Back to the future

I note that former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has promised to reinstate Vicente Del Bosque as manager should his bid to be restored succeed. I'm not sure that the "old gang" are necessarily going to bring back the glory days, but it is surely a step in the right direction - that is: backwards - to recognise that Del Bosque's sacking was the point at which Real Madrid, the football team went off the rails. This seemingly obvious fact has been obfuscated by the fact that Real Madrid the marketing juggernaut has stayed resolutely on the rails. Nonetheless, footballing success is a necessary condition for retaining marketing prominence and it's been three barren years for los galacticos now. Another trophyless season and the "Bernabow" can kiss goodbye to the best part of that marketing revenue which will instead surely head to their deadly rivals from Catalonia.

In sacking Del Bosque, Fiorentina Perez seemed to have convinced himself that the manager, despite winning two league titles and two Champions' league trophies, didn't really do all that much but simply "let the players play". If this was the case,he might as well hire a similarly supine coach but one who was more presentable at press conferences. Enter Carlos Quieroz whose matinee-idol gnashers put Vicente's broken-piano-keys teeth to shame. Del Bosque may have been too modest and understated but Perez was deluded if he thought that a bunch of spoilt egotistical millionaires (albeit considerably less spoilt, egotistical or millionairish than the current bunch) could get it together to play as a team never mind get out of tricky fixtures, and win so many trophies on their own. In fact, the last thing you want any player to think is that he is a fixture in the team and never need justify his inclusion. Perez' policy seemed designed to maintain an entire eleven of complacent perfomers. In that sense it succeeded.

Comments

[Hugh Green]

It's a canny move from Lorenzo Sanz all right, at least in terms of his election prospects. Back to basics, and the good old days, although I wonder if he'll propose re-instating his son at centre-half.

I'm not sure that the "old gang" are necessarily going to bring back the glory days

Yes, managers returning to old stomping grounds seldom fulfil expectations. Del Bosque, though, has such a low-key approach to management (at least in terms of his public persona) it's hard to see how his re-apppointment could raise expectations that much.

I think that any manager who comes in has to get shot of Raul - the most overrated player in human history, and a narcissistic pillock to boot. How this guy has so much power is a matter of constant bewilderment to me. Yet I still can't see it happen. He's there for life, and he'll eventually take on a Valdano/Butragueno-type role.

Ferguson does this sort of thing without flinching at Man Utd, but Spanish managers don't tend to receive that sort of unconditional support.

[Frank McGahon]

I think that any manager who comes in has to get shot of Raul - the most overrated player in human history, and a narcissistic pillock to boot.

Oh, undoubtedly. It's funny: Beckham gets a lot of stick and he has declined as a player since his pre-megastardom days at United, but he's not the worst of the RM players by any stretch and, despite what Dion Fanning would have you believe, trains very hard and is generally very fit. Raul on the other hand, he's like a little pampered prince. It's surely no coincidence that Madrid managed a sustained run of good form form this season while he was injured. Even in Raul's heyday, Morientes was the more effective, though unsung, striker. Out of all the galacticos, he is the most untouchable - even Fat Ronaldo can get dropped. But you're right: the managers have a much less tenacious hold on their jobs - probably because the President tends to fancy himself as the "real" Real manager.

Incidentally: Phil Ball had a great piece on Soccernet a while ago about the comfy benches at the Bernabeu.