The departures of Ozil and Di Maria prove Florentino Perez sometimes gets it right
When Real Madrid President, calls a meeting about transfers heads usually turn as to who will be shown the back door next at the Bernabeu in exchange for a large check. Perez, who first became Real’s President in 2000, is of course infamous for creating the so called ‘Galactico’s’, buying a […]
When Real Madrid President, calls a meeting about transfers heads usually turn as to who will be shown the back door next at the Bernabeu in exchange for a large check.
Perez, who first became Real’s President in 2000, is of course infamous for creating the so called ‘Galactico’s’, buying a star player every season. But a few years into his presidency he let Claude Makelele leave the club without hesitation. For him Makelele wasn’t a galactic – how could he be in a midfield that included Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo?
However, what Perez failed to notice is that when aforementioned players were turning on the style it was Makelele who was keeping the engine ignited. Makelele was sold to Chelsea and Real Madrid won nothing for four seasons.
Perez quit and the club won back-to-back leagues under Vincente Cauldron’s presidency. Perez was soon back on board and continued to buy up the very best talent. But he has become more cautious in who gets sold now.
Alvaro Morata was one player who when sold to Juventus did raise eyebrows given that he was a Real Madrid player through the youth system and a promising prospect, then there is the messy exit of club legend Iker Casillas just this year.
Perez is doing everything to keep influential defender Sergio Ramos at the club who wants to join Manchester United. In Perez’s first term this situation would have been sorted in a flick of a pen and Ramos would now be wearing the red shirt of the English club.
When Perez sold Mesut Ozil and then Angel Di Maria to Arsenal and Manchester United respectively there was shock that he was breaking up a great team yet again. Xabi Alonso then a Madrid player voiced his shock at Ozil’s departure and Ramos himself was in disbelief that Di Maria had been sold.
But have either player made an impact with their new clubs and have Real honestly missed them?
Ozil has won two FA Cups with Arsenal, but at a transfer fee of £40m, a club record for the Gunners – a league challenge was expected so were a few more goals – Ozil has just 12 goals in all competitions.
But Di Maria is perhaps Juan Veron Mark II at United. He was supposed to be the bankable Ferrari for new coach Louis van Gaal but ended up nothing more than scrap metal and will surely be forgotten for his time with the club.
It’s not as if Di Maria had a horrific season with the Red Devils, he just made no impact for a player that cost £60m. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when in his debut game against Burnley he was substituted for Anderson.
However, for six weeks starting in September, Di Maria was in fine form but then picked up an injury and after returning was unable to recapture any moments of magic. His star had faded nine months into a five-year contract.
It came as no surprise when just a season later he was sold to French champions PSG, at a loss to United of around £15m.
Perhaps Di Maria will be able to find the magic in his boots with his new club, the English media seem to think so with the idea that the French league will be a step down for the Premier League.
As for Ozil and Arsenal they are complimenting each other, domestic cup wins are reflective of a player who looks brilliant one week but not the next and no consistency means no title.
Perez made £100m from the sales of two players, who one suspects wouldn’t have changed the circumstances for Real Madrid had they stayed with the club.
