What Ever Happened to Los Galacticos?

There was a time, not too long ago, when a tie against Real Madrid sent a shiver down the spine. It was a time you spent praying that your team wouldn’t be pitted against them, but couldn’t help lick your lips when they were. A time of Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, a primed Raul and a young Casillas. Real Madrid being knocked out of the Champions League was considered a shock. That’s certainly not the case any more. So what ever happened to Los Galacticos?

Well, a revolving door of managers and old players being replaced by young is the short answer. To be fair to them two league titles in two years means that despite the managerial inconsistency, their young stars have found their way around the domestic scene. Their 5-0 aggregate annihilation by Liverpool however leaves their Europe effort something to be desired. With nine past European Cup wins, Real Madrid are historically the most prolific European team of them all. It is now however seven years since Madrid last won the Champions League. The European shiver down the spine has become an indifferent nod and smile. So is it a prolonged blip or something for them to really to worry about?

For Madrid it is important to realise that they are still going through a transitional period. The loss of players like Zidane and Ronaldo would hit any team hard, and Real are no different. What they have done is brought in some potentially world class players in the likes of Sneijder, Van Der Vaart, Sergio Ramos, Higuain, Lassana Diarra, Fernando Gago and Arjen Robben to name a few. Only one of those players however is over 25, and that’s Van Der Vaart who’s 26. Many of Madrid’s players are still developing do not have the type of consistency that often comes in the ages of 27 plus. If Real can hold down a good long term manager, develop the players into their world class potential and get them to bond like the Madrid of old, then there is no reason that Los Galacticos can’t rise again and strike fear into Europe once more.

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