According to Spanish news outlet MARCA, Real Madrid central defender Pepe signed an agreement last Friday to extend his stay at the Bernabéu through the 2014/15 season.  The deal is reported to be worth around €4 million per season, which would make him the sixth-highest-paid central defender in the world.

The Portuguese defender, and his overall health this season, has been a huge factor in keeping Real in the race for all three trophies.  In many ways, Pepe is every bit as important to Real as his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, at a fraction of the price.  While Madrid has several players who can put the ball in the net, probably none save San Iker are as capable as Pepe at keeping it out.

CRUYFF

The Dutch legend and Honorary President of FC Barcelona has hit out at Real Madrid for what he calls “complaining” about the fatigue of the players.

Presumably, Cruyff is referring to the Mourihno’s complaints about how the Spanish FA constantly gives Madrid short weeks in between Champions League and La Liga matches, and the fact that Madrid have asked for their La Liga match against Sporting Gijon on April 2 be moved up to April 1 ahead of their April 5 clash with Tottenham in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

To be sure it is more than fair to argue that Madrid should get no such treatment unless the English FA grants the same to Tottenham, which will likely never happen.

Cruyff wonders whether Madrid are just not used to so many games in April because they have not been in contention for the Copa del Rey or the Champions League by this time of year for several seasons.

What the smug Cruyff fails to acknowledge is that the complaints have never been about the number of games Madrid has played, but rather the inordinate number of times Madrid has been forced to play a La Liga match on a short week of rest following a Champions League match.  What’s more, these complaints are completely legitimate and supported by the overwhelming evidence (which I laid out in my last post), which shows that Madrid and Valencia have been forced to play a La Liga match on shorter than customary rest four times more often than Barcelona this season.

It’s very easy for Cruyff to sit in the favored position (at least, favored by the Spanish FA’s scheduling policy) and criticize those who speak out when they are given the short end of the stick.

Despite the FA’s clear favoritism of Barca, and Mourinho’s sometimes exaggerated paranoia, and the “pundits” like Cruyff laughing off the scheduling discrepancy as mere complaints by Madrid, the only thing that matters in the end is silverware.  Towards that end, Madrid and Barcelona could play each other four times between April 17^th and May 4^th if they both progress to the Champions League semifinals.  If not, then they will still play each other twice within three days (April17 and 10) in matches which will determine who wins the Copa del Rey and who has the advantage going into the home stretch of the La Liga race.  In that month, only the scorelines will tell the truth of which team reigns the game in Spain.

If you think Mourinho was just whining or just trying to get a mental edge of the RFEF, your opinion could very well have been justified up until about two weeks ago.  At one of his often newsworthy press conferences a couple weeks ago, Mourinho frankly pointed out the fact that Barcelona played a home Champions League match against Arsenal on Tuesday (3/8) and then was given a Sunday match (3/13) against Sevilla, while Valencia played an away Champions League match against Schalke 04 on Wednesday (3/9) and then was given a Saturday (3/12) match against Real Zaragoza.  Barcelona, with two more days rest than Valencia, earned a 1-1 draw in a tough away match, while Valencia with two less days to rest after their win-or-die (they died) against Schalke lost 4-0, a simply shocking result.

Madrid this week is another great example.  Madrid had a match to determine their Champions League fate against Lyon on Wednesday.  Barcelona did not play a weekday game this week.  Still, Madrid, who play away to Atlético Madrid in the always intense Madrid derby (although to be fair Atlético haven’t won for over a decade I believe), was given a Saturday match, while Barcelona was given a Sunday kickoff for their home match against mid-table Getafe.

Now, I am not trying to say that scheduling is why Barca is beating Madrid in the standings.  That would be absurd, especially given Barca’s 5-0 thumping of Madrid in November.  However, there are several things to consider.  This time of year is always hectic for the top La Liga teams, getting back into European soccer after a long stretch of Copa del Rey matches in January and February.  Madrid has also had a couple of chances to greatly reduce Barca’s point lead thwarted, most notably when Madrid failed to score in a 0-0 draw with Deportivo, a match they played on short rest with a Wednesday Champions League match against Lyon and the Depor match on that Saturday.

On top of all this, let’s look at Spain’s top three clubs, Barca, Madrid, and Valencia.  Each team has played 8 Champions League matches this season, and therefore has played 8 La Liga matches on a weekend following a Champions League match.  Barcelona has played only 1 of these 8 matches on a Saturday.  Meanwhile, Madrid and Valencia have each played 4 of 8 of these matches on a Saturday.  Do you see the pattern yet?

Again, this is not to take away from Barcelona’s skill or to give Madrid an excuse (a 5-0 lose in inexcusable), but it certainly seems as though the RFEF is trying hard to give Barcelona every possible chance to three-peat as La Liga champions by giving them more rest than their biggest competitors in a time of the season where rest is of maximum value.  Say what you will about Mourinho, but he certainly speaks the truth in this case, and Real President Florentino Perez was absolutely right to defend his coach.  The RFEF should reexamine its policy and try to give the fans and all of the teams a fair deal, and an exciting title race.

Madrid had clearly established the upper hand midway through the first half as they began to dominate possession and field position.  There hard work was rewarded in the 38^th minute when Marcelo opened the scoring after a great run, a one-two with Cristiano Ronaldo on the edge of the box, and a couple brilliant cut backs which had Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris going to wrong way, and all he could do was nudge the ball on its way into the net.  Marcelo almost contributed in another goal when Karim Benzema had a shot tipped over the bar.  Benzema then had one properly called back seconds later for offside.  By halftime, Madrid was clearly the dominant side.

After the break, Claude Puel tried to invigorate his Lyon side by bringing on Bafétimbi Gomis, the striker who pulled Lyon level in the first leg.  At first the move seemed to work, as Lyon got two chances right off which required interventions by “San” Iker in the Madrid net.  The game leveled out, and while possession may have been more or less even Madrid had by far the better quality and field position.

In the last half hour, Madrid’s stars really began to shine.  Around the hour mark, Benzema was softly pushed down in the box but no penalty was given.  In the 66^th minute Marcelo tried a long ball to Özil which did not connect, but as the ball flew over the German in landed in the path of the onrushing Benzema, who found the net with a cool one-on-one finish to score his 6^th goal in his last 7 matches.  The celebration was on for Madrid, as Benzema almost netted a third two minutes later.  This euphoria was brought crashing back to earth as Lyon once again took the game to Madrid and almost scored twice.

Five minutes later Emmanuel Adebayor came on to replace the largely ineffective and possibly still injured Ronaldo.  Lyon maintained the attack until the 76^th minute when a Casillas goal kick flew over Ade’s head, hitting near Özil, who headed it backwards perfectly into the path of Di Maria, who finished with ease.  After this it became clear that Lyon had conceded defeat and equally clear that Madrid, especially Lyon product Benzema, did not want to embarrass the French side.

More import than the scoreline was the performance put in by Madrid.  The defense played very well although to be honest Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira made sure little troubled the back four.  The games one disappointment would have to be Ronaldo.  He was not his usual slick self, losing the ball for getting a chance to do his favored step-overs, and unable to make his quick cuts.  His passing was mediocre and he became frustrated and tried a couple balls from far too far out.  Hopefully this performance can be attributed mostly to his injury, which required him to wear a knee brace after coming off the pitch.

The stars of the game for me were Marcelo and Benzema.  Marcelo was sensational along the left flank, both passing and dribbling with brilliance.  Benzema was usually in the right place, made great runs, showed tremendous patience and footwork, and managed to score his second goal in two matches against his former club this season.

All around a great performance from Madrid with a result to match.  Los Merengues surely did not look like a side knocked out at the round of sixteen the past 6 years, as they seemed set to return to their true place among Europe’s elite, earning a birth in the quarterfinals.

To make matters worse, Benzema who constantly rode the bench for France under the often incomprehensible coaching of Raymond Domenech, was shocked to learn that he was not even on the squad to travel to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.

However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  This season will be a great opportunity for Benzema to have a breakout year for club and country, and if he plays well enough he could earn himself a great deal of time on the pitch.

After dropping many of the players responsible for the French Fiasco of South Africa 2010, especially those responsible for the team’s practice strike, new France coach Laurent Blanc has recalled Benzema to the national side for a friendly against Norway.  Two players missing are internationally retired Thierry Henry, and the sent-home from Africa Nicolas Anelka.  Should Benzema perform well in Norway (Aug. 11) he could very well secure a firm place in the mind of Blanc for what he can do, which would be a great addition to the place secured for what he did not do, which was be in South Africa this summer.

Benzema’s chance to shine exists at Real Madrid as well.  With Raúl gone, Benzema will most likely be battling youngster Sergio Canales for a spot, should coach José Mourihno chose to keep 2 up front this season.  Benzema showed that he is a team player even with a teammate competing for the same spot by passing the ball to Canales rather than shooting himself, setting up the youngster for a goal in Real’s 3-2 victory over Mexican Club América.  Benzema must have already done something right, because he seems to have gotten in front of Gonzalo Higuaín in the fight for the vacated “9” jersey (yes, unfortunately it’s true, Cristiano Ronaldo now wears “7” rather than “9,” at least he did), which Hinguaín has already expressed his desire to acquire.

Karim Benzema has the chance this season to rejuvenate his career after last season’s hiccup.  If he can take the initiative and grab the bull by the horns from the outset he could once again be seen as a star on the rise.

Khedira was one of many youngsters to shine for Germany at the 2010 World Cup.  The midfielder played a fantastic tournament and scored the goal that clinched third for Die Mannschaft in South Africa.  This all just one summer after captaining the Germany U-21 side to the UEFA U-21 Championship.

The deal brings Khedira to the Bernabéu for 5 years and is speculated to be worth €10-15 million.

Khedira is the fourth youngster and the third young midfielder to join Real Madrid this summer.  The Blancos now have an entire second midfield of up-and-coming stars, as the 23-year old Khedira (Central/Defensive Midfielder) joins 19-year old Sergio Canales (Attacking Midfielder), 22-year old Ángel di María (Winger), and 23-year old Pedro León (Winger) as Real Madrid summer signings.

Add these signings to the 22-year old Gonzalo Higuaín, and it becomes even more apparent why the media is wrong for calling this Real Madrid team a second team or Galácticos.

The reason I don’t like Manchester United is because when Ronaldo and Rooney played together there had never been two teammates that I have ever seen in any sport with more talent, more ego, and less sportsmanship between them (although this may change for some people with the Cincinnati Bengals’ new team of Chad and T.O., but not for me).  However, my dislike for the team now comes from the fact that I feel Sir Alex Ferguson, whose record certainly demands respect, is the reason for the unsportsmanlike and diva attitudes of those two players who had the misfortune of being world-class talents at a young age under the watch of Fergie.

Since Ronaldo arrived at the Bernabéu, I have put my disregard for Cristiano’s diva-ism, his on-field tantrums towards refs, his inward focused frustration that makes him play selfishly, and his intolerable and at times pathetic-enough-to-shame-his-mother diving aside for the pure reason that he is now on the team I support.

Truth be told, I felt that after a year under Manuel Pellegrini who is far more humble and respectable as a person that Ferguson, Ronaldo was beginning to show a growth in maturity.  However, that thought vanished with Ronaldo’s opening-minute dive against Côte d’Ivoire where he tumbled to the ground and rolled around without so much as a stiff breeze hitting him.  The flop turned that match into a soap-opera casting audition rather than a soccer match.

Now, Ronaldo wants to wear the number “7” jersey which was once the hallowed property of the legendary Raúl.  Under normal circumstances, I could understand.  Ronaldo is a great talent and he wore “7” at Manchester and he wears it with Portugal.  However, the absence of Raúl is certainly not a normal circumstance for Real Madrid.

The real problem is that Ronaldo is egotistical enough to believe he deserves to wear that sacred jersey, and has no shame in openly asking for it, while Raúl is so humbly and with such a fierce club-first mentality, he would never openly forbid Ronaldo to wear the jersey that in all ways belongs to Raúl forever now.

It’s a shame that numbers are not retired in soccer, or else Raúl’s certainly would be.  Since the jersey will not be retired and Raúl will most likely never stop it from happening, the club has a responsibility to the fans and to their hero to step in.  The club and fans must go to Cristiano Ronaldo and say with one voice “you have accomplished nothing at Madrid!”

Eventually, someone else will wear the white “7.”  When that time comes it must be someone with the potential for legend, someone who is proclaimed to be the second-coming of Raúl, as if such a thing could is even conceivable.  The fact is that Raúl and Ronaldo could not be more opposite, except for the fact that both are incredible soccer talents that will be remembered forever in the soccer histories.  Raúl is a life-long Real Madrid player.  He rose through the ranks and embodies the club values.  He is a perfect picture of professionalism and sportsmanship both on the field and off.  When the most offensive thing you have ever done is to raise a silencing finger to your lips towards the crowd after scoring an away goal against your biggest rivals, then there is no doubt about your career as a sportsman.  Ronaldo, however, was brought in to score goals, not to represent the club.  He is constantly seeking attention and has even been mixed up in sex scandals.  He has offended more people in his young career than Raúl has in his almost completed one.  Not to mention that Raúl, despite his supermodel wife, is the epitome of a dedicated family man.

If all that plus Raúl’s legacy are not reason enough for the club to keep him CR9 not CR7, then certainly we can point to Crisitano’s lack of legacy.  He has one no titles.  He has never led the team much less the league in scoring.  When was the last time Raúl took a dive instead of putting in the effort to keep going, much less saw a red card or a yellow card?  Can anyone remember?  Cristiano dives constantly and was red carded twice last season in La Liga alone.

Again, one day there will be someone worthy enough to wear the white “7” on the field for the home team at the Bernabéu.  Maybe one day Cristiano himself can even change and become successful enough and mature enough to wear the hallowed “7” of Raúl, but that day is not today and I don’t see it anywhere in the near future.

For the club to give anyone the “7” shirt right now would be a dishonor and disrespect to Raúl, the man who honored and respected the club more than anyone else ever has.  To give it to someone like Cristiano Ronaldo would only make it worse.  I would rather see Granero be offered the shirt for his years of dedication and service.  The catch is, anyone who respects the club and is humble enough to wear the shirt would turn the offer down out of respect for Raúl until the legend himself told them they should do it.  Clearly, Cristiano Ronaldo is not that respectful, humble person.

Real Madrid, however, will be a hemisphere away from their iconic former leader.  The team left today for California, where they will play two preseason matches.  The first against Club America at Candlestick Park (San Francisco) on August 4^th, and the second against the LA Galaxy at The Rose Bowl (Pasadena) on August 7^th.  From there the team will go to Germany to continue the preseason against 2010 Champions League runner-up Bayern Munich.

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.