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Florentino Perez received much criticism for Real's shopping style. |
The "El Clasico" match in round 35 of La Liga saw Real Madrid lose 3-4 to Barcelona. This was not a simple defeat, it left them 7 points behind their arch-rival Barcelona on the rankings and almost no chance of winning La Liga this season.
This is also a heavy blow to the ambitions of President Florentino Perez, who has long been known for his smart player recruitment policy. Mr. Perez's refusal to add players in key positions such as midfield or defense has made Real pay the price this season.
Inevitable consequences
The 3-4 defeat at Barcelona, after leading by two goals early in the match, clearly exposed Real Madrid's fatal weakness: an unstable defense. In the first half, "Los Blancos" played evenly, even taking a 2-0 lead after only 14 minutes.
However, since then, their defence and midfield have completely collapsed. The main reason lies in the lack of personnel in defence and midfield. Real Madrid entered the season with only four real central defenders: Eder Militao, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Jesus Vallejo.
However, when facing Barca on May 11, Asencio (a young talent from Real's training academy) and Tchouameni were the two players who started in the central defender role. That shows how coach Carlo Ancelotti has struggled to manage this season.
More than a decade ago, under Perez, Real Madrid was famous for blockbuster deals such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Kaka. However, in recent years, Perez has shifted to a policy of recruiting free agents to avoid huge transfer fees.
Signings such as David Alaba (2021), Antonio Rudiger (2022) and Kylian Mbappe (2024) all arrived at the Bernabeu without a transfer fee, saving Real Madrid hundreds of millions of euros. This strategy reflects an effort to adapt to the post-pandemic financial crisis, when many clubs were forced to look for more economical solutions.
However, the Real president still seems to prioritize attacking positions, rather than strengthening the defense. The signing of Mbappe on a free transfer and the signing of Endrick Felipe (€80 million from Palmeiras) last summer reflect this habit of Perez.
It should be remembered that last year, Perez and the Real board received many warnings from Ancelotti about the team needing to add midfielders and central defenders.
Consequences
Real Madrid pulled out of the Leny Yoro deal as Manchester United became more aggressive in their bid. They also did not sign another midfielder to replace Kroos, who has been central to their play for years.
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Real Madrid have an imbalance in their squad. |
AS compares the current situation to the 2003/04 season, when Real Madrid signed David Beckham but neglected their defense, leading to 54 goals conceded in La Liga - their highest number of the 21st century. In the 2024/25 season, with a patchwork defense and constant injuries, Real Madrid face the risk of repeating the mistake of the "Galacticos" of the past.
President Perez’s strategy is not limited to signing free agents but also aims to build “Galacticos 3.0” with young stars like Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Endrick. The idea is to create a squad that is both strong in terms of skills and has high commercial value. However, the imbalance in the squad has cost Real Madrid. The attack, despite possessing excellent names, cannot compensate for the weak defense.
Mbappe has scored more goals than all other strikers combined, but Real Madrid have still lost badly in big games, including all of this season's El Clasicos and a comprehensive defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The defeat in the recent El Clasico was not only a technical issue but also shook the faith of the fans. El Pais newspaper directly blamed President Perez, saying that he had not learned the lesson from the first “Galacticos” era.
Clearly, Real Madrid need to adjust their transfer strategy. Instead of focusing solely on free transfers or prioritizing the attack, Perez needs to invest in key positions, especially defense and midfield.
The 3-4 defeat to Barcelona was a clear demonstration of the mistakes in Florentino Perez's transfer strategy. The policy of prioritizing free contracts, although cost-saving, cannot compensate for the shortage in defense.
In addition, President Perez seems to have not given up the habit of buying attacking players more than defenders or midfielders. That creates an imbalance in the squad.
Source: https://znews.vn/real-madrid-tra-gia-vi-cach-mua-sam-cua-perez-post1552651.html
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