In the first part of The National’s La Liga preview, Andy Mitten focuses on Real Madrid, their new captain Sergio Ramos, the player to watch, and the big talking points ahead of the new season.
Louis van Gaal, the Manchester United manager, felt so confident that Sergio Ramos wanted to join his club that he mentioned it to his senior players.
To sign the new Real Madrid captain in his prime would have been a coup and Ramos was adamant that he wanted to leave after relations deteriorated between the defender and club president Florentino Perez.
Despite denials from Ramos, the issue was money.
He is a crucial figure at Real Madrid but felt slighted because he had not been offered a new contract at the Bernabeu paying him the €10 million (Dh40m) a year, plus incentives, that he felt he deserved and that other world-class defenders were earning.
With no offer forthcoming, his large entourage, headed by his brother, Rafa, contacted other clubs.
Barcelona were first, the Catalans astounded to be offered a figurehead of their main rivals.
Perhaps it was designed to be leaked and spook Madrid fans as Barca did not pursue the offer. They were happy with their defenders and cannot play any signings made in 2015 until 2016 because of a transfer embargo.
United were next and were immediately interested and willing to offer £28.6 million (Dh164m) for the player.
United also saw an opportunity for leverage with goalkeeper David de Gea, who was wanted by (and wanted to play for) Madrid.
By early July, reliable Madrid media were accurately predicting what would happen — that Ramos and Perez would posture and stand off, that Ramos would be made captain by new coach Rafa Benitez.
Then Ramos and Perez, who had been heavily criticised for the manner of goalkeeper Iker Casillas’s departure, would make up, with both having been seen to compromise for the greater good of Real Madrid — which is what happened.
The two parties started to negotiate and by last week Madrid were sure that Ramos would sign a five-year extension, which will keep him at the club until 2020.
The new deal was announced on Monday, meaning Ramos has a contract until he is 34.
Ramos is vital to Madrid and not just because the man who changes his hairstyle every season scored the injury-time goal that kept his side in the 2014 Uefa Champions League final against Atletico, which they went on to win.
Only three players have played more La Liga minutes than Ramos in the past decade and none of them will be in Spain's top flight this season.
Andoni Iraola, 33, the former Athletic Bilbao right-back, moved to Major League Soccer’s New York City in the close season after 12 seasons as a mainstay for the Basques.
Casillas, 34, left the Bernabeu for Porto with a teary farewell.
The third, another goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, has resumed his regular feuds with former manager Van Gaal while contracted to United, who were again used by a player at another club to get a better deal.
A decade, 432 games and 19 red cards after he signed from Sevilla, Ramos is Madrid’s longest-serving player.
He also has 128 Spain caps. He needs to fill the power vacuum left by Casillas and he will be charged with leading the team back to trophies after a glorious 2014 and the disappointment felt so far in 2015. Madrid finished last year as European and world champions, but neighbours Atletico put four past them in a February derby and knocked them out of the Copa del Rey.
Juventus eliminated them in the Champions League semi-final, preventing a first Barca-Madrid European Cup final.
Madrid are expected to compete for and win major honours, and a failure to win the league title, Champions League — or, at a push, Copa del Rey — will likely mean Benitez, 55, does not last more than a season in his home city.
Madrid fans are always optimistic in August and that is tangible as two Madrid heavyweights stood together on the Bernabeu pitch yesterday to boast in unison about a bright future — Ramos and Perez.
PLAYER TO WATCH — GARETH BALE
Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, has said that this is the season he expects the world’s most expensive player to deliver after a mediocre 2014/15. Here is what Bale needs to do.
Learn Spanish
He lives and works in Spain, he is paid his huge wages by a Spanish club and pays his taxes in Spain. Yet Bale’s Spanish is almost non-existent and that is seen as disrespectful. The number plate on one of his cars says “Adios”, but speaking conversational Spanish will help on the pitch and especially off it where he will find a greater appreciation for living in Spain’s capital.
Establish a settled position
Bale moved from wide right and played as a deep lying forward in pre-season with less-spectacular results than when he played for Tottenham or Wales. Both Bale and Benitez prefer the central role, but what about James Rodriguez or Isco, who are popular in that very position behind the venerated front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and … Bale?
Ignore outside interest
Madrid are committed to Bale and that settles him for this season, but what about the future? Manchester United wanted to sign him again this summer, but were told he was not for sale, even though Madrid could have recouped their huge investment.
Adjust quickly to life under Rafa Benitez
The former Liverpool, Inter Milan and Napoli manager wants his attackers to defend more, but will that stifle Madrid’s incredible attacking threat? His full-backs are likely to have less freedom as he puts emphasis on the defence maintaining its shape when they attack. If Bale ends up playing on the wing, will he miss that support from Marcelo or Dani Carvajal?
Score more
Bale scored 17 goals in all competitions last season. That was five fewer than his opening term in Madrid. Two Uefa Champions League goals in 10 games was a big reduction on the six he had managed in that first season in Spanish football.
TALKING POINTS
Fast start is critical
Madrid need to start well, unlike last season when they lost two of their first three games. Doing that in the cauldron that is “El Molinon”, home to promoted side Sporting Gijon, in Sunday’s opening league game will be difficult, but Madrid are used to adversity on their travels and they should be able to take maximum points from their first four games before the first major test — away to a Bilbao side who just beat Barcelona 5-1 in aggregate. A Madrid derby follows shortly after.
Players are likely to leave
There will be more transfer activity before the window closes. Madrid have too many midfield players and Asier Illarremendi is the most likely to leave. The former Sociedad man has not had enough minutes to justify his €32 million fee in 2013.
No galactico
Madrid have yet to sign a stellar player but the club are said to be keen to control costs. Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic, 21, agreed terms on Sunday for a €32m fee from Inter Milan. Full-back Danilo arrives from Porto while defensive midfielder Casemiro, returns from his loan with the Portuguese club. Winger Denis Cheryshev returns from a loan at Villarreal and attacking midfielder Marco Asensio, 19, joins from Mallorca. Winger Lucas Vasquez and goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, both formerly of Madrid’s academy, have come from Espanyol.
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