CAN ANYONE end Barcelona’s recent dominance of La Liga? After a summer of big signings and the announcement of record revenues, Barca look stronger than last year and with Real Madrid enduring a miserable pre-season and Atlético Madrid in transition, it could be a third consecutive title – and nine in 12 – for the Blaugrana. Of course, Barca will be hoping for a barnstorming … Continue reading La Liga: Barcelona may be even stronger
REAL MADRID is, arguably, the most famous football club in the world. The queues of people that snake their way around the club’s impressive Bernabéu Stadium, even on days when the team is not in town, makes Real one of the Spanish capital’s major landmarks. Real Madrid is also the most valuable football brand in world football. Valued at €1.65 billion, the club is ahead … Continue reading Football’s top brand – Real Madrid
REAL MADRID completed a hat-trick of European Cup wins in 1958, but they had to work hard for the top prize in a gruelling final with AC Milan in Brussels. In doing so, Real also completed the double of domestic league title and European Cup for the second successive season. Nevertheless, football historians have always wondered if Real would still have been crowned champions of … Continue reading Europe’s Champions: 1957-58 Real Madrid
THE MOST famous football club in the world is determined to regain its position at the top of Spanish and European football, judging by their frantic activity in the current transfer window, notably the signing of Eden Hazard from Chelsea for € 100 million. Real Madrid have been big players in the transfer market this summer. Over the past 10 years, their expenditure on new … Continue reading Eden project shows Real are eager to broaden their footprint in 2019-20
REAL MADRID is, arguably, the most famous football club in the world. The queues of people that snake their way around the club’s impressive Bernabéu Stadium, even on days when the team is not in town, makes Real one of the Spanish capital’s major landmarks. Real Madrid is also the most valuable football brand in world football. Valued at €1.65 billion, the club is ahead … Continue reading Football’s top brand – Real Madrid
IT MAY be wishful thinking that a team is coming to the end of a period of dominance or the desire to see someone else at the summit of European football, but Barcelona may not be getting the credit they deserve this season as they close-in on another La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. Inevitably, when a team keeps winning, the current batch … Continue reading Football Media Watch: Barca still the team to beat
AND SO, the end of a remarkable run, four UEFA Champions League titles in five years. For most of the current season, the signs of Real Madrid’s decline have been evident in Spain, a lack lustre domestic campaign that has seen them dispose of two coaches and bring back Zinedine Zidane, an indication that Real, like so many clubs, seek the security of a comfort … Continue reading The empire collapses
GAME OF the People visited the Santiago Bernabéu stadium earlier this season. Real Madrid beat Espanyol 1-0, thanks to a goal from Asensio after 43 minutes. The crowd was 67,658 on a balmy evening in the Spanish capital. Continue reading Picture Post: An evening at Real Madrid
AFTER setting the benchmark for European football, Real Madrid strengthened their squad with the signing of France’s Raymond Kopa, the Reims inside forward who had impressed Real when the two teams met in the European Cup final of 1956. Kopa’s arrival made Real an even more compelling team and sent a signal to the rest of Europe that the club could acquire the best talents … Continue reading Europe’s Champions: 1956-57 – Real Madrid
SPAIN’s La Liga may have lost Cristiano Ronaldo to Serie A, but it is well placed to deal with the inevitable transition that will take place once the other member of the celebrated duopoly, Lionel Messi, also moves on. KPMG Football Benchmark’s latest paper looks at how the league has been internationalising itself to broaden the appeal of Spanish football. Ronaldo and Messi have dominated … Continue reading La Liga’s big challenge
NATURALLY, nobody is happy about the clandestine discussions that may or may not have taken place over the past few months involving certain clubs to create a closed football league comprising the wealthiest names across the top five nations. A “super league” is what they are calling it, but effectively, it is a cartel of the “super rich”, a group driven by greed and entitlement. … Continue reading Why a super league could work if handled properly
THIS season’s big talking point, aside from the future of Manchester United’s manager, is whether Chelsea’s Eden Hazard will leave London and join Real Madrid in the summer. Opinions are divided about the outcome, with Chelsea’s supporters convincing themselves he will stay at Stamford Bridge, while others believing the lure of Europe’s top club will be too much for the 27 year-old from the land … Continue reading Football Media Watch: Hazard a guess
