Kaka and Ronaldo, pushing for several other great players, inflating the market so that we're likely to see huge transfer fees across the board and thus making life difficult for our rivals to sign players after we've signed our priorities. Throw in the fact that Barcelona's president and top directors seem to have forgotten their treble and simply CANNOT stop talking about what Madrid's doing (inferiority complex anyone?) and Madrid's back on the map in a big way, and no one in a white jersey has kicked a ball in weeks!

Florentino saved your summer because once the Confederations Cup ends, all you'll have to look forward to is the Gold Cup (or should I say, an extra U.S. v. Mexico game) and the transfer market. A transfer market that had been expected to be one of the worst in history thanks to that little thing called the global economy. But in came Florentino splashing around money like Tony Montana in South Beach circa 1983. Sure, the prices were driven up by Madrid, but so was the need to buy. Manchester United is now holding a cool 96 million euros, missing its best player, and Tevez can't be signed. Benzema anyone? It always fun watching a negotiation with Aulas isn't it? Suddenly, Ibrahimovich is worth 80 million euros, Villa wants out, Manchester City and Chelsea want everyone under the sun, Inter's willing to sell, and Tevez is going to Liverpool, Chelsea, or Manchester City - despite a great offer from Manchester United!

Not to mention, Real Madrid HAS to get rid of 6-14 players, none of which have left yet. That is to say, some talented players, like Robben, Van der Vaart, Huntelaar, Van Nistlerooy, and Drenthe may be making moves to "lesser" teams, and shaking up the middle table teams in Italy and England.

In effect, a number of teams we thought might stand pat, are out shopping. Several quality players that weren't on the market, may be now. Not all of this can be attributed to Florentino, but some of it can be. How many times have you trashed Madrid this summer already for the ludicrous sums of money spent on two players? Do you ever wonder if Kaka and Ronaldo can play together? Who's Real going to let go and since it's a known fact they must go, will they get fleeced on the deals? Who will Manchester United sign? And have you realized that on the club side of world football, Real Madrid is relevant again without winning a game?

Don't get me wrong, there are concerns. The galacticos era ended poorly. Indeed, just the new coach and first two signings of this new Florentino era have raised questions regarding the control and input afforded to the coach, economic stability, economic responsibility (drastically overstated in my opinion), the undervaluing of Spanish players, the endless problems between Real Madrid and Valencia, Florentino stumbling over the same rock again, and many, many others. The rumors of possible future signings also raise doubts. Soon enough, Ill post on these and other issues.

But for now, I'll go ahead and bask in the clean white light of our signings, the return of a gentleman to the presidency, and (hopefully) the return of footballing beauty to its home - the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.