The arrogance of Madrid explains this chaos: From Perez to Solari to Sergio Ramos
If you follow ESPN FC's videos, post-match analysis, and stuff regularly, you would have noticed how Craig Burley took Real Madrid apart for their arrogance. So, arrogance huh. Can arrogance lead to downfall as such that has happened to Real Madrid? Ever heard of Conor McGregor?
The Irish man is the most arrogant personality I have witnessed in my entire life but yet he is one of the best pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the whole world. McGregor talks too much, way too much, but he backs it up, every single time he steps inside the octagon.
Arrogance alone cannot lead to the downfall of any football team but arrogance combined with certain factors surely can. Let us just look where this all started and slowly we will move towards the protagonists of arrogance.
Florentino Perez (of course) started it all
Real Madrid's arrogance started when the World Cup was set to begin. Zinedine Zidane left, and Florentino Perez was on a lookout for a new coach for his team. His eyes fell on Julen Lopetegui, a man who had built his side for the World Cup over a course of two years and managed to get Spain the favorites tag for the coveted title.
What did Perez do? He just went and contracted Lopetegui, a day before the World Cup started, thus destroying Spain's campaign in a way.
Now, why exactly is Florentino Perez contracting a manager in charge of a national side just before the World Cup? There were actually a good two months before the new season starts. But then again, Perez is a man who thinks he has extraordinary abilities and he has an exaggerated sense of them.
He wanted to get Lopetegui because of certain reasons. He wanted to prove that he had got a world-class coach to replace the former coach. He wanted to prove that he is a proactive man and has acted on time. He didn't even bother to look at Lopetegui's CV, otherwise, he would have seen that the Spaniard had no experience of managing a big European team or at least a mid-table team in the top 5 leagues.
Then came the transfer window in the summer. Cristiano Ronaldo left the team and he took with him, without a doubt, 50% of the team's goals. Then came Perez again with an extra 100 million in hand from Ronaldo's sales and as everyone thought to sign a replacement for him.
Who is the biggest signing of the summer? Thibaut Courtois. A goalkeeper, a position which was well guarded and secured by Keylor Navas, and there was no respect shown to him by Perez. Again, he thought that he did something there by signing a Golden Glove winner only to bench the UEFA Keeper of the Year.
There were reports of the club trying to sign Neymar but then Perez happened to see the World Cup and then judged that Eden Hazard is actually better. In reality, Perez made a stupid mistake of overlooking Neymar based on his underwhelming World Cup. Why did he do that?
Of course, his arrogant self thought that he could just ask Roman Abramovich for Hazard, dump some cash into the city of London and get the Belgian. Little did he know that there are more arrogant people like Abramovich who barely sell their players and if you try to coax him, he would instead snatch one of your own. Thus with a brilliant business tactic, Perez missed out on both Neymar and Hazard.
Even more glaring were the signings of Vinicius Junior and Mariano Diaz, thus having no proven forward like Ronaldo in the lineup. In short, he thought he could manage without Ronaldo even if Neymar or Hazard weren't there. These are the things that the president of Real Madrid did which contributed to a stellar downfall.
Not to forget, his masterplan of appointing Lopetegui ended up with Real Madrid ultimately paying him to oust him as coach.
Santiago Solari's arrogance cost Madrid big time
Does anyone realize that Isco still plays for Real Madrid? All that the poor lad has been doing is forming a part of the furniture at the Bernabeu. He is hardly present in the starting lineup, hasn't completed 90 full minutes in a single game under Solari.
This is the biggest example of the arrogance that Santiago Solari has showcased. What has he got against Isco? He doesn't start him in games and repeatedly uses Kroos and Modric in the midfield.
He has got Lucas Vazquez as a fixed starter from the right wing when Isco can be as effective on the wing if not the midfield, only from the other side. Same thing with Vinicius. With all due respect, Vinicius is a good talent but he is an 18-year-old. Solari just threw him into the El Clasico like that and what was the good that came of it? None. He just lacked the decision making and final pass, and also the finishing to go with.
Other than that Madrid was knocked out of Copa del Rey due to Solari's arrogance and the repeated benching of Isco.
He could have done other things. He could have given Asensio a shot when Vazquez was lackluster on the right. He could have added some experience on the left-wing at least for the Copa del Rey game which Madrid had a realistic chance of winning.
Who does Solari start in the immediate Clasico following the Copa del Rey semi? Gareth Bale, who was booed for 60 minutes by fans and also when he was taken off. Even after no significant impact by Bale in the Copa del Rey as a substitute, Solari decided that Bale is a better alternative to Isco.
Against Ajax? Vinicius and Vazquez had to be forced off the pitch and does Isco make an appearance? No sir, it is Asensio and again Bale on the pitch when Ajax are mauling Real Madrid. We are telling you guys, you can put a gun in Solari's forehead and threaten to shoot if he didn't start Isco. He'd prefer to take the bullet in his head.
Is Sergio Ramos a professional player?
I don't care if you are Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or whomsoever you might be, if you are a professional, then you have to respect your opponents. What was Sergio Ramos thinking when he wanted to intentionally miss the Ajax game?
If he did not want to risk the yellow card he could have asked his coach to bench him. Besides, if the coach doesn't mind risking a yellow card for him, then who is he to decide against it?
Whatever. Ajax did lose the first game of the UEFA Champions League but not before making Madrid sweat. Did Ramos not realize that the defense was riding on his performance? How do you explain his audacity to get an intentional yellow card? Isn't that his arrogance? Did he think that he can just walk into the quarterfinals despite missing the second leg of Round-of-16?
Ajax took Real Madrid's defense apart which was highly disorganized and missing a key component in their captain. Not that Ajax wouldn't have progressed if Ramos was there but possibly the defensive organization and morale of the team would have been much higher than it originally was. Plus, here is a cold-blooded fact that proves Ramos' arrogance.
He was busy filming for a documentary on him in the VIP Lounge at Santiago Bernabeu when Madrid was being taken apart by Ajax. Great leadership qualities from the man Madridistas hail as the best captain in the world. You know what, it is unprofessional to keep things respectful. A much harsher word can be used for the conduct.
Arrogance from players
We know what Sergio Ramos has been doing to call him arrogant. Let's talk about others. It was not long before that Karim Benzema said that he is now the leader in Real Madrid's attack. Where is the self-proclaimed leader when it matters? Gareth Bale was quick to abuse Atleti fans with his goal celebration. Where are his performances backing his big actions up?
With all due respect, Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos have taken their starting spots for granted. Is that all they want to offer to the team? Where are their performances? This is Real Madrid. You don't turn up here on random matchdays and claim your starting spots. You got the so-called best player in the world on the pitch there. Why isn't he performing like one?
Sergio Reguilon reportedly asked Messi what is bothering him and also he called Suarez ugly when the Uruguayan was just being friendly. Where was his performance in the following Clasico and against Ajax? Reguilon is just a youngster who came in to replace Marcelo and although he has been good, he didn't come good when it mattered the most.
Players have just got supreme confidence or have they? Most of them have an exaggerated sense of their importance and even Vinicius can fall into the category of having an exaggerated sense of his abilities which made him abuse Marc Bartra. These two things put together according to the dictionary is nothing but arrogance.
So, in one way or the other, arrogance has played its part in bringing Madrid's downfall this season. Florentino Perez had that in him, Solari has got that in him, the players have it as well. Arrogance won't last long and now Madrid has hit rock-bottom. What use is arrogance now? The season is over. A trophyless year is coming up and these guys have to do a complete overhaul.