Karim Benzema played his last game for Real Madrid today. A game in which he scored the equalizing goal, his 354th and last goal for the club. The game wasn’t important despite the draw, Real finished above rivals Atletico but failed to win the league. However the exit was special, as he recieved a standing ovation as he left the pitch. He was honored by a fanbase which once questioned and booed him. He wasn’t expected to be this big of a legend when he arrived in 2009 but now he leaves as one of the greatest players in Real’s histpry.
When he transferred in 2009 he was supposed to be the number 9 to compliment Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. His first year and a half was full of controversy, as he dealt with poor form and being a backup to Gonzalo Higuain. After Higuain’s back injury, Benzema took over the starting duties and became a star. He scored 26 goals in 2010/11 and 32 goals in 2011/12 winning the Copa Del Rey and La Liga in those two seasons. After a down season in 2012/13 one of Benzema and Higuain had to be sold as they were too good to be a backup striker. Higuain was sold to Napoli and Benzema stayed. Benzema was part of a great attacking trio with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and helped Real win their first Champions League in 12 years in the 2013/14 season. Real Madrid the next four seasons would be incredible as the club won 3 Champions Leagues, 1 La liga title, 3 Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups and 1 Spanish Super Cup during this time period. Benzema despire scoring a lot of goals and having some legendary plays like his great dribble versus Atletico in 2017 to set up Isco’s goal, he was criticized heavily for missing chances. Benzema in 2017/18 scored in the Champions League final but he only scored 12 goals that season. it semmed like his days at Real were coming to an end. But Cristino Ronaldo left the club in 2018 and Benzema stayed and carried the club for the next five years.
Karim, Benzema scored 30 goals and helped Real Madrid qualify for the Champions League and win the Club World Cup in 2018/19. The 2019/20 season he scored 27 goals and led Real Madrid to a La Liga title. In 2020/21 despite his 30 goals, Real failed to win a trophy. In 2021/22 it was his best season scoring 44 goals and had 15 assists leading Real to win the Spanish Supercup, La Liga, and the Champions League title. He scored 15 goals in the Champions League, scoring the winning goal against the PSG, Chelsea, and City to help Real reach the final. In 2022 he won the Balon d’Or which is the award for the best player in the world for that year. His final season at Real Madrid he scored 31 goals and helped Real Madrid win the European Super Cup, Club World Cup and the Copa Del Rey as the captain of the club. He did score a hat-trick in his final clasico against Barcelona in an iconic 4-0 win that helped Real Madrid reach the Copa del Rey final. He leaves with a legacy of winning and being a part of a great team. He was always a team player and when he needed to step up he did just that. He now leaves Real Madrid on his terms and on top. There aren’t many Real legends that had a more dignified exit, left the club on good terms and scoring in his final game for Real. Thanks to Karim Benzema for all your contributions for Real Madrid.
Karim Benzema’s achievements:
He scored 354 goals for Real Madrid which is the second-most in Real’s history
Real foi campeao da Champions derrotando o Liverpool por 1 a 0 com gol do Vinicius Junior. Foi o Decimocuatro titulo dos Merengues na competiticao
Real foi campeao Espanhol ganhando um titulo com 13 pontos de vantagem sobre o segundo colocado Barcelona.
Real Madrid conquistou a Superopa da Espanha derrotando o Bibao com gols do Luka Modrtic e Karm Benzema.
Real foi campeao da UEFA Supercopa derrotando o Frankfurt 2-0 com gols do David Alaba e Karim Benzema. Esse ttiulo foi o cuarto titulo conquistado em 2022 e a quinta supercopa da UEFA do Real que e um record.
Karim Benzema ganhou o Balon de Oro e oficialmente e o melhor jogador de 2022.
Real Madrid tinha um ano de oro. 4 titulos conquistados e remontadas epicas, a torcida do Real tinha um ano muito especial. Vamos celebrar o natal com a nossas familias e amigos e esperamos por um 2023 vencedor como 2022. Hala Madrid!
Gabigol em so tres anos no Flamengo tem mais Libetadores do que o Flu, Vasco e Botafogo juntos.
Flamengo e o unico desses clubes que ganhou uma libertadores ganhando todos os jogos no mata-mata. O Flamengo e o unico clube da historia da Libertadores com esse feito na era moderna.
Times do Rio nessa temporada:
Flamengo: Campeao da Copa do Brasil e Libertadores
Flumininense: Campeao do Camponeato Carioca
Botafogo: Zero titulos
Vasco da Gama: Campeao de Vexames
Gabigol tem mais gols em final de Libertadores do que o Cortinthians, Athletico Parananese, Atletico Miniero, e Botafogo. Gabigol e muito decisivo.
A ultima vez que o Felipao jogou um jogo grande contra um time rubro-negro deu 7-1 e a final da Libertadores deu a logica deu o Flamengo! 😀
So o Neto que falou hahaha.Eu nao porque EU NUNCA CRITIQUEI ESSSA LENDA! 😀Vasco e sempre do Flamengo. Isso explica porque Fagner e Mateus Vittal perdeu os penaltis esta no DNA de ex-jogadores do Vice da Gama!
Mais uma vez o Flamengo eliminou o Corinthians esse ano. O Flamengo e tetra-campeao da Copa do brasil pela primera vez em 9 anos. Parabens para o Dorival Junior que arrumou esse time depois da saida do Paulo Souza. E bom lembra antes dele chega o Flamengo estava perto da zona de rebaixamento e nao tinha perspectiva de ganhar titulos. Mas com muito esforco dos jogadores e o tecnico o Flamengo deu volta pro cima e ainda pode ser campeao da Libetadores. A temporada ja e um succeso e pode fica melhjor ainda! Parabens pro Rodinei que deu uma volta por cima e bateu o penalti com uma categoria de um craque!
Casemiro is about to finalize his shock move to Manchester United after Real Madrid and Manchester United agreed to a deal worth around 60 milliion Euros and that could rise up to 70 million Euros if certain targets are met. This signals the end of the Kroos, Casemiro, Modric midfield or more commonly referred to as the KCM. A midfield that has been together since the 2015-16 season and has been with very few exceptions the starting midfield trio for Real ever since. This transfer signals the beginning of a transition at Real Madrid, as the club already signed Casemiro’s replacemnt in Aurelin Tchoumaneni and could bring in additional midfielder in the transfer window. Still Casemiro is a hard player to replace and his legacy will be cemented as a Real Madrid legend. Before discussing the future I will take a look back at Casemiro and his trajectory at Real Madird.
Casemiro began his career at the youth academy of Sao Paulo, and rapidly rose through the ranks as one of the best center-midfield prospects in the world. Alongside Neymar he helped Brasil win the 2011 U=21 World Cup and became a target for all the big European clubs. Despite a promising start to his early career, discipline issues and too much partying threatened to derail Casemiro’s career. He was very inconisitent at Sao Paulo and despite helping the team win the Copa Sulamericana in 2012, he was not a starter for the latter stages of the tournament. He was mainly used a spot-atarter and sub by Sao Paulo manager Ney Franco. Many Sao Paulo fans were displeased with his lack of consistency and when Real Madrid came in with an offer to buy Casemiro for around 10 million Euros, the club was happily accepted. The myth about Casemiro in his early days was that the Sao Paulo fanbase drove him out of the club. Neto a (in)famous pundit in Brazilian TV always mocked Sao Paulo and tyhe fanbase saying that they ruined Casemiro with their strong criticism and that the club lacked patience with the youngster. (Neto also supports the rivals of Sao Paulo, Corinthinans so there is eome bias there.) However that is not entirely the case, as Casemiro showed very few flashes of true star potential at Sao Paulo. He was being beched for the likes of Arsenal-reject Denilson and freaking Toro, it’s not like the club didn’t want him to shine. Casemiro alongside Lucas Moura were the two great prospects Sao Paulo had at the time, one turned out to be a legend and helped Sao Paulo win the Sulamericana scoring in the ifnal, the other didn’t live up to expectations. Lucas Moura was soid for over four times what Casemiro was sold for, and he was considered to be the star of the future, not Casemiro. In fact Real Madrid seizxing a mrket oppurtunity took a small gamble on Casemiro because of his excellent performances at the Under-21 Brazil side, not his form for Sao Paulo. Real Madrid also intially wanted him on loan and put him into the Real Madrid Castilla so they could monitor and develop him. Even Real when they bought him knew he was a project but they felt they could give him the structure and coaching needed to be successful. In 2013 Casemiro’s Real journey began and he would have a meteroic rise to the top.
Casemiro scoring the second goal in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League final.
When Casemiro left for Real Madrid, Sao Paulo fans infamously mocked Real for their transfer. (The UOL comment section at the time was basically Sao Paulo celebraing the fact they got any money for Casemiro some saying they would have driven him to the airport for free.) This sort of doubt although can be laughjed at now, was not without merit at the time. Real were taking a risk on an underachieving talent and he needed time to gain confidence. He started off playing at Real Madrid Castilla and within a few weeks impressed the club so much that Jose Mourinho handed him his Real debut against Betis in the league. In that game he played 90 minutes was very solid defensively and really caught the eye for his positioning sense for such a young player. His passing wasn’t too sharp and he made a few questionable decisions but he certainly had what it took to play for Real Madrid. He dind’t play again the rest of the season but new manager Carlo Ancelotti refused to loan out or sell Casemiro in 2013-14 and he played a lot of games. He mainly came off the bench and started some Copa del Rey games and a few La Liga games but he was improving slowly. The most iconic performance and the turning point of Casemiro’s Real Madrid was a vital Champions League game against Dortmund. Real Madrid were losing 2-0 and couln’t allow Dortmund to score again or else they would go to extra-time, the season was on the line. Ancelotti due to injuries was forced to send in Casemiro with 20 minutes left to try to salvage the tie, and Casemiro performed. He won tackles, shielded a weary defense, earned free-kicks, and organized the team as they held on to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Casemiro proved his worth as Real player and Madrid went on to win the Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Champions League with Casemiro being a key member of the squad. Ancelotti felt he needed more game-time to develop further and he was loaned out to FC Porto where he would have a great season. When Casemiro returned to Real Madrid in 2015-16 he was ready to be a starter.
Casemiro scored an incredible bicycle kick against Atleico Madrid to help Real Madrid win 3-1. It was Real Madrid’s first win in Atletico Madridd’s new stadium the Wanda Metropolitano.
Although Rafa Benitez the new Real Madrid manager in 2015 liked Casemiro and used him in certain games against PSG and other league games, he didn’t use him against Barcelona. The result was a 4-0 beatdown by Barcelona and Benitez would be fired several months later. His replacement Zidane struggled initially and after a 1-0 home loss to Atletico Madrid dropped James Rodriguez to the bench and started Casemiro with Modric and Kroos. The rest was history, as Real went on to nearly win La Liga and veat Barca at the Camp Nou 2-1. In the UEFA Champions League, Casemiro helped Real win the competition arguarbly being man of the match in the final against Atletico Madrid. From that season on regardless of manager Casemiro was an automatic starter as a defensive midfielder. He shielded th back line and did the dirty work which allowed Toni Kroos to pass the ball, and Luka Modric to find the killer pass. He was the bodyguard of the team sticking up for his teammates, never backing down from a tackle, and scoring critical goals as well. In 2016-17 for instance he scored against Barcelona, he netted the winner against Bilbao, hit a tremendous volley against Napoli, and the game-winning goal against Juventus in the Champions League final. He won La Liga for the first time in 2017 and would add two more La Liga titles in 2020 and 2022. He would also score twice against Atletico Madrid in his career, including a bicycle kick at the Wanda in 2019. His goal against Manchester United helpe Real win the UEFA Super Cup in 2017, and he started the 2016 and 2022 finals in which Real won as well. in 2016, 2017, and 2018 he was part of the Real sides that won three straight Club World Cups. in 2018 he also helped Real win their third straight Champions League and becoming a pillar of that side. In addition he would win three Spanish Super Cups in 2017, 2020, and 2022. in 2021-22 Casemiro won his fifth Champions League saving his finest performance against Liverpool. He was outstanding in the final, winning tackles, clearing crosses, earning free-kicks, passing the ball well, he had becoem the defensive midfieler in the world and that final proved it. With all his accolades he started his journey at Real Madrid as young man with a dream a last chance to save his career. He leaves Real Madrid as a winner, a grown adult, and with a priceless legacy that he will leave behind him
Casemiro lfiting his final trophy for Real Madrid the 2022 UEFA Super Cup. Casemiro assisted Alaba in the final and played a great game which turned out to be his last start for the club.
For Real Madrid this loss will hurt as he was still the starter and key member of Real Madrid’s double winning side the previous year. There is no doubt that he will be missed in the short-term. However in the long-term this might have been the right move. Although Casemiro had a great end to last season, he had shown some signs of decline the last two seasons. This was so evident that Real Madrid spent 80 million Euros on his replacement in Aurelin Tchoumaneni this summer so the club were preparing for this day. In that sense the sale of Casemiro just speeds a rebulidning process that is neccessary. Real Madrid canot keep on winning relying on Kroos, Modic, and Casemiro forever. At some point they will have to be phased out of the team and since there’s no ideal time to replace legends it might as well be after a season where Real has been so successful. Real have the replacement for Casemiro in 22-year odl Tchoumaneni who despite his shaky debut is a remarkable talent and was signed to be the heir to Casemiro. He may not be fully ready yet, but if he really is that talented he will come good with time. As for Manchester United, they are signing an excellent player who is also a great leader and will add toughness wo a weak side. Manchester United need more players but Casemiro is a great start and he will be worth the money if he can be supported properly but if United thinks he will be the answer alone they are a bigger mess than previously imagined. For Casemiro this move allows him to double his salary while also getting more years to his contract, in a financial sense it’s a no-brainer. Especvially as Casemiro is not a star attacki8ng player, he doesn’t have the ability to make money out of sponsorships as more high profile players so a salary increase is the best way for Casemiro to make more money. Sporting wise it’s a chasm as Manchester United are currently last place in the Premier League and are in the Europa League. However they are a big club and if Casemiro succeds at Man United he can only increase his legacy. In addition he has won enough trophies and maybe feels that it’s time to take as much money as possible. He is 30 years old and this would be his last big contract so he needs to take advantage of his value while he still can. As for Real Madrid receiving 60-70 million for a 30-year old player that you have a replacement for is good business. They could be hurt short-term and potentially cost them a chance to win the Champions League this season and maybe even diminish their chance of retaining La Liga. Real don’t operate on short-term sucess anymore and for the club the future is the key. In this sense the sale of Casemiro makes more sense. The club isn’t desperate, they have prepared for this day, and they can overcome this loss even in the short-term. Manchester United are desperate, poorly-run, and they need Casemiro in the worst way. This transfer as painful as it is for Real Madrid fans is a sign of a club being run the right way, the emotions of fans are being balanced with financial and sporting reality. Casemiro isn’t getting any younger and shown signs of decline, this season was the best season to sell him off while he still has value. It might be the end of an era at Real but the beginning of a new one that could yield as many titles as the last one.
Real Madrid won their fifth UEFA Super Cup by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 with goals by Alaba and Benzema.
Real Madrid won yet another trophy defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 to win the 2022 UEFA Super Cup. It’s Real Madrid 5th win in the competition which ties a recird with AC Milan and Barcelona. It is also Real’s 21st European title and 28th major international title which are both records. Real Madrid unlike the many invented and false media narratives surrounding the club have been a well-run club for some time now. Ever since Florentino Perez won back the presidency in 2009, Real Madrid has won a staggering 23 major tropjies in 13 years. A club that has been derided in the past as “chaotic”, “poorly run”, and “underacheivers” are now the symbol of calm, structured, and exceeding their potential. While some rival clubs spend recklessly and mortgage their future just to keep up with Real’s success, the Madrid side has been able to spend within their means and build a strong and competitive team. The UEFA Super Cup win demonstrated some of those traits.
Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos celebrating another trophy with Real Madrid. The midfield trio have been the spine of Real Madrid for 7 years and counting.
Real Madrid unlike many other clubs have a culture of success based on keeping the same core of players together for as long as possible. Many clubs prefer to “freshen” the squad with a host of new signings every year to keep the team motivated. Real Madrid are very different as they have kept players in their team as long as they are still productive and built a culture that holds them accountable. The stars of the UEFA Super Cup yesterday were Real Madrid’s midfield trio of Kroos, Casemiro, and Modric who controlled the game and ran the show for the entire match. It was Kroos who delivered the corner in which Benzema won and Casemiro flicked the rebound onto Alaba for a simple tap-in for the opening goal. Kroos was fantastic especially in the first-half as his passing and control kept Real in good positions. Modric despite having a more quiet game had a vey nice second half as his through balls set up several dangerous Real counterattacks. Casemiro was the anchor of the midfield sweeping up mistakes and defending excellently, thwarting several Frankfurt attacks. The trio really provided excellent structure and creativity that Frankfurt had very few answers for. The KCM as they are known have been starters for Real Madrid for about 8 seasons beginning their partenershup in the 2015-16 season. Eight seasons is a lifetime in football and for a midfield trio to last this long and be so effective is nothing short of remarkable. Although the trio has had its share of bad moments like the entire 2018-19 season, the eliminbations in the Champions League to Ajax, Manchester City, and Chelsea, and the 4-0 defeat last season at home to Barca. Despite some of these poor perfdrmances the club has backed them as managers like Zidane, Lopetegui, Solari, and Ancelotti have chosen to keep faith in the trio and the rewards have been clear to see. Their brilliance has allowed Real to maintain their high level and with the help of a certain veteran striker the team has the firepower to advantage of this trio’s excellence.
Karim Benzema scored the second goal that sealed Real Madrid’s win over Frankfurt.
In the attack there is the presence of Karim Benzema the undisputed best player in the world in 2022 and the current capitain of Real Madrid. He had a critical part to play yesterday winning the header that led to the Alaba goal, and scoring the second goal after Vinicus Junior set him with a nice pass. Benzema is th second-highest goalscorer in Real Madrid’s history with 324 goals only behind the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema didn’t have a great start to his Real career struggling to adapt to life in the Spanish capital in his first 18 months at the club. But after a long-term injury sidelined Higuain for several months in 2011, Benzema stepped up and saved his Real career. Although he has had his ups and downs since his breakout 2011 season, he has worked hard for the team and had been a great foil for Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale so they can score goals and succeed. When Ronaldo left in 2018, Benzema assumed the goalscoring responsibility and helped keep Real afloat and even win titles while youngsters like Vinicius Junior and Rordygo developed, and veterans like Bale and Hazard didn’t deliver. Last season when Vinicius Junior had his breakout season, Benzema had his career year scoring 44 goals and being the top-scorer of La Liga and the Champions League. His leadership, quality, and attitude led Real to make some memorable comebacks against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City to reach the Champions League final. In the final it was Vinicius Junior who scored the winning goal but Benzeam was the main man of the best team in Spain and Europe. Against Frankfurt he put together andther excellent performance, as his goal yesterday sealed the final and guaranteed Benzema would lift his first trophy for Real Madrid as captain. Which considering that he was questioned just 4 years ago for his lack of goalscoring and big-game ability is a stunning turnaround for him. Real Madrid deserve credit as they never lost faith in Benzema and all the managers that came in always defended him even when his output wasn’t there. It’s through the club’s conviction in their players that this winning culture gets formed. They also bring in the right players and managers to supplement these legends as well.
David Alaba scored the first goal for Real Madrid and was vital to the Real Madrid’s success since his transfer in 2021.
Real Madrid in addition to sticking with a core of veteran players which also includes the solid Dani Carvjal, Lucas Vasquez, and Nacho who are vital contributors to Real’s recent succees. Carvajal being an excellent right-back, and Lucas Vasquez and Nacho are valuable squad players. The club also adds key signings to add to the club’s culture. David Alaba the goalscorer of the opening goal is a great example, he signed as a free transfer in 2021 without much fanfare by the fanbase. Many fans wanted Ramos to extend or Varane to stay instead of Alaba. Real wisely didn’t extend Ramos due to his wage demands and injury concerns and sold Varane as he had one-year left on his contract and wouldn’t accept an extension. Alaba was the club’s replacement for Ramos and he delivered an excellent season at center-back even scoring at Barcelona last year and now scoring the winner in a final. Very smart business. Real also signed Rudigger on a free which should add much needed depth to the backline. Real over the past few years have also signed players like Mendy, Courtois, who have become vital starters. Courtois who came up with a clutch save from Cavada in the first-half which kept the match at 0-0 is wideldy considered the best goalkeeper in the world. Mendy is the starting left-back at Real Madrid and is a great defender. Real Madrid signed young playrs who they have nutured like Militao, Valverde, Camavinga, Tchoumaeni, Vinicius Junior andf Rodrygo. Rodygo is a grea super sub who scored many vital goals last season especially in the Champions League. Militao was signed in 2019 to be the successor to Sergio Ramos or Varane and after both exited in 2021 he became the undisputed starter of the team. A strong center-back, he has great heading ability and wins his fair share of tackles, a young star defender that is only getting better. Valverde is a modern-day midfielder who has limitless energy and can play as a box-to-box midfielder or a right-winger/wingback. It is the hybrid winger position that allows Valverde to start for Real Madrid and he is excellent at providing defensive structure to the team. Camavinga is a young midfielder who is used a supersub but could end up being a starter soon, and is more creative than Valeverde. Tchoumaeni is the new signing who should be used as a sub this season but will in due time be the replacement for Casemiro as his defensive prowess and reading of the game is very advanced for a p[ayer of his age. Finally Vinicus Junior is the young star who the ream relies on the left-wing tor pace and a secondary goal-scoring threat for Benzema. He is the man who scored in the 2022 Champions League final dna his assist in the UEFA Super Cup final proves his importance to theteam. But in addition to the players you need someone to manage them.
Carlo Ancelotti (middle of the photo) has now won four UEFA Super Cups which is a record. He is now has won 8 trophies at Real Madrid. 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, 1 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey, and 1 Spanish Super Cup.
Real Madrid have insistied on hiring player-friendly managers since Mourinho left the club in 2013 with one exception of Benitez. The results have been an overwhelming success. The team has won 17 of their last 19 major finals since 2013, only losing to Atletico in the Spanish Super Cup in 2014 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2018. Managers like Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane have not only brought stability to the club but many trophies. Zidane won 11 trophies in his 2 spells as Real won every final under him (9 for 9) and won two La Liga titles. Carlo Ancelotti the current Real Manager won every possible trophy he could win at Real at least once and has won 8 trophies at the club. Santiago Solari despite having tactical limitaions did win the Club World Cup in 2018 and gave players like Vinicius, Valverde, and Ceballos chances to start games. The only two managers who dind’t win a trophy at Real since 2013 were Rafa Benitez and Julen Lopetegui. Benitez clashed with the veteran players and the squad revolted against his harsh style and he was fired for Zidane’s arrival in 2016. Lopetegui inherited a squad that some infighting and his alck of experience managing Real led to his downfall. Perez as a result of these failures realized that the besrt way to win at Real was to hire a player-first manager and give the players more freedom. Zidane and Ancelotti were idela hires and they help build a machine of sucesss that has translated in a decade of dominance.
The critics are already out after Real won another trophy as if no matter how much Real win it will never be enough for some people. While the club has made mistakes in transfers like signing Hazard, Jovic, Mariano, and resigning Gareht Bale into a long extension, the overall transfer policy has been a massive success. They have the 25th highest net spend since 2013 which is less than clubs like Everton, Leeds, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Arsenal who are nowhere near Real’s standards of winning and sucees. In fact clubs like Leeds and Villa spent years in the second division of English football yet have spent well beyond their means just to maintain themselves in the top-flight. While Real Madrid in the last decade have won four La LIga titles and five Champions League titles, and were one of the few clubs able to make a profit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The club did this through a series of cost-cutting measures, lowering all staff salary, not signing any new players for the 2020 transfer window, and selling off players to keep the club in good financial health. Although these measures were criticized by a large segment of the fanbase, the future of the club was put first over any immediate success. When the club had a trophyless season in 2020-21 and Zidane resigned (again) the club could have been in deep trouble. Perez did the right thing and only signed Alaba and Camavinga, sold Varane and let Ramos go as a free agent, and then re-hired Carlo Ancelotti as the manager. The club didn’t overextend itself and although they bid for Mbappe, Perez realistically wanted to get him on a free transfer the next season. Althought the Mbappe move never materialized, trophies did. Three trophies in 2021-22, Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League sealed a historic season. Real built a winning machine by not being flashy, overspending, and hiring stylish modern managers. They did it the old-fashioned way with smart timely signings, devloping young players, keeping a winning core together, and building an atmosphere of winning around a great man-manager. These things don’t make Real “sexy” or “cool” to the media and pundits. Being smart and calm is never a good way to get headlines and clicks. However the model of sustainability and calm has been the key to transform Real Madrid into this title winning monster. The lack of chaos, the relative stability, and the commitment to winning above all else has transformed a once downtrodden club into the powwehouses they are today. Any Real Madrid who supported the club prior to the last decade understands full well the mess it used to be. Chaotic clashes with managers, political beefs with players, expensive and bad signings, and inept managers were the norm for Real between 2003-04 and 2008-09. The club as a result only won 4 trophies during that time period and never reached the semi-final of the Champions League. Barcelona were the club that was well-run, played attractive football and were the club to be envied. However fast forward to 2022 and the roles are mostly reversed. Barca are the club in financial crisis, have political tensions, and may not be able to tegister players for the La Liga season. They are the ones who spend recklessly and without abandon and fire managers constantly. They are the crisis club because they went away from their model and adopted a terrible business and sporing model, chasing short-term success instead of long-term stability. While Real Madrid have changed for the better, they are now focused on the future and can withstand a bad season without too much chaos. The club due to its long-term planning understands the most important thing is that to be able to continue with another era of success they must build and maintain a culture. It doesn’t have to do with a style of play, but an ethos of winning and playing vertical attacking football. It may not always entertain the critics but it keeps the fanbase happy and united. Real Madrid’s identity is about trophies and scoring lots of goals to do it. Real Madrid are not measured by how the pundits like them but how the world respects them, Real Madrid as a club have always done it their way and the proof that is working was on display aaainst Frankfurt. A simple effective 2-0 win that helped Real win their foruth trophy in the last eight months. Trophies are the best way to silence critics and no one does it better than Real Madird.
O gol mais bonito do CR7 foi esse gol incrrivel contra Juventus. A torcida reconhenceu o feito historico por dar um minuto de applauso.O melhor feito da carreira do Cristiano foi conquistar a Euro 2016 pelo Portugal. Ate saindo de lesao no primero tempo ele inspirou o time e falou pro Eder que ele fazia o gol do titulo. Eder com a confianca do capitao fez o gol iconico e ajudou Portugal e CR7 realizar seu sonhos.
CR7 fez esse gol incrivel de cabeca na final da Champions League contra o Chelsea em 2008. Ele foi eleito melhjor jogador da partida e ajudou o United conquista a terceira Champions League na historia do clube.
Nesse dia o Cristiano Ronaldo calou o Camp Nou com um gol que praticamente deu o titulo Espanhol pro Real Madrid. Depois de ter feito o gol da vitoria do Real Madrid ele pediu pra torcida do Barca pra calmr. 😀
Na final da Champions League em 2017, CR7 fez dois gols e o Real foi primero time da historia da era Champions pra ser bicampeao seguido. O Cristiano tinha sua melhor final fazendo dois gols contra uma das melhores defesas nos ultimos tempos. Juventus nos utimos 12 jogos antes da final so levou tres gols, so o Cristiano Ronaldo fez dois gols na final.
Em 2014 o CR7 ganhou sua segunda Champions League e fez uma final boa. Jogando com uma lesao seria no joelho ele fez um gol e deu uma assitencia na vitoria de 4-1 do Real Madrid. Ele tambem com o gol na final tem o recorde de mais gols em uma edicao da Champions League (17).O CR7 em 2018 ganhou sua quinta e mais recente Champions League. Mais uma vez ele foi artilhero do torneio com 15 gols e ajudou o Real ganhar o tricampneato da Champions League.O Cristiano ganhou o mehor jogador do Mundial de Clubes em 2016 apos fazer um hat-trick na final. Ele e so o segundo jogador da historia de fazer uma hat-trick na final de um mundial, e otro e nada mais do que o Pele. CR7 e recordista na compeiticao com 7 gols.
Eu queria da um feliz anniversario pra minha grande amiga, a Claudia. Ela como o CR7 serve de exemplo pra os outros como superar os momentos dificis na vida. Ela como o CR7 sempre luta pra conseguir o que ela quer chegar e sempre da o melhor em tudo que ela faz. Eu tenho muito orgulho de ser amigo da uma pessoa como voce Claudia! Parabens pra voce e que Deus sempre cuida de voce!
Marcelo celebrating winning his fifth Champions League and his 25th trophy as a Real player.
By Joao Cunha
In the 2007 January transfer window, a relatively unknown 18-year old signed for Real Madrid from Fluminense to try to replace the legendary left-back Roberto Carlos. Roberto Carlos was widely considered the best left-back on the planet when he played for Real, but arguarbly the greatest left-back of all-time. 2007 would be the iconic left-back’s final season at Real and he was instrumental in Real’s 30th La Liga title scoring the winner in a 3-2 win at Recreativo that was the differnce between Real winning and losing the league. That goal kept Real atop the table with three rounds left to go and they would hold on to win the league. The young backup was Marcelo who played a few games but mostly watched Real’s title win from the bench. 2007 saw Marcelo win his first trophy for Real Madrid, although he didn’t make a big contribution he saw what the culture of Real Madrid was all about. Marcelo knew that season to be a great Real player you not only need to play well individually but help your team win titles. As Roberto Carlos left the club in the summer of 2007, it was Marcelo’s job to replace him. A hard task especially as he had an uncertain beginning.
It’s easy to look back and say that everyone knew Marcelo would be a legend. After all he had all the offensive skills even at an early age to contribute. However the start of his Real career was full of doubts and inconsistent performances. Real signed veteran left-back Gabriel Heinze to compete with Marcelo and Heinze was the starting left-back for the majority of games in the 2007-08 season. Marcelo did play in a decent amount of games especially down the stretch of the season where Real had injuries and suspesnions. His talent offensively became apparent late in the 2008 season after an excellent performance in the 4-1 win against Barcelona. He ran the Barca defenders ragged that day and nearly scored after his strike was somehow saved by Valdes. He ended the 2008 season as a starter down the stretch and he won another La Liga title, this time playing a far more significant role in the victory. In the 2008-09 he was expected to take a jump and become the undisputed starter but that didn’t happen. Marcelo due to injuries started a lot of games in the beginning of the season as left-back but his defensive frailties were routinely exposed and Real conceded a lot of goals. His worst peformance came in a 4-3 home loss to Sevilla, where the Sevilla wingers Capel and Renato basically created the bulk of the four goals from Marcelo’s side. Juande Ramos who took over from the fired Bernd Schuster benched Marcelo for the more experienced Heinze at left-back. Marcelo then became an impact sub coming off the bench as a winger and his offensive peformances were so good, he even started several games. In this new role he even scored 4 goals in the laague but Real fell short of winning major trophies that season only winning the Spanish Supercup. Although Marcelo was great offensively, he was limited defensively and was seen at this time as a liabity at left-back. His saving grace was that Heinze was a total disaster at that position and left the club in the summer. Marcelo would have another chance to take his position.
In 2009-10 new manager Manuel Pelligrini rotated Marcelo and new signing Arbeloa at left-back. Marcelo would typically play against lesser teams where his offensive skills would outweigh his defensive shortcomings, while Arbeloa would be used in bigger games. Even in bigger games Marcelo was still used as a winger and he made the most appearances of any season in his Real career with 43 overall, and 35 in La Liga. He contributed with a lot more assists with the arrival of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and he still scored four goals. In 2010 he was an established player at Real, but he needed someone to believe in him as a left-back. That person would be Jose Mourinho.
Marcelo’s goal against Lyon helped end Real’s streak of not winning a Round of 16 tie for 6 straight seasons. This goal helped Real return to becoming a much more competitive club in Europe and for a lot of Madrid fans this tie is considered the turning point of the dynastic Real we have seen recently.
Jose Mourinho replaced Manuel Pelligrini after Pelligrini failed to win a trophy in 2010. Jose Mourinho came in to Real with a reputation as a defensive manager and many speculated that Marcelo would never play as a left-back under him. Yet Mourinho immediately backed Marcelo and after a few games Marcelo was the outright starter at left-back for the first time in his Real career. Marcelo relishing this chance took his oppurtunity well and delivered the best season of his career. With Carvalho and Pepe behind him, Marcelo could roam forward and have the defensive protection to cover for his runs. In addition his overall defensive positional awareness improved under Mourinho, making him a better defender. He had an even better year in terms of assists and scored three goals from left-back. He scored the most important goal of his Real career at that point a game winning goal to help Real beat Lyon 3-0 and reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 7 years. It is stunning for some younger fans but Real had a 6-year period where they couldn’t reach a Champions League quarter-final, Marcelo’s goal changed that and since then Real have reached 10 semi-ifnals in 12 seasons. Marcelo also provided the most important moment of his Real career as his one-two with Di Maria allowed the winger to cross into Cristiano Ronaldo’s header that beat Barca in the Copa del Rey final 1-0. It was Real’s first trophy in three years and Marcelo was a critical part of it. Although Real would win no other titles as Barca won the league and the Champions League in 2011, Marcelo and Real Madrid had a bright future together.
Marcelo against Manchester City scored a critical equalizer to help Real win the game 3-2. Oddly enough this is one of Marcelo’s few goals where he used his weaker right foot.
in 2011-2012, Real won the league with ease finshing nine points ahead of Barcelona. Marcelo was widely considered the best left-back in the world after another fantastic season having had over 10 assists and scoring 3 goals. He was voted into the UEFA team of the year for the first time in 2011 and the FIFA team of the year in 2012. He was a loveable superstar and the ideal heir to Roberto Carlos, as he was exciting fans with his unique driblling and crossing abilities. He was in his prime but things soured for Marcelo in 2012-13. Marcelo started the season as a starter and helped Real win another trophy the Spanis Super Cyp beating Barca on the away goals rule. He scored his only goal of the season to help Real overturn a deficit and beat Manchester City 3-2 in the group stages of the Champions League. But injuries and Fabio Contreao’s excellent form saw him spend the majority of the season on the bench or as a spot-starter. Real failed to win any more trophies that season and Mourinho left the club after falling out with his players. Things at this point weren’t looking great for Real Madrid and Marcelo but Ancelotti’s arrival changed everything.
Marcelo taking off his shirt after scoring Real’s third goal in the Champions League final in 2014. It was his first Champions League title with Real.
Ancelotti gave Marcelo his starting role back initially and Marcelo responded well, regaining his form and delivering a lot of assists and linking up well offensively. But in the bigger games in the second-half of the season, Ancelotti started Contreao and he responded well helping Real win the Copa del Rey with an “assist” to Bale’s iconic goal in the final and shutting down Bayern to help Real reach their first Champions League final in 12 years. Marcelo played a lot of league games and although offensively he was still great, Ancelotti felt it was best for the team if Contreao started the Champions League final. Real failed to win La Liga so this was their chance to make their season a legendary one by finally winning the fabeled “Decima” aka the tenth Champions Le4ague title. Real fell behind 1-0 with a bizzare mistake from Iker Casillas and it looked it wouldn’t be Rea;’s day. Contreao had an off day and was subbed off for Marcelo who made an instant impact. He earned corners, crossed balls in the box, broke Atletico’s iines with his dribbling. Late on in the geme it seemed like only Marcelo and Di Maria could break through the Atletico defense. In the 93rd minute after a succession of corners which Marcelo helped win. Luka Modric delivered the crosss and Sergio Ramos headed the ball past a despairing Courtois. Real were saved and Marcelo was a key reason why. In extra-time, Bale scored to make it 2-1 after Di Maria’s great shot was saved by Courtois. But many forger that Real suffered right after that goal, as Casillas made anohter mistake and Tiago blasted his shot over the bar. Atletico still had life, they were a moment away from sending the game into penalties. Marcelo knowing this took a simple pass by Cristiano Ronadlo dribbled past a few players and hit a powerful shot through Courtois and into the net. The man who was benched in the final, who had been questioned about him being a liablity, who had many questioning if he could replace the great Roberto Carlos couldn’t do, he had scored in a Champions League final. Although Cristiano Ronaldo would another goal to make the scoreline 4-1, Marcelo’s impact and goal sealed the 10th Champions League for Real Madrid. It was the final turning point in Marcelo’s Real career from this point forward he was the undisputed starter for the next 5 years.
Marcelo scoring a critical goal in Real’s 2-1 win at Beyern Munich in 2018. Real went on to win the tie 4-3 over two leags and would go on to win their 13th Champions League title.
Real Madrid continued to win trophies with Marcelo having great seasons having averaged around 11 assists a season froom 2013-14 to 2017-18 with his best season coming in 2016-17 when he had 14 assists. In 2014-15 Marcelo helped Real win the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. In 2015-16, Zidane arrived mid-season and Marcelo srarted another Champions League final where he scored a key penalty in the shootout where Real would defeat 5-3 on penalties to win their 11th Champions League. In 2016-17, Real would win another UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, and would win their first La Liga title sicne 2017, There’s an argument to be made that Marcelo had not only hjis best season in 2016-17 but he might have Been Real’s most consistent player. His impact was most obvious in the second-leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern where his improved defenisve postioning saved two balls off the line and he set up Cristiano Ronaldo’s game clinching goal with a remarkable run. In the league his best game was at home to Valencia where his 84th minute goal dragged Real into a 2-1 win which eventually led to their 33rd league title. In the 2017 Champions League final, Marcelo played a fantastic game and it was his dribble and cross that led to Real’s fourth goal in the 4-1 win. Real Madrid had been the first club in the Champions League era to win back to back titles and Marcelo was a vital part of that sucesss. In 2017-18, Marcelo helped Real win the Spanish Supercup by providing the cross that led to Pique’s own goal in the first-leg and the cross that led to Benzema’s goal in the second-leg. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Marcelo had a very inconisistent league season as Real finished 3rd in La Liga, and after a shock exit to Leganes in the Copa del Rey, the season was on the brink. Only the Champions League was left for Real and Marcelo brought his best. Against PSG Marcelo was brilliant and scored the third goal in Real’s 3-1 home win, and after a solid 2-1 road win in Paris Marcelo and Real advanced to the quarter-ifnals. In the quarter-tinals Real destroyed Juventus 3-0 in a game that is known for Cristiano Ronaldo’s bicycle kick and his two goal performance. However Marcelo scored the key third goal in the tie, a detail that would be vital for Real Madrid in the tie. In the second-;eg Real fell behind 3-0 and if not Marcelo’s goal, Real regardless of the late penalty goal by Cristiano would have been eliminated. Cristiano Ronaldo’s late penalty saved Real Madrid and they were through to the semis. Real would face Bayern and although Real conceded first, a stunning strike by Marcelo got Real Madrid level. Real went on to win the game 2-1, and in the second-leg Marcelo’s perfect cross allowed Benzema to score one of his two clutch goals as Real held on to a 2-2 draw to reach another Champions League final. In the buildup a lot was made of Marcelo being poor defensively and that he was a liability for Real Madrid. The always humble English press proclaimed that Liverpool would exploit Marcelo and Liverpool would win the final. None of those two things happened. Marcelo had a fantastic game bombing forward at will, especially in the second-half. His cross led to Gareth Bale’s iconic bicycle kick goal and his cross field ball led to Bale’s second goal. Real went on to win the final 3-1 and Marcelo the “liablity” had managed two assists on the night. One more great season under his belt and he made the FIFA team of the year from 2015 to 2019 as he was during a large chunk of those years the world’d best left-back. He also made the UEFA team of the year in 2017 and 2018, and for Brazil won the Confederations Cup and made the World Cup all-star team in 2014 and 2018. By 2018-19, Marcelo was already considered one of the best left-backs ever and although he didn’t have a great season he still helped Real win the Club World Cup finsihing the tournament with 2 assists. He still scored two goals but by the end of 2019, injuries and poor from saw him benched. When Zidane returned to the club he insisted on Marcelo but after a 3-0 loss to PSG in the 2019-20 Champions League benched Marcelo in favor of Mendy. Although Marcelo in the second-half of the season regained some form and started the clasico against Barca. His tackle on Messi when the game was 1-0 to Real saved a certain goal and he helped Real win that game 2-0. In the final 11 games of the La Liga season, Real won 10 of them and Marcelo scored against Eibar, had some assists and earned the key penalty against BIlbao in which Sergio Ramos converted. Real Madid overtunred a two point deficit into a five-point lead and won the league title in 2020 in addtion to the Spanish Supercup. In 2020-21 Real Madrid went trophyless and Marcelo’s offensive abiliies finally began to decline, at the end he was benched for Miguel Gutirrez. Zidane left the club after the season and Anceltotti retuened as manager, but 2021-22 would end up being Marcelo’s last dance at Real Madrid.
Marcelo lifting La Liga for the sixth time and the first time as captain after Real beat Espanyol 4-0 to win La Liga.
2021-22 was Marcelo’s final season as his contract wasn’t renewed, and he mostly came off the bench and finished the season with two assists, one to Benzema in a 3-0 win against Mallorca and the other to Rodrygo in a 4-0 win against Espanyol. The second assist was special, Real needed to win to clinch the league and Marcelo having his last great game for the club set up Rodrygo with an exccelent cross with the young Brazilain taking a powerful shot past Diego Lopez. Marcelo cried after that goal as he knew it meant potentially his last major contribution to a Real Madrid title. Real lifted the title with Marcelo becoming the first non-Spanish captain to lift La Liga. Earlier in the season, he came in as a late sub in the Spanish Supercup final win over Bilbao to lift his first trophy as captain. But the best was yet to come. Real Madrid reached the Champions League final and althorugh Marcelo didn’t play much he had a priceless contribution against Chelsea. Chelsea were 15 minutes from advancing to the semi-finals, Real needed a goal and Ferland Mendy had a poor game. Marcelo came in for the last time in meaningful Champions League night and did himself proud. He earned free-kicks, dribbled past defenders, kept the ball well, and defended with all his heaert. He gave everything that night and when Rodrygo and Vinicus Junior got the goals Real needed to advamce. Marcelo’s leadership kept everuthing calm. He guided the younger players and was committed to getting Real over the line, and when the final whistle blew he roared with joy. Marcelo even being at the end of his Real career helped the club of his life in a big game. Real used the momentum against Chelsea and beat City in another epic tie and reached the Champions League. Just like in 2018, the never arrogant English media proclaimed that Liverpool would “blow Real away” and the only thing Liverpool blew away was another chance at a trophy. Real beat Liverpool 1-0 behind a goal by another young oft-criticized Brazilian Viniciius Junior lifted their 14th Champions League. It would be Marcelo’s last trophy for Real Madrid, his 25th title of his remarkable career. A career that saw him start with doubts and finish as the greatest left-back in Real’s history. But he is also the most successful player in Real’s history, no player in Real’s great history has won more silverware. His haul of 26 trophies is a testament to how he contributed to a winning enviroment. A player doesn’t just need to score or make big saves to contribute, but be an example to yoing players. You must be willing to handle being benched and must fight for your place. You cannot take things for granted and must love fighting for your club. Marcelo represents all the good things about a professional sportsman and he is the symbol of the club for the last 15 years. Very few wore the white shirt with as much pride as Marcelo, and none of them were as happy as he was.
Marcelo becoming the first non-Spanish captain to lift a trophy for Real Madrid after Real won the Spanish Supercup in 2022. At this moment Marcelo equalled Real Madrid legend Francisco Gento’s record with his 23rd title. Marcelo would go on to add two more trophies and break Gento’s long standing record.
As a Real Madrid fan for 15 years, I actually became a Real Madrid fan around the same time Marcelo arrived at the club. Marcelo’s the last symbol of the La Liga de las remontadas back in 2007. It is fittingvf that he should end his career with the Champions League of remontadas. I saw him grow up as I grew up and for me there are very few people in sports I like as much as Marcelo, I saw him grow up before my eyes, and I saw him become the best player maybe of all time at his position. He took over from a legend and never complained about it, did his job and in my opinion surpassed Roberto Carlos. The way he handled controversies, benchings, and chaos was exemplary. His status as a legendary Real Madrid player is unquestioned. But as good as he was as a player, he is and always will be a better person. He will leave Real Madrid but Real Madrid will never forget him, the fans will always love him, and football is abetter sport for his presence. Thanks for the memories Marcelo!
List of titles Marcelo won at Real Madrid:
6 La Liga titles: (2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2016-17, 2019-20, 2021-22)
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