And now what? Will Florentino Pérez assume any responsibility after dispensing with Xabi Alonso? Will you accept that it is also a personal failure? Will you give him a … slap the staff on the wrist for being unprofessional? Will you grant full authority to Álvaro Arbeloa? Will you plan better for next season? Will he finally sign a midfielder who can make Kroos and Modric forget? Will he properly reinforce a defense full of injured veterans? These are just some of the endless questions asked by a large sector of Real Madrid fans who, by elevation, point to the “superior being”, in Emilio Butragueño’s definition, as the main culprit of the crisis.
With Xabi Alonso buried, whose end was surely decided before Christmas but whom Florentino supported so as not to burn Arbeloa in the Super Cup, what his friend Pep Guardiola recommended to him before Manchester City’s victory against Real Madrid, on December 9, becomes even more relevant. «I would tell Xabi to piss on his own; and since he won’t pee cologne, he’ll do well, you’ll see.” A way of warning him that, since in the end it depended on the results and his boss, he should be himself so as not to lose any of the prestige he earned with a masterful direction at Bayer Leverkusen.
Next Saturday, on the occasion of the league clash against Levante, will be a good time to test what the Bernabéu thinks, if it agrees with Florentino that the fault always lies with the coach, not with those who sign, nor with the players. This final episode with Xabi leaves the senior leader without a shield and reinforces the thesis that for the president the coaches are a necessary evil, that none of them convince him.
Pérez always believes that the players are better than their coaches, that debatable decisions are made from the bench, that the squad has enough quality to win titles and that it is better to always support the footballers than the coaches, even if this undermines the authority of the leader of the group. He paid no less than 12 million to Leverkusen to bring in Xabi Alonso, signing him a three-year contract, but the credit ran out in a matter of months.
With the goodbye of Xabi, Real Madrid perhaps loses a great opportunity to build a modern project, built under the direction of a new generation coach with a game idea that triumphed in Germany with a spectacular game. A very blackboard coach, who was even compared to Guardiola, Mikel Arteta or Jürgen Klopp. Organization and tactical work to enhance stars and individual quality. But the idea dies from the moment Xabi retires Vinicius in the classic, the Brazilian confronts him and the coach does not receive the club’s support. Once again Vini, that Florentino protégé, that star who was taken off the plane to Paris when he found out that he was not awarded the Ballon d’Or.
Moldable technicians
It is clear that the president only uses coaches like Zidane or Ancelotti, who are more moldable, left-handed, group managers, not students of tactics. Among those considered modern at the time, Rafa Benítez lasted 25 games, Julen Lopetegui only 14 and Xabi Alonso, 34. Curiously, all three Spaniards. In 22 years of presidency in two stages, 15 coaches, including Carletto and Zizou in two stages.
Florentino Pérez has built an almost incontestable success story around his figure. Under his presidency, Real Madrid has raised its European hegemony to 15 ‘orejonas’, has multiplied income exponentially and has become a global economic power. But his management also raises deep problems that affect the democratic, sporting and social essence of the club.
In theory, Real Madrid is owned by its partners. In practice, its statutory model has turned the presidency into an almost lifelong position. The bank guarantee, backed by personal assets, of 15% of the club’s budget, which amounts to 1,248 million, and the requirement of 20 years of membership experience required to be a candidate, protect the president, re-elected without real opposition.
Fighting against the world
On a sporting level, the business vision of football that characterizes Florentino has often come into conflict with sporting logic. From the first Galacticos project, he prioritized the media and commercial impact over the balance of the team. Real Madrid has faced key seasons with obvious shortcomings in the squad.
Since the failed push for the European Super League, Florentino Pérez has been fighting against the world. The iron control of discourse is ugly, as is the development of an institutional culture where criticism is interpreted as betrayal and disagreement as enmity. Former players, coaches, partners and critical journalists are delegitimized.
Nor does official communication that constructs a story where the president is always right, errors are diluted and internal debate disappear. “It hasn’t turned out as we would have liked,” emphasized Xabi Alonso in his farewell, with general thanks but without mentioning the president.
