The History of Real Madrid CF: A Barca Fan Wrote This
This Madrid-based and fans-owned football club was founded in 1902 and is now considered one of the biggest football clubs or (should I say) institutions in the football world. From conquering Europe for a total of 14 times to achieving the title of the Club of the Century by FIFA, Real Madrid has established itself as the most elite club to this date (sorry if you’re reading this as a Barca fan).
This could be an indication of how great Real Madrid as a club is that the best players want to wear that white jersey and play in Santiago Bernabeu (more on that later).
What makes the club different is that the foundation of the club is really strong (thanks to Santiago Bernabeu) and the club really prefers club over everything, unlike most fans-owned clubs.This can be termed as negative (people say Real Madrid doesn’t respect their legends).
But anyhow, the club being on the top priority of their presidents, has seen some of the vibrant eras. Let’s talk about them.
The Franco Connection to Real Madrid
The foundation of the club and then its connection to General Franco are some of the most controversial topics around Real Madrid and generally in football. However, there is no such evidence of that but it still has stained the image of the club.
From the signing of Alfredo De Stefano to his pouring in resources to the club for personal gains are some of the top negative points that come to mind when we talk about Real Madrid and Franco.
Nonetheless, Real Madrid is a great club even without Franco’s support. As a Barca fan, I don’t know but the players on the pitch give their sweat and blood to turn around a losing game to victory.
Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabéu and Alfredo di Stéfano
This article about the history of Real Madrid will be incomplete without mentioning Santiago Bernabeu and their talisman of that time Alfredo di Stefano.
The former was the club president and he had some big plans to take Real Madrid to new heights which he eventually did. The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious silverware in club football and when the competition was inaugurated in 1955 and ended in 1956. Then it was known as the European Cup but later changed to Champions League.
The first five Champions League had been all won by none other than Real Madrid itself during the presidency of Santiago Bernabeu.
The foundations of the club were strong and top players like Alfredo di Stefano, Puskas, Gento, and Kopa.
After the first five European triumphs, Real Madrid had a success dip and they couldn’t win in Europe until 1966. From then on, they built their legacy, which can be seen today in their Champions League campaign.
If you have been streaming Real Madrid’s matches you might know they are doing great being top in LaLiga and have just qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. If you haven’t caught the live-action, you can stream the games in Spanish commentary (if you’re a Spanish speaker living in the US) on Univision/TUDN available on FuboTV. Just make sure you are connected to a fast home WiFi like with one of the best, with Xfinity.
Xfinity is termed as one of the most reliable ISPs in the US with fast internet speeds that can support HD streaming, flexible plans, and 24/7 available customer service for Spanish speakers at Xfinity en español.
The Galacticos and Pep Guardiola
It was 2000 and the club’s passionate president Perez wanted the best for the team. Since the academy of Real Madrid wasn’t that strong, Perez had to spend big to get the right profiles for their team.
This is what he did. But not in 2000 but later in 2009 when he was reappointed as the president of the club.
That time was really tough for the club as their fierce rival waswinning everything without spending big. The most successful manager in the history of FC Barcelona, Joseph Guardiola (aka Pep) emerged on the big stage of football after coaching the Barcelona B team.
The guy won everything possible while Real Madrid struggled to find their way back to the silverware. But Perez had its plans and he signed Kaka and Jose Mourinho. Mourinho is known as the Special One. The Portuguese manager won the Champions League with a team regarded as underdogs in 2004 – Porto.
His appointment resulted in a difficult life for Pep in Barcelona. He grew tired of the toxic environment around him, so he left the club and that saw a decline in Real Madrid’s most bitter rival.
That was the era of Galacticos: Cristiano, Bale, and Benzema, all came to conquer Europe. The Galacticos finally paid off when they won their 10th Champions League in 2013-14. After that, the club was trophy-less until their legendary manager Zinedine Zidane was appointed as the manager.
Midfield maestro, now manager Zinedine Zidane won three consecutive Champions League with Galacticos.
There was a break from success when Zidane left the club but then the Italian manager Carlo Ancelloti won their 14thChampions League with Benzema outscoring the defenders to achieve a comeback win in 2021-22.
Their performance has been going well so far this season and they are, for sure, favorites to win the Champions League and LaLiga this season.
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