It can be claimed that the geography of power in football today is slowly changing. This summer has seen substantial sums of money offered to some of the most sought after players from places as unlikely as Russia and as far away as Brazil. Economic effects in the wider world are no doubt becoming evident in football.
However, two traditional powers of the game remain at the height of their powers. These two clubs are Real Madrid and Barcelona. If last season football fans felt they were spoiled by the drama and intrigue of the numerous Clasico’s that were fought, the battle between these two heavyweights in the coming season is set to be even more intriguing and fiercely more competitive.
Originally, Jose Mourinho was brought to Real Madrid in order to help the club reassert itself in the Champions League. After the success of the class of 2002, when Zinedine Zidane wrote himself forever into European football folklore with his wonder goal, the team from the Spanish capital entered a period of underachievement and failure on the European stage that amounted to six straight second rounds exits.
Last season under the guidance of the Portuguese tactician, Real Madrid recorded its best run in the Champions League since 2003 after making it all the way to the semi-finals. Of course, we all know who it was that defeated them, their most hated rivals Barcelona who went on to claim their third European triumph in just six years.
Unlike few teams before, Barcelona are dominating European football. Perhaps even more so than the Ajax team of the 1970’s, Josep Guardiola’s side are leaving an interminable mark on football.
As a result, Mourinho’s project that was originally to help the club regain its place at the top of European football has now become a project more aligned with destroying rivals Barcelona because this, it seems, is the only way for the club to achieve what they are so anxiously after, their tenth European Cup triumph.
This change in focus has recently become bleeding obvious. This summer has seen the Real Madrid completely restructure its distributions of power from within in order to permit Mourinho all the means necessary to control and build a team capable of beating Barcelona and conquering the rest of Europe. Mourinho is now perhaps the first manager in Spanish football to hold such a position that is similar in design to an English football manager.
This restructure speaks volumes of the obsession within the Spanish capital to topple its rival in Cataluña. Traditionally, the club’s managers have been afforded little if no control over the say of team matters such as transfer dealings. They have been merely coaches rather than managers. Also in the past, if things have not gone according to plan than the manager has always been the first to go.
Manuel Pellegrini is a case in point. Despite his team breaking the club’s record for points collected in one season, the failure to beat Barcelona to the league title proved his undoing. For Vicente Del Bosque, the manager who led Spain to world cup success last year, he was given his marching orders days after winning the league title in 2003. It was said that he was fired because of the team’s failure in the Champions League. It was a harsh decision.
Such history highlights the faith instilled in Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese’s incredible record in his still relatively short managerial career has earned him a reputation as the best in the business and it is this reputation that has probably earnt him relieve for not beating Barcelona to either La Liga or the Champions League. Real’s hierarchy clearly still believe that he remains their best chance of turning the tables in Spain and conquering Europe, and he probably is. They too probably realise that in contrast to times gone by, it is no easy task attempting to dislodge arguably the greatest club side in football history.
Historically, Mourinho’s teams have always fared better in their second season. In his second term with Inter, he led the Milan giants to an unprecedented treble collecting lo Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. With Porto, he followed up UEFA Cup success with a most unlikely success in the Champions League in 2004.
Having been handed greater power over all matters relating to his team and with one season under his belt, Mourinho will field a team completely fashioned of his own accord. It will be a team that resembles everything that is the Mourinho philosophy on football and all the genius this entails. The key objective of this team will be, no doubt, to take down the greatest club side in history in order to achieve the ultimate goal of Champions League glory.
While Real Madrid are close to reaching their peak under Mourinho, it could be said that Barcelona are already at their peak. Last season the Catalan giants once again claimed the Champions League with an emphatic performance at Wembley. It was a victory that laid rest to any doubts that this Barcelona team is something special, one of those few teams that comes around every generation or so and that conquers all before and leaves nothing like it was before.
This summer the Catalan giants have further strengthened their squad with the signing of the exciting Alexis Sanchez. Alongside David Villa, Lionel Messi and Pedro Guardiola’s side possess an attack that is frankly frightening. With midfield maestro’s Xavi and Andres Iniesta set to once again dictate the tiki taka football from the centre of the park, it will again be a monumental task for any team to get the better of the reigning European champions.
But, if there is one team that will be better prepared than anyone else it will be Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Hence, the stage is set for an even more intriguing and bitter battle between these two heavyweights of world football.
