With Raúl, the long-time captain, talisman, and embodiment of Real Madrid now leaving Spain for the first time ever, there are two voids that must be filled.
The first is the academy void. With Raúl and Guti leaving in the span of two days, the only starter left to have come through the Real Madrid Academy is goalkeeper and now likely first captain Iker Casillas. Raúl, Iker, and Guti as a group were always the exception to the rule that Madrid’s best players are bought and not grown. Now, between the spending sprees this summer and last, it seems that Iker is en route to becoming the last Academy first team player.
That would be awful. Still, I’m not suggesting Real go the Barcelona route and find kids still with acne in Latin America and take them back to Spain for life, but it does seem as though Florentino Perez and his successors need to worry as much about the development of the academy as the rivalry with Barca. Barca is not even close to matching Madrid’s past, while Barca is clearly the better team of the present. This means that Madrid must focus on becoming the best team of the future if it is to regain the prestige associated with its name. Real Madrid was the best club of the XX Century, but unfortunately “was” is the operative word. In the past, a team established its place on the world soccer map by beating Real Madrid in European competition. Now that Madrid have gone the last 6 Champions League tournaments without getting into the quarterfinals (add 1 for the semis and 1 more for their last title) that is hardly the case anymore.
Equally important is the second void; leadership. Raúl was the captain since 2002, but has been an icon representing Madrid since before that. Someone will have to step up and become the next Real Madrid legend to totally commit himself to becoming the living representation of the club and its ideals and history. That player almost has to be Iker Casillas. Casillas and Sergio Ramos are now the only two remaining of last season’s four captains (Raúl as captain, Guti, Ramos, and Casillas as Vice-Captains).
The ‘keeper has been the captain of the Spanish national side for a while now, but this is a much different animal. To be captain of an international team, one must be able to inspire instantly, keep everyone’s spirits appropriate, and keep the squad organized. This effectively means being a manager on the field. However, to be a truly great club captain requires much more. It’s much easier to inspire your team for an individual match or a month-long tournament than it is to keep them hungry for an entire 9-month season. Along with the on-field duties of an international captain, a club captain must also be able to keep the team focused. They must challenge each person to give their individual best for the good of the club. They must help the young guys learn while keeping the veterans enthused. None of this is easy. And while Iker is arguably the best goalie in the world, there were moments last season when he seemed to resort to yelling more than calming his team. Not that this is bad, but the fact is that a great captain most do both to the exact perfect extent to get the best out of his teammates. He must make people play their roles on the squad, a task multiplied in difficulty by the talent and accompanying ego of the players at Madrid. I have seen Casillas a few times take control of the pace of a match to great effect. The question now is can he take control of a whole team to great effect, and do it for an entire season, and even an entire career.
This will be a very telling year Madrid veterans Casillas and Ramos. If they case rise up and play their best while getting the best out of their teammates Madrid can win a lot of silverware this year. The disciplined and respected as José Mourinho will be there to help accomplish this, but in the end it is up to the players to become real leaders.
