FanNation - The Republic of Sport

In case it needed to be said, Real Madrid is my favorite team.  However, thank the holy Keeper in the sky that this can be put to rest but what are the lingering consequences for everyone involved?

One, Real Madrid management (Calderon and Mijatovic) have looked remarkably dumb but they have also put yet another nice layer of tarnish on the Real Madrid brand.  Let's face it, there is no halfway point in La Liga.  You are either a merengue or you are not and this will continue to hurt Real and Spanish soccer.  At some point all those now-grown Spanish soccer fanatics who grew up wearing a Real Madrid #7 jersey are finally going to write this team off and the national pride that has for some time been a part of Real Madrid, even for the non-merengue fans, is going to collapse.  It has already faded. 

Two, Barcelona.  Thanks to the ineptitude of the aforementioned management team Barcelona has easily dispatched three of their most notable players, unceremoniously, without so much as a second look.  In the telenovela that is the Spanish off-season (after that historic Euro victory, of course) Real Madrid comes across looking a lot like the wicked stepmother.  I'd use a different term but this is, after all, a website with some standards of decency.  Plus I really don't have the heart to label my team with any truly harsh words.  Image aside, the blaugrana management, comparatively, has looked very good.  Bringing in a boat-load of talented and promising new stars that are going to fit right in at the Nou Camp.  Couple these signings with the promising deals inked by Sevilla and Villareal (Can you hear it now?  "Al-Ti-Do-ore") and even though I do not think we needed to sign one player at Real, Barcelona, in comparison, comes out of it smelling like a rose.

Three, Ferguson wins yet again.  They should just make this guy PM of England already, despite his Scottish nationality.  He takes everything that gets thrown at him and pulls it off with style and substance. 

Four, Cristiano Ronaldo is going to redeem himself.  Let me predict, right now, that CR is going to come back strong in October after that ankle heals and he is going to set Old Trafford on fire.  You just know that is going to happen.  Matter of fact, I'll venture to guess that Cristiano Ronaldo - after this whole mess - will leave Manchester United only to hang up his cleats.  Manchester United fans will be quick to forgive once C. Ronaldo comes back in October.  Particularly if they have gotten off to a slow start.

Lastly, the fans that have had to listen to this mess over and over again are going to (especially thanks to some of the more colorful rumors of late) become infintely more discerning regarding what is going on in the soccer world outside of the U.S.  I'm looking at you, Marca.  It's a good thing Marca is too cheap not to allow foreigners like me to post on their website because I'd make what those text-typing Spanish bloggers are putting up there look like Penelope Cruz's private and direct cellphone number.  Three words for what I think of Marca particularly after this whole mess, Russian toilet paper.

Cheers!

Burgundy