Tag: Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s Best XI Since 2000
11Aug By Javier MartinezNo Comments
Analysis

Real Madrid’s Best XI Since 2000

Real Madrid, regarded as the most successful football club in history, has had the privilege of seeing numerous legendary players wear its iconic white kit. Over the past two decades, the club has enjoyed a golden era, winning multiple La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles. With so many great players contributing to the club's success, it leads to an interesting question: Who are the best eleven players to have represented Real Madrid since the 2000/2001 season? Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois If no one has ever dared to say it, then I'll be the first to do so: Thibaut Courtois is not only better but he's also surpassed Iker Casillas as Real Madrid’s greatest-ever keeper. Along with being a more complete keeper than Casillas (excelling in aerial play, ball distribution, and reflexes),...
Read More
The uniquely elite career of Pepe, a Real Madrid and Porto icon
10Aug By Kevin ParviziNo Comments
Analysis

The uniquely elite career of Pepe, a Real Madrid and Porto icon

Football fans had already bid farewell to two of the best midfielders of the 2010s and early 2020s, Thiago Alcantara and Toni Kroos, as the former Bayern Munich and LaLiga icons decided to retire. Thiago's exit came after injuries robbed him of a true farewell in the Premier League with Liverpool, where he showed flashes of the player who so expertly guided Die Roten to the 2019/20 treble. Meanwhile, Kroos left world football on top, having shined as Germany's best player at Euro 2024 after conquering LaLiga and the Champions League one last time for Real Madrid as a six-time career UCL champion between the Royal Whites of Spain and the Reds of Germany. Now, world football will say goodbye to a legend on equal footing of Thiago and Kroos, with a pedigree of longevity that will ena...
Read More
The 5 biggest Real Madrid transfer flops since 2010
1Aug By Kevin ParviziNo Comments
Analysis

The 5 biggest Real Madrid transfer flops since 2010

Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world by Champions League titles, incoming revenue, and social media followers. In order to reach that level, you pretty much have to nail most of your big transfers. That has definitely been the case for Real Madrid over the last several windows, as they have brought in no-doubt world-class players like Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and now Kylian Mbappe for free. However, before that, Real Madrid had more mixed success in the market, and that came back to bite them with a few poor seasons in the Champions League that were very un-Madrid like, such as early exits in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. Real Madrid had a few ghastly transfer errors as a result of desperate move...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best center midfielders of the 2010s
10Jul By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best center midfielders of the 2010s

Throughout the 2010s, Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi was the most heated debate on the lips of world football fans, but as time has passed and the discussions have become more retrospective, much of the discussion has moved towards the midfield. It isn't just Real Madrid and Barcelona fans getting into it about their elite midfields that dominated the 2010s, as Premier League supporters, Serie A fans, and, of course, the Bayern Munich faithful are wondering where their midfield stars stack up. When looking back at the best center midfielders of the 2010s, it is no surprise to see that the teams that dominated the Champions League that decade - Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich - also dominate this list. It's fair to say that this observation is yet another endorsement ...
Read More
Ranking the 11 best young center midfielders in world football right now in 2024
7Jul By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 11 best young center midfielders in world football right now in 2024

It isn't easy for a young player under the age of 23 to make a major impact in the center midfield positions, because it's a position that requires a combination of technical quality, tactical intelligence, defensive grit, energy, work rate, veteran know-how, and all-around footballing quality. Here are 10 young players under the age of 23 who have been standouts for their clubs in midfield. To be considered one of the best young center midfielders in the world, a player must be a 6 or an 8 and cannot only play as a 10. Players who are No. 10 playmakers but have a past history of success as a 6 or 8 are able to qualify for this list, because they have shown a history of success in this role. 11. Johnny Cardoso, Real Betis Johnny Cardoso is the least-known name on this list outside ...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best center backs in world football right now in 2024
7Jul By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best center backs in world football right now in 2024

The center back position is becoming more of a premium position in world football these days with elite European clubs trying to lock down the world's best attacking players. Here are the 10 best center backs in the world right now in 2024. 10. Giorgio Scalvini, Atalanta Atalanta star Giorgio Scalvini gets overlooked because of all the top-class defensive talent in Serie A, and Atalanta tend to get a whole lot less press than, say, Juventus or Inter Milan. Furthermore, it doesn't help that Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori is the young Italian center back soaking up all the media attention and social media fanposts. That's for good reason, but before Euro 2024, Scalvini was seen as THE young center back to watch in Italian football after putting together a second excellent season ...
Read More
This is what makes Real Madrid the most successful club in the world
12Jun By Javier MartinezNo Comments
Analysis

This is what makes Real Madrid the most successful club in the world

While Real Madrid fans often joke about the Champions League being their competition, I think we can all assume that not even Real Madrid‘s number one member thought that winning the Champions League this season would be a serious possibility. While there was a lot of excitement around the signing of Jude Bellingham, the team would begin the season without a starting striker after Karim Benzema’s departure to Saudi Arabia took even the club’s hierarchy by surprise. It was so unexpected that Real Madrid could only sign Joselu on loan from RCD Espanyol, who had been recently relegated. As the league season was about to begin, things would go from bad to worse after both Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão ruptured their ACLs in the same week. Later in the season, David Alaba also suffere...
Read More
Manchester United want to steal away Real Madrid’s new top target after Kylian Mbappe
31May By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Manchester United want to steal away Real Madrid’s new top target after Kylian Mbappe

Lille’s Leny Yoro is one of the most in-demand young players heading into the summer transfer window. The right-footed center back is reportedly one of Real Madrid’s biggest transfer targets.  Now, reports say Manchester United are also interested in the 18-year-old Frenchman.  Man Utd need a center back One of the worst-kept secrets in football right now is that Manchester United are interested in Everton center back Jarrad Branthwaite. The 21-year-old has been one of the brightest young players in the Premier League this season and has earned a place on England’s provisional Euros squad. The Red Devils have reportedly been tracking Branthwaite since he made his professional debut with Carlisle United four years ago.   However, according to ESPN’s Rob Dawson, the 21-year-old’s ...
Read More
Joselu Mato: From Struggles to Champions League Glory
14May By Javier MartinezNo Comments
Analysis

Joselu Mato: From Struggles to Champions League Glory

In the annals of football history, stories of redemption and resurrection are not uncommon. But few tales rival the remarkable transformation of Joselu Mato, a journeyman striker who has gone from the depths of despair to reaching the summit of success. A feat that seemed improbable only a few seasons ago as he struggled to showcase his goal-scoring skills.  It’s remarkable how quickly a player’s perception in football can change. In 2022, Joselu Mato was just another Real Madrid fan cheering in the stands of the Stade de France as the team won its record-extending 14th Champions League title. Now he’ll be taking part in one after leading Real Madrid to the Champions League final with two goals in three minutes. While his career has taken him to various places, his journey began in R...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best dribblers in world football right now in 2024
23Apr By Kevin ParviziNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best dribblers in world football right now in 2024

Few player profiles captivating the world football audience's attention more than fleet-footed dribblers. Whether they are explosive progressors who eat up space before putting defenders on skates or playmakers who subtly weave their magic to carve up an entire defense, those superstars who can create something out of nothing but their own genius and athletic ability are more coveted an anyone. That holds true for managers, too. Pep Guardiola has become infatuated with elite dribblers, and a couple of these recent additions will show up on this list of the best dribblers in world football today. Other managers feel the same, as Carlo Ancelotti, for example, has always had a soft spot for flair dribblers like current superstars Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior. (Spoiler: They will sho...
Read More