World Soccer's Sid Lowe recently sat down with Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano to discuss the club's reborn Galáctico policy under Florentino Pérez, the team's new signings, chasing Barcelona and soccer economics.
World Soccer: With Pérez's return to the Santiago Bernabéu, everyone is talking about the second coming of the Galácticos. What differences do you see between this Real Madrid and that one?
Jorge Valdano: The fundamental difference is that last time Madrid had a team; now we have a squad. This is a much more balanced squad, but the basic policy is the same and always has been. Signing the world's best players began with Alfredo di Stéfano and has been a constant throughout the club's history. When Madrid did not have the best players in the world, it stopped being Madrid. We were always very uncomfortable with the word "Galáctico," but it's impossible to avoid -- every tournament we play takes place on Earth.
World Soccer: It's going to take a while to get it right, isn't it? You've practically bought a whole new team.
Valdano: Football is a game of habits, and habits need time. But I'm convinced we will succeed in playing great football. We have two advantages. One, we're in very good hands. Manuel Pellegrini has reached professional maturity. He has been in Spain a long time and he's a coach who makes his teams the protagonist in every game. He seeks to dominate possession and always looks to attack. He fits perfectly with the history of Real Madrid. And two, this is a very professional group of players, one that's easy to work with. Our big stars are also committed and hard-working.
World Soccer: So far, you have had good results, but there are question marks over the performances.
Valdano: All we lack is a little fluidity. The team is very comfortable in both areas -- not just attacking, defending, too -- but we need more pause and tranquility in the middle. That said, because of the characteristics of the players, we're a more direct team than people think. The Bernabéu fans are impatient; they don't like long, slow build-ups, they like more direct football. This is a team that's more comfortable accelerating than slowing the game down.
World Soccer: So, Barcelona is not the footballing model to follow?
Valdano: Madrid has never copied anyone.
World Soccer: Is Madrid over-dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo?
Valdano: His role in the Madrid team is as decisive as his role at Manchester United. When you have one of the best players in the world, you have to use him to the point of abusing him. That's normal. Logically, he has arrived with the intention of being decisive, but that doesn't mean that we depend solely upon him.
World Soccer: How important will Xabi Alonso be in bringing that fluidity? Could his signing be as important as Ronaldo's?
Valdano: Xabi will be decisive for us because of his intelligence, his maturity, his capacity for influencing games and quality. He is going to be the man who dictates the style and pace of the team. Ronaldo has the power to change the result -- the greatest power there is during a match. Xabi has the power to change the play, to impose himself on the course of a match, like the director of the orchestra.
World Soccer: Supporters were surprised by the departures of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder. What was the thinking behind that?
Valdano: Huntelaar was a victim of Karim Benzema. Given that we had players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raúl, he was set to play a very secondary role, so we found him a club to fit his ambitions -- Milan was a very good option. In the case of Sneijder, [who joined Inter Milan], it's true there was a time when we were short of players in the middle and we thought he could make us stronger there. But the arrival of Esteban Granero and Alonso, and the fact that during preseason, the coach played with four attackers, changed the club's position. There was not much sense keeping him.
World Soccer: And Robben?
Valdano: During preseason, he came on as a sub in lots of games -- and always played very well. We thought he would be satisfied with that, but a few days before the new season, his father told us his son wanted to have a more important role [and he joined Bayern Munich].
World Soccer: They weren't economic decisions, then?
Valdano: Well, in the real world, if you sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic, you sell Samuel Eto'o.
World Soccer: What role does president Pérez play in the day-to-day running of the club?
Valdano: Florentino decides on strategic questions, takes part in important decisions and is on top of even the smallest details. He participates in all decisions.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/world_soccer/12/23/valdano.qa/index.html#ixzz0c1DedJSt
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