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EuroFootball.com column "Tribuna" visitor Vadimas sends a review of the recent era of one of the world's most famous clubs, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, recently resigned on February 27, 2006, as the team had been performing poorly for 2 seasons in a row and failing to win anything for the third consecutive season. He argued his resignation by stating that the team needed major changes, starting with his own resignation. I decided to review his nearly 6-year tenure as president.
In the summer of 2000, there were presidential elections at Real Madrid, where once again, Lorenzo Sanz and Florentino Perez competed. The club's financial situation was tragic, with Real having debt of up to 300 million euros, but the team's results were excellent, having won the 8th Champions League trophy in the summer. F. Perez promised, after winning the presidential elections, to buy Barcelona's leader, Portuguese Luis Figo, and begin the "Galacticos" policy, which aimed to collect all the brightest stars in the world into one team. Real's socios (club members who pay a certain membership fee and have the right to vote in presidential elections) elected Florentino Perez as president, marking the start of his tenure.
During the 2000-01 season, new players arrived, such as Luis Figo, Flavio Conceicao, and Claude Makelele, strengthening the team. Real Madrid won the La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they lost to Bayern Munich. The following season, they won the Champions League title after beating Bayer Leverkusen, but failed to win the Copa del Rey, unexpectedly losing in the first round to Segunda Division club Toledo.
In the 2001-02 season, Zidane joined Real Madrid, and the team won the La Liga title once again. In the Champions League, they won their 9th European Cup by defeating Bayer Leverkusen in the final. However, they were unable to win the Copa del Rey, losing in the final to Deportivo.
The 2002-03 season saw the arrival of star players like Ronaldo and Zidane, and Real Madrid claimed another La Liga title with impressive performances. In the Champions League, they reached the semi-finals but were narrowly defeated by Juventus. They also lost in the final of the Copa del Rey to Deportivo.
In the 2003-04 season, Real Madrid signed David Beckham from Manchester United, but failed to secure another La Liga or Champions League title. They reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League but were eliminated by Monaco. They also lost in the final of the Copa del Rey to Real Zaragoza.
In the 2004-05 season, Real Madrid faced further disappointments, finishing 2nd in La Liga and being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal. They reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey but were defeated by Real Zaragoza in a shocking 6-1 defeat.
In the 2005-06 season, Real Madrid underwent significant changes in the squad and coaching staff, resulting in a mixed performance with a 3rd place finish in La Liga. They were eliminated in the Champions League by Arsenal and suffered a heavy defeat to Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
As for the future, new president Florentino Perez left the squad imbalanced, having a mix of experienced stars and young talents, resulting in a lack of continuity and team unity. The era of 'Galacticos' policy faced a failure, and the club was left with financial obligations to players that could lead to a financial crisis. The new president, Fernando Martin, is preparing to sell a few 'Galacticos' to stabilize the club's finances. The recent changes in the squad and coaching staff show signs of transition, with the team defeating Atletico 2-1 under the new leadership. The future plans under the new president will be discussed in the upcoming summer, emphasizing the need to end the season honorably.
