Ferguson talking crap...

"What made it really obscene was that Madrid, as General Franco’s club, had a history of being able to get whoever and whatever they wanted, before democracy came to Spain.”... Fergie about the Christiano Ronaldo transfer saga.


I love how people keep referring to this when it is blatantly untrue.
Brief history lesson:
- Franco did not support Real Madrid, he supported Athletico Madrid (then called Athletico Avacion... since it was started as the Air Force team)
- For 14 years after Franco came to power, Madrid did not win a single league title. Zero. Barca won 6, Athletico 4.
- In the mid-1950's Madrid managed to steal Di Stefano from under Barca's noses and get him to sign with Madrid
- That's when Madrid went on to become the greatest club in the world and Fifa's Club of the Century.
- AFTER Madrid won the inaugural European Cup, the Spanish Government tried to use Madrid as a propoganda tool just as any country tries to project its national identity through its sporting successes (India's 20-20 team, Brazil's football team, China and Yao Ming)
- He also forgets that decades after Franco's rule ended, Madrid has still gone on to win 3 more European Cups in comparison to Man U's 2.

Much respect to Man U for being the world's outstanding football club last year... but a little bit of respect for the truth would be in order when talking about the most successful football club in history... he would be more credible if he wouldn't talk such bullshit

HOW TO BECOME MARADONA

1. Beat the opposing team's defense and score goal by yourself [*]
2. Score "Hand of God" goal [*]
3. Request Transfer Out of Barca [ ]
4. Get addicted to cocaine [ ]
5. Face scandal regarding an illegitimate child [ ]
6. Get hepatitis [ ]
7. Gain 456545435656532 lbs [ ]

C'mon Messi!! You can do the rest!!

The BCCI Cap On Player Endorsements-My Column in the Deccan Herald

What is common to Ronaldinho, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods?

The fact that they are among the greatest athletes the world has ever known?

Yes. But it is also that they are among the highest earning athletes in history by virtue of their endorsements.

The greatest athletes in the world are the ones with the greatest number of endorsements, a fact that has held true from Pele to Sachin Tendulkar. In fact, the Indian cricketers actually had MORE endorsements when they reached the World Cup finals in South Africa than they did heading into the fiasco in the West Indies.

In some senses, the market economics that drive the business of endorsements are an incentive to perform better rather than a deterrent because a non-performer will never be offered endorsements.

Any attempt to impose a cap on endorsements ignores the fact that at the end of the day endorsements are all about performance, which is what the BCCI should be focused on.

If a cricketer is not performing or is distracted by commercial pursuits, the obvious and logical course of action is to drop him. Nothing stops the BCCI from doing so. However, the BCCI has chosen to avoid logic, resort to short term populist gestures and stop the actual performers from earning what they deserve instead of punishing the non-performers. The equivalent would have been if the English football authorities decided that the solution to David Beckham’s non-performance in the last football World Cup is to limit how many endorsements Wayne Rooney could do! Fortunately, the English FA decided to refrain from knee-jerk announcements and took the logical decision of dropping David Beckham… and to reinforce the point of how endorsements are about performance, so did brands like Gillette.

Who actually benefits from the BCCI’s announcement? There’s no surprise there, it’s the BCCI!

There is a cap on how many brands a player can endorse. No one brand can have more than two cricketers.

However, there is no limit on how many team sponsors the BCCI can have. And no cap of 2-3 cricketers these brands have access to. As soon as the players hit their limit of 3 endorsements, the only access to them will be through a BCCI sponsorship. And if any brand wants access to more than 2 cricketers, they can only do so by approaching the BCCI. The result… more sponsors for the BCCI and sponsors who are willing to pay much more than they currently do simply because there is no other access to cricketers. So the BCCI has effectively used the poor performance in the World Cup as a fig-leaf to increase its own sponsorships and wealth, while claiming that this is a measure that is aimed at improving the player’s performance!

The BCCI is one of the richest sports bodies in the world. With the latest announcements, it is about to get even richer. According to the BCCI’s own members, no more than 26% of this income will go to the players. While there is no denying that the BCCI might be legally entitled to take the measures it is, there is something undeniably immoral about a situation where a controlling body run by people who have never played cricket gets richer at the expense of the players whose efforts on the field are actually responsible for every rupee that comes to the BCCI.

In the 21^st century, being a professional Indian cricketer is not easy. It is a journey that begins with 10 year olds practicing at the break of dawn while the mandarins who run the sport sleep in their air-conditioned homes. A journey that involves hours of practice on dust-bowls in the middle of the Indian summer. Of educational sacrifices that begin with lower grades and end with the absence of any sort of higher education or professional qualification. Of a life where the only professional skill the person has is the ability to play cricket. A professional skill that at best will last 10-15 years. That at worst is one injury away from a life of anonymity and penury.

It is on the back of these sacrifices that a bunch of 20 year olds embody and carry forth the hopes and dreams of a nation and our collective aspirations.

What gives any of us the right to sit in judgement on what the financial value of these sacrifices is worth?

Bobby and the Guardian... the dialogue continues

From: On Behalf Of Anirban Das Blah
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 5:56 PM
Subject: [Footer-in-mouth] Re: Correction

Difference being the FT article is business coverage of a business event the event as it happened when it happened. It’s a news piece dedicated to the event. Or 3 pieces actually.
The Guardian article is written 6-months later as an opinion piece that is written by a football writer about something else altogether. In it he mentions 1 sentence about the logo issue.
Of all people I don’t think I need to discuss with you the difference between an opinion piece 6 months later on another topic and a news piece as it happened on the specific topic J

In fact this is the point I made in my first mail. That Barca has done a great job in building this myth of Unicef happening because the club spurned China and that this is evidence.

Blah


From: On Behalf Of AGhosh0222
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 4:02 AM
Subject: [Footer-in-mouth] Re: Correction


when i have a little time, i'll see if i can find you some links to stories about the socios' revolt. as i recall, the reports i read were quoting the spanish football press -- which is not much better that its english counterpart, but still.

in the meantime, just to go by the two links you sent -- one (the ft) says barca was spurned, the other (guardian) says barca made a "decision to eschew the temptations of commercial sponsorship and dedicate the space on the shirts to publicising the United Nations children's agency UNICEF..."

one you choose to believe, the other you dismiss as peddling a "myth."

i'm sure you have your reasons. but again, it's no skin off my nose.

Bobby


On Behalf Of Anirban Das Blah
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 5:18 PM
Subject: [Footer-in-mouth] Re: Correction

“if the chinese deal wasn't good enough (and if we are actually to believe the champions of spain and europe, and employers of the world's most popular footballer would have difficulty lining up another sponsor with deep pockets), laporta could simply have gone back to the slogan-free shirt -- retaining the prestige that comes with that.”



The Chinese deal was more than good enough for Laporta… it was the Chinese who backed out! Read the FT reports I sent… blow-by-blow accounts. And nothing that says the socios revolted. In fact the only “published” resports about Socios revolting are from Barcelona fans on emails and bulletin boards. Not ONE article on ANY independent website. Right now you’re saying no source. I’m saying FT. To my mind, FT is better than no source. So until I see a more credible link than FT, we should stick to them I think… more objective than you or me or what we believe.



And I have no doubt Barca could get sponsors. As and when Barca gets a shirt sponsor, it will undoubtedly be the most expensive such deal in history… after all this is the best team in the world and one of the Top 5 or 6 of all time (after Madrid, Milan and Juve and possibly after Man U and Liverpool… but probably ahead of Ajax and Bayern).But the question is not an absolute question… it is a question framed in context and relativity.



Could they nail a deal the last moment after the Chinese pulled out that did justice to the Barca brand? Remember any brand making a 10 million or more investment would want a multi-year deal. Did Barca have time to strike a deal like Samsung and Chelsea, or Madrid’s Semen’s deal that made a statement that here we are… the biggest and best club in the world with the best deal in history like Chelsea and Madrid did? Or would they be forced to accept a cut, diluting the value and locking the opportunity for 3 years. I work in the business and have reasonable friends in football. The consensus in the trade is the answer to that is simple… once the Chinese walked there was no way that Barca could have cut a deal that did it justice in that timeframe.



As for Unicef, let me see Laporta’s options:

Option 1: You finally agree to sell your values and tradition but then your suitor ditches you at the last moment. So you’re forced to go back to your tradition of no logo (or even a logo of your Club Website). Except it feels less like tradition and values and more like a jilted bride who everyone is laughing at.

Option 2: You put Unicef on your logo (for free), milk the PR, talk about how you are More Than a Club, and continue to build the unique, almost mythical Barca brand.



Which option would you choose?

One thing I will never deny is Laporta’s smarts. He is passionate, modern and intelligent and to my mind one of the best G-14 presidents out there. He pulled a rabbit out of the hat and you have to give him credit. But within the next 2 seasons, Barca will have a logo on their shirt, socios or no socios, and I am happy to bet serious money on that.



By the way, I have great respect for Barca’s no logo policy… the romantic in me feels it would be a pity if that disappears too.

Bobby's reply

believe what you want, dude. my information came from published reports (at the time) that laporta was forced to do a volte face after a revolt by the 'socios.' if you prefer to think ft's version is "fact" and the rest are "myth," that's no skin off my nose.

but purely for argument's sake, can you explain how putting unicef on the shirt amounts to "face-saving" for laporta?

if the chinese deal wasn't good enough (and if we are actually to believe the champions of spain and europe, and employers of the world's most popular footballer would have difficulty lining up another sponsor with deep pockets), laporta could simply have gone back to the slogan-free shirt -- retaining the prestige that comes with that.

or he could have followed the real madrid example of a few years ago, when their shirt advertized the club's website: that would have brought some benefit to the barca (more eyeballs for the website) without seeming crassly commercial.

despite having these perfectly acceptable and face-saving options, he specifically picked unicef. you don't want to give the guy credit for that -- that's fine. but how do you conclude that his choice was made on dodgy grounds?

and why exactly would laporta need to save face? the guy had just presided over barca's european triumph, its second successive domestic championship and the warm glow of ronaldinho's superstardom. madrid may fire coaches with that sort of record, but at barca we tend to genuflect before such success.

as i have said before, barca will one day bow to commercial logic (helped by the fact that catalan nationalism is not as virulent as it used to be) and sell its shirt space. until then, we will retain our bragging rights.

meanwhile, you and i seem to be in agreement about the quality of capello's madrid. who would have thought!

Guardian incl. Sid Lowe's claims about Barca and Madrid being Beauty and the Beast

http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-6250667,00.html

Good article except for the line perpetuating the latest myth of Barca not wanting sponsorships on their shirt and having Unicef. Bobby, still no reply to my mail with the links from the Financial Times about how the Chinese backed out of the sponsorship deal rather than the Club? Until I see some proof, the facts (as far as I am concerned) remain that Laporta got his knickers in a twist about the size of the Chinese deal, announced it prematurely, the Chinese backed out and with no time to find a sponsorship that befits the club's stature, the Unicef logo was a good face-saving strategy.

I agree by the way with Sid Lowe (who by the way is rabidly anti-Madrid in the opinion of most Madrid supporters, unlike someone like Phil Ball)... the Valencia performance was dire. But the team showed just the sort of winning mentality that promises a good season. We had scored 1 goal in Valencia in 4 years, had won once this decade. They were unbeaten at home in 13 months. They had 9 wins and a draw this season. They held Barca at the Camp Nou. And while they were blighted by injuries, we were also missing Ronaldo, Beckham, Helguera, Guti, Cicinho and Cannavaro (2nd half). Despite that they fought and got a result which is the sign of a tough team... one that can win when the playing badly in difficult circumstances. I am certain that no Madrid team in the last 4 years would have scored a win, and this is what gives the fans hope.

As for whether this means we are an ugly team... yes sometimes we are (Getafe, Valencia, Lyon first leg). But as the team gets better we are also seeing some really good performances (Lyon 2nd leg 2nd half, Racing Santander). And I'm sure that anyone who saw the Villareal game (at home and without Riquelme) would agree that Barca looked pretty crap until the dodgy first goal... and it's only then that their play took wings. Iniesta by the way has been spectacular this season.

Should Caro stay? How do we react to the Capello rumours?

I really belive that Caro has show enough to deserve a longer run. Continuity is critical in building a team and I think we should not change coaches when someone has shown such potential. I know that Luxa had a good run in the 2nd half of last season but that was based on changing our style, moving to a counter-attacking model that relied on Ronaldo. Caro's streak is based on a style that is much closer to the Madrid ethos that we have grown up with and love... quick passing, one-touch play, possession, on-the ground.... the style that make us not just the most successful but also the best club in the world.

He is the only coach in years who seems to have figured how to rotate a squad. I like the fitness levels in the team. The fact that weare playing as a unit. I like his passion and his balance, that everytime he talks it is without exxageration but with pragmatism.

And we need to stop thinking he's new. This is a man who has been with us for years. A man who has performed miracles with Castilla. Someone who understands how the club functions, what the fans look for. He is a man of the club and for the club, a man who understands what we represent. Let him stay!

Transfer review... August 12, 2004

If I look back at this transfer season, these seem to be the main criticisms:
1) Why did we buy 2 attackers when we are weak defensively?
2) Why did we sell our most "famous" defender?
3) We still miss makalele and Graveson is not the solution.


First off, I think the Real is a "circus" that only buys attackers is a stereotype that is dead and buried.
Our first 2 buys this year were Pablo Garcia (DM) and Diogo (a versatile defender who is primarily a wingback).

I felt the problems in the 2nd half of last year were more at the offensive end than at the defensive end. With Zidane and raul playing like old men, Figo more predictable with every match (and as selfish as ever) we had an attack that was mediocre, predictable and slow. The stunning lack of inventiveness forced Luxa to go with a counter-attacking game, relying on the speed of Ronaldo and Owen. Anyone who saw us labouring to score, hoping that Ronaldo had an "on" day will know that we needed to do something.

Also let's not forget that the first step in defence is keeping the ball and harassing the opposition players in their own half and our ageing Galacticos (except maybe Raul, definitely Ronaldo, Zidane and Figo) failed miserably at that.

Robinho (assuming he does not turn into Denilson) will bring that creative spark that was missing last year even if Raul and Zidane are not back... and I like to believe they will be. Baptista, if he plays upfront, will give us the directness, power and aerial threat that we have missed since Moro left in 2003. If plays in midfield he will still be a strong 2-way player, an attacking force who more than pulls his defensive weight.

We ended up scoring enough goals over the course of the season (3 less than Barca) but it really was heavily dependent on Ronaldo's form (look at how many we scored when he woke p and decided to make a run at Pichichi) or Owen's poaching rather than the result of the total team's play as in the case of Barca where the whole attack was like a harmonious symphony.

The only good creative players last year were Guti and Solari (until he signed a contract) along with Owen. Ronaldo toeards the end maybe (though not by Ronaldo's standards) and Figo in the fit half only.The fact that the new players are young only adds to the feeling that these were good buys, players around whom we can build a team as Figo, Ronaldo, Raul, RC and Zidane start to slowly fade (I feel it's Zidane's turn next, then RC or Ronaldo).

As to the Graveson critics who claim Graveson cannot replace Makalele, we just need to look at the stats post Graveson's arrival. We actually scored more points than Barca in the 2nd half of the season and Graveson was the single biggest reason because the defence had a screen. Hell he even made Samuel look good and for all the talk about how Samuel got better he was still not really much better than Pavon!! He made as many mistakes, was as slow, got drawn out of position more often and fouled even more than Pablo Alfaro!!! I felt that he was a good fit in the more physical Italian league but lost in the more skilful, technical Spanish League.

That's not to say that we don't need a CD but Samuel was not the answer. I hope that Woodgate recovers because he has more technical skills but if not I really hope we buy Sergio Ramos as insurance. Though I really believe that Mejia is one of the calmest young defenders I have seen in a really long time and if Barca can play Oleguer we really need to give Mejia a shot because Mejia has always looked better.

That's another thing we should learn from Barca... how do you introduce young players... Oleguer, Iniesta and this year Messi (I’m certain). While Juanfran, Mejia, Solgado etc. will rot on our bench. Still I have hope for this season.

Why Do I follow Real Madrid?

I did not choose to follow Madrid. It's the club that chose me.

Despite the fact that when I started following the club we were on one of the worst runs in our history while Barca was all about the "Dream Team". I still don't know why I preferred Madrid... why I was not suckered by all the hype about Barca... I still don't know why Tenerife broke my heart two years in a row. Why I let my younger brother, a Barca supporter, gloat. As the older one, wiser in the ways of the world (okay relatively speaking at that age), I should have been the one supporting Barca and the one gloating.
It wasn’t the history or the Champions League titles because I knew nothing about them till much later. It had nothing to do with being the greatest team in the world because back then even Marseille seemed a bigger club in my worldview, leave alone Barca and Milan.
I can’t think of one reason why I chose Madrid. Which is why I am convinced I did not have a choice. The club chose me.


I have seen us beat Barca while sitting in the upper tiers of the Bernabeau... hugged the guy sitting next to me when we scored. I have had animated conversations over a (or was that several) “cervasas” the previous week complaining about how Raul Bravo seemed to play better than our stars, me speaking in English, the others in Spanish... neither understanding the other and yet understanding each other completely. I have spent hours queuing outside to buy a ticket and not get one because I was not a socio only to see a ticket appear miraculously the night before the match. I discovered our history and tradition in the European Cup when the commentators spoke about it in our first CL title and later in 1999 when I started using the internet regularly. A few years ago I read Morbo and White Storm. But all of this was AFTER the club chose me.

Long before the era of the Galacticos, before the 1-2-3 of Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo, I supported the club with it’s significantly less glamorous heroes… Michel, El Buitre, Maneul Sanchis, Hu-GOL, Redondo, Hierro, Prosineki (sp?), Raul, Roberto carlos, Salgado… all heroes to me even if most of them (except maybe Raul and the vulture) could hardly qualify as a modern Galactico. I even have a soft spot for the Karembus and Karankas and Ivan Campos of the world. It’s what happens when you love a club…it’s bigger than the individuals, bigger than wins and losses, bigger than losses of form or downturns of fortune, it’s a part of who you are.

Even today, 15 years later, people still find it strange as I walk into office in Bangalore on a Monday morning in depression saying “we” lost the league because of Valencia’s spoineless performance last night, and sulk through the rest of the day. “We” lost? How can this guy sitting thousands of miles away, who has been to Madrid once in his life, who can speak no more than 30-40 words of Spanish claim ownership… claim a “we” or an “our”?

But this is how it is. I chose football and Madrid chose me. It’s a part of my DNA now, something my son shall inherit one day and all I can say is that I am happy he will not wait 12 years in the wilderness like I did before discovering Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's legacy

[QUOTE=Lucho-the-Legend]It is true that Dinho has had a "playboy" lifestyle off the field, he is brazilian. In defense of his past, at PSG he was in a situation where his skill and contribution were not exploited by the manager. In fact, it is well documented that Dinho has issues with the manager.
In some previous post, it has been noted that Dinho will never reach the level of Ronaldo. First off, Ronaldo has always been a little over-rated and been on teams where he is the only goal scorer. Although he does have a tremendous knack of getting into a goal scoring position, he has always been on teams with great players around him. I am not convinced he would be as effective a player on a sub par team.
Dinho on the other hand has never been on a squad like the ones Ronaldo has been apart of, with the exception of Barca's current squd and maybe the Edgar Davids era.[/QUOTE]

1. If you look at WC2002 most teams played in a situation where they had one pure goalscorer... I did not see anyone else score 8 goals.
2. I admit the Triple R meant good service but I'd venture that it's not necessarily the greatest servive sice 1978 (eg. Brazil in 1986)... yet no one has come close to scoring 8 goals in over 20 years.
3. Barcelona circa Ronaldo were arguably not as good as Barcelona circa Dream Team... but Ronaldo's impact that year was better than anyone in the Dream Team era including Romario's.
4. In 2003-04 the consensus was that it was Casillas and Ronaldo who kept us afloat. The moment Ronaldo lost form, our title chase sank. The consensus was also that neither Ronaldo nor Casillas had much support in terms of either service or defence. But Ronaldo was pretty damn effective on a sub-par team.
5. Yes PSV was a powerful club in Holland but historically PSV is no bigger in Holland than PSG is in France. And you'd be hard proven to prove that the players that surrounded him at PSV were significantly "greater" than Ronaldinho's in PSG. But Ronaldo made the critical difference in terms of taking them to the next level, just as Romario had during his time there. Just look at how Ajax reasserted its dominance soon after Ronaldo left. So I'd say that with comparable quality in terms of a supporting cast, Ronaldo arguably had a greater impact.
6. As you say yourself, though not explicitly, Ronaldinho only came into his own when he had a strong squad around him (Brazil in 02, Barca post-davids and this year). Even in Barca he did not achieve much before Davids came along. So arguably it's Ronaldinho who has a greater need (or at least as great a need) for a strong squad, who "would be not be as effective a player on a sub par team" which by your logic would be indicative of his being overrated.

Now I don't really think Ronaldinho is overrated, I'm just using your arguments to demonstrate that you're not giving Ronaldo his due. I agree on current form he is rubbish but it's pretty much undeniable that until 1998 he was on course to become the greatest forward since Pele (yes I'm certain that if it was not for the injury he would have been greater than Van Basten and Romario , in fact you can still argue that he is greater than them).

Even post injury, he won a world-cup where he scored more goals than anyone has in about half a century, he won us a Spanish league by scoring in almost 7 games in a row towards the end of the season to help us overhaul Sociedad, he got a standing ovation for his genius at Old Trafford after a performance that knocked Man U out of the CL, the sort of spontaneous appreciation from a vanquished team’s supporters that I have not seen for any player in many, many years.

If Ronaldo were to quit the game today he would take his place in the pantheon of legends. Don't let the shadow of his past self you see today cloud you from appreciating the phenomenon he once was. For any Brazil supporter, Ronaldo will always be “il fenomenon” as much as Raul is the Saint of the Bernabeau. We are objective enough to accept they have fallen but will also not accept their legacy being tarnished.

GOD lays down his boots one final time
December 2004

I think that it should be made mandatory to always insert the work God when mentioning Fernando "God" Redondo's full name. In an age of galacticos and superstars, where footballers are valued in terms of image and where player/club greed have resulted in a culture of egoistical, selfish, me-first prima-donnas (including sadly my footballing favourite Ronaldo), Redondo stood out for his class, humility, effort and intelligence as much as for his genius on the field.


I think part of the reason why I have never learnt to love Figo is because his arrival was directly correlated to Redondo's departure, and consequently the end of his career. It saddened me that the greatest Real Madrid player of my generation was forced to leave against his wishes to accommodate a player who, because the money was right, walked out on the club whose supporters believed he represented their soul. It was as though we had lost appreciation for loyalty and all the other values that Redondo exemplified and that Figo had betrayed. And while I have grown to respect Figo and do not doubt his commitment to Madrid, he will always be the reason why my club let go of my favourite player. I guess the parallel would have been if Madrid had let go of Raul in 2002 to sign Ronaldo.

In a lot of ways the legend of Redondo was cast in stone when he refused to take a salary from Milan during his injury. I can't imagine any other player making a gesture like that to a new club (not a club that you have developed a sense of loyalty to over a number of years).

More than Hierro, more than Valdano, more than El Buitre, I believe that if any player deserves to be made a part of the Madrid set-up and I would love to see him coach us someday, and not just because of the common sense, vision and intelligence I am certain he will bring as a coach... but because it will be a day when the team will be lead by a man who can show the players and the club all that they could and should be.

The day Fernando "God" Redondo takes his place on the Madrid bench will be the day dignity and class once again takes its place along the touchlines of the Bernabeau.

New Season... New Blood?

I think it's time to break down this team and rebuild, even if it's tough letting go of people like Figo But we need to do this now or we need to be prepared for years of Barca dominance.

This is the team I think should start next year.
Casillas
Salgado-Mejia/Woodgate-Helguera-Raul Bravo
Joaquin-Mascherano-Guti-Raul/Solari
Owen-Ronaldo

Subs: Solado
A good Montella-level substitute forward
Pavon (yes Pavon, if he maintains the level of the last 2 weeks)
Juanfran
Solari
Mejia/Woodgate
Juardo
Collocini

Match Review
Barcelona 3-Real Madrid 0

I spoke 2 weeks ago about being overrun in midfield, about the need to play both Owen and Ronaldo to ensure that there were spaces created in front, about the need to pass the ball around and keep possession, about how we could not afford to sit in the final 3rd and let them ping passes around at speed…. And every bloody fear came true.

I think we started okay but once the goal happened, the team just gave up. It made me ashamed to see such an inept, spineless performance… one of the worst since the 5-0 loss 6-7 years ago.

I did not expect to win, but I at least expected to create chances, to show some heart, to show some fire. Instead for the last 60 minutes, we were taught a football lesson by a team in a different league.

I think Ronaldinho confirmed that he’s probably going to win World and European player of the Year this time around.

Points out of 10:
- Casillas: 2.5. Good tip-over off Ronaldinho but he lost major points for the 1st goal, which changed the match. Let down by his defence but did nothing special either.

- Salgado: 4.5. Most effective of the defenders. Couldn’t stop Ronaldinho but still did a better job than the rest. 1-2 good forward runs.

- Pavon: 3. No big mistakes but he did struggle

- Samuel: 1. Terrible foul late in the game and got drawn out of position regularly. Can’t tackle without fouling. Largely responsible for the final penalty.

- RC: 1. Nothing in attack. Destroyed by Beletti in defence. Big role to play in the 1st goal. Playing ahead of Raul Bravo on reputation only.

- Figo: 3. Tried but often ran into traffic. Did not release the ball early enough.

- Beckham: 0. Zero contribution=Zero points. The invisible man’s speciality now seems to be the pass back or the pass to the guy on the side. Left Guti with no support, was destroyed by the opposition midfield. Lost the ball in the move that led to the 2nd goal.

- Guti: 6. Tough night. Does not get a higher grade because we are talking about an absolute performance scale. But compared to the rest of the team, he was a 10, and it was fitting that the captain handed over the band to Guti.

- Zidane: 3. 2 good attempts, one good pirouette. But the great man’s best days are behind him and I am certain he can no longer impose himself on a game regularly like Ronaldinho or Deco. We will see a few superb games like Albacete but the King is dead.

- Ronaldo: 3. No service. And ever time he tried to do something he had 2-3 players gunning for him and no one to pass it to. But the Ronaldo of a week ago would have found a way to impose himself. The desire was there but this week it translated to frustration, not hunger to deliver.

- Owen: 4. Came on too late and starved of service. But still looked better than most of his team-mates

- Raul: -2. Most disappointing person all night. Did even less than Beckham and failed to provide leadership or inspiration. What a comedown from silencing the Camp Nou with a finger on his lips. Raul maybe the soul of the club but I am starting to feel that he is too nice to be captain, and we’re better off with a captain who is more forceful on the pitch.

FCB-RMCF MATCH

It's been many years since I have felt so little confidence heading into this match. It's almost as though I'm thankful that it's away and not at home, so we have nothing to lose at all... 3 points dropped at Camp Nou is not the end of the world.

I saw both teams play this weekend and mid-week and while Madrid seem to be getting better every game, we are not close to being in the same league. The big difference is the speed at which Barcelona is playing. When they have the ball, they always seem to have 2-3 options rushing at speed into the area for Xavi or Deco to ping the ball to. And the 3 players rushing into the box (say Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Guily) do so intelligently enough to stretch the defence and create openings. When they lose possession, the forwards always rush the opponent's defence in an attempt to steal the ball (something only Owen does consistently for us) while in midfield Marquez, Xavi and even Deco work tirelessly to win the ball back.

Even in defence, they look solid and unlike us, the hero is not the goalie, but a central defender, which is always a good sign because it means that with Puyol spectacular, they need not fear that one off-day by valdes will lead to a massacre. And while Oleguer is not the fastest, he has good positional sense and anticipation, at least more so than Pavon and samuel (so far this season).

With us on the other hand, we seem to wait... wait... wait.... in defence or attack. You don't see us flying into tackles in midfield or trying to rob the defence. Instead we wait for the game to come to our third before a tackle is made or we hope that someone anticipates a pass in the meanwhile. And the moment the game is played in the defensive third, the opponent will always have chances and you will need casillas.


The best example of the difference between the two teams in this aspect is comparing Deco's contributions with Zidane. Yes Zidane is a genius, Deco is not, he's just excellent. But Deco is inarguably more effective on current form. He releases the ball quickly, rarely gets caught is possession, rarely sends a wrong pass, and works hard supporting Xavi and Marquez in defensive duties. But I am willing to sacrifice a pirouette or two, to sacrifice the one or two moments of inimitable magic that will win us a match or two this season, for that degree of consistent effectiveness match in, match out.


Even while attacking, we seem to be better at keeping possession with every match but are terrible in making the possession effective. No point having even 90% possession if it does not culminate in an attacking thrust, in potency where it matters. Too many times I've seen the ball played between our players in the middle of the park but the moment we try and put it in the opponents box, we end up losing possession. And it's not just because of packed defences, it stems from an inability to release the ball on time and to spot early runs, and it stems from the inexplicable absence of concurrent runs by 2-3 players into the box.

In Owen and Ronaldo we have two of the world's fastest players and in raul, we have one the most intelligent box-players of our generation. But time after time, a ball is sent to the box and we have 1 player attacking it and no one within 15 metres, not 1 other player inside the box to capitalise. What I like about when Owen plays is that it puts opponents of gear, he makes these intelligent bending runs that confuse defences... "do we follow him, do we mark Ronaldo, what if he makes a run at the same time in another direction, will it create a space for raul to poach?". But most times we are just static and all it takes is a man-marker on Ronaldo and we just don't exert enough pressure in the final third.

If we are not able to release the ball quickly, if we are not able to create multiple threats in the Barca box, if we don't use speed and intelligence we will not score more than one goal against Puyol. If we do not put pressure in midfield we will be overrun by Deco, Xavi and Marquez. If that happens, we will be forced to try and stop Guily, Eto'o and Ronaldinho in the defensive third, which is impossible if you're overrun in midfield and the 23 of them keep running at us for 90 minutes (with support from the 3 midfielders).


So it really comes down to this. Assuming Raul, Owen and Ronaldo all start (which I assume they will and should), how much of a work-rate can Zidane, Figo, Guti/Beckham and raul display in midfield. How committed will they be in the tackle? How much hunger will they have to win the ball and to keep possession? Whether we lose 4-1 or win 2-1 depends on the answers to those questions.

Despite the gloom in this preview, I am hopeful that the players will rise to the challenge though. We are Real Madrid. These are the best players in the world. It's time to wake up the sleeping giant.

HALA MADRID!!!!!

Real Madrid 4-AS Roma 2
28th August 2004

My brother is a hardcore Barca fan and after 25 mins, he messaged saying he was sleeping (it was 1 a.m. our time) because he knew the final score that we were losers.I told him I would call him and wake him up when we equalised, and then again when we scored and took the lead.

Of course, he said I was an optimist and delusional, but I said it's not optimism. It's belief. Belief in your team, in your players, in what Real Madrid represents. Because in 10 minutes, I had seen enough to know that the team would attack better than the last few games and that they really cared about this.

Yes The defence was a shambles, Helguera looked crestfallen, but it was there in Zidane's face, in Figo's runs, in Raul's shouts, in RC's "try to hard to impress", in Ronaldo's actually putting in effort. The fact that they cared about the goal, cared about the result and were willing to play with passion and pride.

I think our defending last night was panicky and shambolic, and that Helguera and Samuel had better develop some understanding really fast. They need to be more decisive, and this absurd habit of multiple players running after the opponent with the ball while leaving his team-mates unmarked has to stop.
RC still has not put in a consistent game where he is reliable in defence as well as potent going forward.
And Ronaldo needs to find his scoring boots. His work-rate has improved, the chances are there but the goals are not, and I wonder if we should persist like we did with Raul or let Moro start against Depor.

There were many things wrong but there were so many things right last night.
Figo's old legs showed that some of magic is still there when his heart is in it. In the 2nd half Roma could not put 2 passes together as the players harassed them the way they have been harassed by people like Seville last year or Bayer 2 weeks ago.
Beckham, who I have possibly trashed more than anyone on this board, proved that he actually could tackle if he put his mind to it and I was wrong in wanting him dropped. Zidane, half-fit, still showed what we had been missing. Even my favourite punching bag Guti played well after replacing Celades, much to my consternation.

But that's not what last night is about.
And people who find it strange we are excited after a win against a struggling team don't understand why we are excited.
It's not about beating Roma.It's about the emotion the players showed on the pitch. And it's about Raul having his 3rd good game in a row, during which he has scored 3 goals and won a penalty.
It's about passion and heart and pride.
About a king who reclaimed his throne.
About a team whose spiritual soul found direction and expression after months in the wilderness.

We are not out of the wilderness. But we know where to go. And the king has returned to lead us there.

On Ronaldo and Real Madrid fans

This is the result of accumulated reactions on how Ronaldo always seems to have to justify his place against Raul, against Moro, at one stage even against Guti, if he goes 2-3 games without scoring. The latest example being how everyone wants him to be benched instead of Moro because Moro scored 2 goals last night in the Champs League qualifier (with Raul playing a rubbish game)

It amazes me how little Madrid fans seem to appreciate Ronaldo.Yes he does not have the work-rate of a Raul or the leadership of a Hierro or the team skills of a Roberto carlos. But we knew what we were getting when we bought him... he was always supposed to be the goalscoring machine, a player who may not do much the rest of the match but will decisively alter the outcome of a match with one moment of transcendent genius. We were not buying raul...we were buying a guy who was as clinical as Romario and Ruud, as fast as Henry or Eto, with the ball skills of a Figo rolled into one.

This may not be a player with a gtreat work rate who tracks back, but this is a player who (despite all the "El Gordo" jibes) scores more than 0.7 goals a game for Madrid in the league!!!!Who is Pichichi despite missing more than 5 games, a player who was almost pichici in his debut season when he missed some 30% of the games.
A player who gets a standing ovation from at the home stadium of your biggest rivals for the title of "biggest club in the world".
A player who was one of our two best players last year despite being worked to the ground. The player in whose absence our descent into chaos began, a player whose absence against Juventus saw us knocked out of the Champions League 2 seasons ago (and even then he came on half-fit and won us a penalty which Figo missed).

This is a player who before surgery deserved to be put on the same pedestal as Pele and Maradona, and who even after surgery still has a better goalscoring record against any other leading forward (Henry,Ruud, Trez, Vieri, Owen... even Sheva).

He may not have the party tricks of Zidane but I'm sure that any coach would rather face a team with Zidane than a team with Ronaldo, because Ronaldo is decisive.

Raul is a childhood favourite of mine. I am a fan who grew up with Quinta del Buetre (sp), on to Suker and Mijatovic, the emergence of raul and the buying of Moro. I will never forget Raul scoring at the Nou Camp and putting a finger to his lips silencing 100,000 cules. I felt pride when Moro scored against us last year at the Bernabeau. These guys are players that I would fight for in any argument.But to claim that any of them are better than the 2nd best pure goalscorer of all time is ridiculous.

So bench Ronaldo if he isn't playing well but let's not for a moment pretend that he is not a better footballer and forward than Raul and Ronaldo. And let's not pretend that raul on current form deserves to be on the pitch more than Ronaldo (or Moro).

On Raul... after Spain gets knocked out of Euro 2004 by losing to POrtugal

It seems funny starting a thread criticising a player who has been one of my favourites for almost 10 years. But I can't help feeling one of both Real Madrid's and Spain's biggest problems of late has been the refusal to bench Raul. I know that he is talismanic, he symbolises both teams, and has achieved more at age 27 than most players will at 34. But we cannot deny that he has been off form for over 6 months now, and the king has lost his midas touch. I find it absurd that despite his obvious lack of form, he plays 90 minutes of almost every game, that leaave alone being benched at the start, he is rarely benched even during games. I hope that his performance at the Euros is a wake-up call to the Madrid fans who kept blaming Ronaldo for Raul's failures, and for keeping Moro out of the squad. It's clear that Ronaldo was why the team made it to Europe (with Casillas) and if anyone should make way for Moro, it's raul.
Similarly, Spain would have been better off with Valeron behind Moro or Torres (or both).
But no, because Quireoz did not have the balls and Saez did not have the balls, and all that we can do is weep.
Sometimes, it feels like we are so blinded by the past, that we don't see the present. Our "captain" is a player, a human... not some divine diety who cannot be touched.
All I can hope for is that Camacho realises this next year.

Eats, Shoots and Scores
Ronaldo 3-Argentina 0
2nd June, 2004

Ronaldo is the man, no one even comes close. I hope this convinces Camacho to stop letting Figo take Real Madrid's penalties.

Good, solid game on the whole. Argentina may have had more possession and shots, but I always felt Brazil was in control, except in the 80-90 minute phase.

The only low point was the aerial marking, especially by Roque Junior. I actually expected to see Edmilson at the back and Edu starting, but I guess I should have known that CAP would go with Roque even though the guy is a joke really. Hopefully he will be gone once Luisao and Lucio are back.

Edmilson had a monster game, to me he was Brazil's 2nd best player on the night, and I'm sure if he had not done such a spectacular vacuum cleaning job, the match would have been a lot closer.

Good games also for Cafu, Kaka, Ze Roberto. I was never keen on Ze Roberto being selected to the NT, but he proves me wrong every match. Good work rate, some good touches. Juninho did not do as much as I had hoped creatively, but showed good discipline.

Luis Fabiano started well, then disappointed for about 40 minutes before springing back to life. A decent match but I'm not certain whether he will play against Chile or whether we will see Ronaldo-Kaka-Alex.

Not that I'm complaining but what was Biesla thinking starting without Aimar, without a single truly creative player? And I also feel that saviola is now definitely a better player than Crespo.

Classic moment: Sorin runs with the ball and has no one near him, but after realising that he's Argentinian and that he's supposed to dive every 10 metres suddenly falls down with no one near him.

Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad (1-4)
last match of the season

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I have a lot to say but am too tired and feb up to say it, and this team is not worth it.

The 3 games against Mallorca, Murcia and Sociedad are the worst sequence I have seen in 13 years of following this club. Never have I seen such a lack of pride in the white shirt, it's history and what it means. I don't care what the reasons are, it's disrespectful towards the fans who give these players and the club so much, whose support helps the players live their galactico lifestyle. Players who are on my all-time favourite list like Raul, Ronaldo and Zizou make me cringe when I watch their lackadaisical, shambolic, self-parodying efforts.

last night was the final nail on the coffin. To play like that when Barca also lost broke my heart.
As far as I am concerned, they can sell the whole lot of them, including Raul. I know that they were tired and had lost confidnce, but I saw Ronaldo against France and it was not the same player. Except for Figo, the rest played at less than 50% of their ability. I want a manager with some steel and a team with some heart, and 2 balls where they need to be.

Pavon's marking and positional sense was spectacular as well... Jordi and Borja were equally brilliant. They all epitomised this anti-matter version of madrid, and get 10/10 for uselessness. We can blame Queiroz for not giving them chances but everytime they play I get more convinced, that except for Meija, raul Bravo and Juanfran, the current batch at the cantera are pure, unadulterated crap.

Originally Posted by TravisMinor_23
I know Ronaldo's goalscoring abilities. But he adds nothing to the rest of the team, and with Moro, Etoo, and Raul (along with Totti most likely) there I think that you have other serious options who provide more to a team aspect (which I think was one of Real's biggest problems this year).


I agree with most of your post but not this. It can be argued that it is Raul who has contributed nothing, Ronaldo has contributed 30 goals. Ronaldo also allows us to play with speed of the counter-attack, has greater ability to beat defenders, is more clinical before goal, and this season has created more opportunities for others than Raul. Also, he is not expected to "contribute", because this is what Ronaldo has always been (or at least since I have been following him in PSV), a pure goalscoring machine, his contribution is always goals, like Romario in the early 90's.

I love Raul... he and Hierro and Redondo are the ones that gave me back my pride in the team. But blaming and selling Ronaldo for Raul's problems is disingenous to say the least.

As to all the people clamouring for Morientes, remember that before he was sent off to Monaco, the majority of us felt he was not good enough to be a Real Madrid number 9. He was and is powerful, strong in the air, a fighter who at times looked world-class. But equally often he missed sitters (remember the match against Bayern at home in 2002?), was slow upfront, and in all his years here playing for the most attacking team in Spain, he never won Pichichi and his goalscoring rate was about half that of Ronaldo.

I also don't see how Totti and raul can play as forwards together, both have a phenomenal record playing as the support forward. Raul has proven this season that he cannot lead the line, Totti has never done it. Both of team are 15-20 goals per season (little more for raul) who will create the spaces and opportunities for a true poacher to score 25-30 goals (like Ronaldo).

If we really had any cojones we would sell Zidane and Figo and Beckham, and replace them with Solari and Joaquin on the wings, Totti and Raul rotating as support striker, Eto and Ronaldo rotating as frontman, Alonso and Helguera in the middle (with Totti replacing one of them when we can play a more attacking formation), with Samuel and Meija/Bravo/Mexes at the back.

I am sure this is a better and younger and fitter team than what we have now.

5 Madrid players who have under preformed this season
Written the day after valencia won the league and two days after a pathetic loss at home against Mallora

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5) Roberto Carlos: Still one of the better players but his most inconsistent season yet in a white shirt.

4) Zidane: Some moments that I will never forget (like the pirouette) but was rarely decisive and often disappeared from matches

3) Beckham: Actually I think he has overperformed. Just that he has shown that while he is a very good, very professional, very committed player he is a long way off from being one of the world's best. Also, he is clearly not the answer at defensive midfield.

2) Pavon: Remember 2-3 years ago when Perez said "We don't need Nesta because we have Pavon... he will be our Nesta"? What a joke. Is there a worse centre back in the whole league?

1) I think it's time to stop blaming Ronaldo for Raul's year. Remember Raul did not do this badly on Ronaldo's first season. We cannot pretend otherwise, our favourite has had his worst season ever, including his time with the youth team. In a year when he inherited the captaincy and was supposed to add leadership and responsibility, and step into Hierro's shoes, he went missing far too often and had far too little impact. The coach's unwillingness to rest him for a few matches or to ever substitute him did not help. Let's pray it's not permanent.

24 hours later... you just have to accept that this is football, the greatest sport in the world!
Deportivo 4-Milan 0 (Deportivo 5-4 on aggregate)
The greatest comeback in Champions League History

After all the heartbreak and moping all of yesterday, the evening match brought home one thing. This is the greatest sport in the world... nothing comes close to touching it.
What a win for all football fans and what a win for all Spanish fans. As a Madrid and spain fan I am happy for Depor, I can only imagine what it's like in Galicia.
Chelsea a little, but more so Monaco and Depor, we just have to salute them and respect them for reminding us that that the end of the day, football is just 11 men with a ball, playing for each other with all their heart, and creating magic. That's all it ever really is.

6th August 2004: The Worst Night Of My Life As a Football Fan
Monaco 3- Madrid 1 (Aggregate 5-5). Monaco through on away goals.
Arsenal 1-Chelsea 2 (Aggregate 2-3)

Post 1:
Originally Posted by lisabrasil09
I think I'm going to be sick.


I know exactly how you feel. Arsenal is my 2nd favourite team.At 40 minutes into our match I thought "this is over", let's watch my 2d favourite team and 5 minutes later Reyes scores. I'm on cloud 9 and as the players walk off I go back to Madrid and realise with a shock that it's 1-1. 60 minutes later I feel pysically ill, having pretty much been close to tears for the last 15 minutes, especially during raul's off-side goal and then his miss when Roma played the mis-pass and even then in the last minutes with Roma beaten but losing out to the angle.
Then I find bloody Arsenal lost too. Ths after I have invited 10 people home to watch the 2 most beautiful teams in the world play each other. I can't work today.


Post 2:
I don't understand how anyone can blame valdano. And while Queiroz screwed up, it's not him we should blame. It is Perez. I think Perez has done a great job compared to the idiot before him, and he has brought some of the best talent in the world here. But it is Perez that stops this team from fulfilling its potential with his stupid stubborn idea of Zidanes and pavons, his refusal to but defensive players or value them. It was valdano who wanted Milito and Ayala, and Perez who did not. It was Queiroz who felt the squad lacked depth and requested cover not Perez.

And it's stupid to say that Queiroz did not give the youth team players a chance. Other than Juanfran every youth player who has impressed has played a role. It's not his fault that the players are so useless and while they can be good 1st division players, they are not good enough for real Madrid. And in a team where 2 lost matches is a crisis, he never could experiment, because as Borja proved so spectacularly last night, there is a HUGE difference when the cantera players play, and then it's the coach who gets ******** for it. So what's he supposed to do? If you want him to rotate then at least be patient like the Chelsea fans were. If not, then be prepared to accept that the Real madrid first XI is not a place for experimenting and loan these kids out to develop.

And at some level let's stop kidding ourselves. Borja, Tote last year, Portillo, Reuben.... give them 1000 chances and they will not turn into makalele and raul. let's accept that, and in case anyone believes otherwise, I'm willing to bet a 1000$ right now that neither Borja or Portillo will even come close to Makalele or raul. Heck, Portillo won't even come close to El Moro.

I cannot gloat like some of the other supporters but I see where they are coming from. But we will treat the symptom and not the disease. Queiroz will go. maybe Valdano will go. But the real problem is the policy of Zidanes and pavons, the real problem is the reluctance to go after Chivu or davids or gatusso or Viera or Mexes or Alex or Milito or Puyol or Ayala. the problem is a flawed salary structure that does not pays more to a Beckham than a Casillas or salgado or makalele, all of whom are more fundamental to the team.

The problem is Senor Perez.


Post 3:
And as a Moro fan, I have to say this to teh other fans. Get over your Ronaldo fixation. It's not Ronaldo's fault that Moro was treated badly. And while Moro was a great player, he was/is not even close to Ronaldo who is one of the 2 greatest players of our generation. Yes Moro scored 2 goals against us and Ronaldo had a poor game last night. But over the course of the last 2 seasons, he has been the biggest reason why we reached the semis last year (remember man U?), wonthe league last year (2nd highest scorer despite missing many games) and are leading the league this year (remember what happened to us when he got injured last month?).

Yes he maynot have the work-rate that El Moro has but he is different. He is a genius and every single coach in the world will play him ahead of Moro. So if Moro refused to sit o the bench and decided to play regularly and make it to Euro 2004, let's be happy for him and stop blaming Ronaldo.

Post 4:
Originally Posted by kaberon10
Clearly, everyone knows we need a central D.


More than that we need a defensive midfielder. Starting with valencia and seville, every match we have lost has been because we hve been overrun in midfield. Yes a Bravo and Meija will make mistakes but they are potentially world class and just need some cover from midfield. That cover will never come from a namesake defensive midfielder like Borja or Cambiasso or by playing 2 attacking midfielders.

I also feel maybe it's time for madrid to play a 3-5-3 with 3 central defenders, carlos an salgado as overlapping full-backs and 1 defensive midfielder. Remember edmilson-roque junior-lucio with cafu and carlos on the wings and Gilberto Silva as a screen? Another team with defensive fraities but good tactics... and see the result.

I think we should hire Scolari, sell Borja, and buy 1 forward (as a sub), 1 central defender (Chivu), 2 defensive midfielders (Davis or Gatusso maybe, with 1 understudy). Loan Portillo. Sell Morientes (he will never be a sub and I'd still rather play Ronaldo). Sell Beckham or Figo. Play Juanfran and Minambres.

My 1st XI for next year:
Cassillas
Meija Chivu Helguera
Salgado Figo Davids Zidane Carlos
Raul
Ronaldo

Coach: Scolari
Bench:
Cesar
Bravo Pavon
Minambres, Juanfran, Solari, 1 More Def Midfielder, Guti, Cambiasso (much better than Borja)
Nunez, Another forward
Nunez can of course also play in midfield and Juanfran can play a withdrawn forward.
And while I love Joaquin, he can only come in if we sell Figo.

Real Madrid 4-Monaco 2
March 24th 2004

... and thoughts on the coach's criticism of the Cantera

I thought it was a superb performance in the 2nd half. If our heading had been better we could have score 3 goals in the 1st half itself, but in the 2nd half the players really turned it on.

I think Salgado, Figo and Ronaldo were the best players. Zidane got stronger as the game went on, Beckham passed well, Meija was good even at left back (what a talent he is) and Raul got into some good positions.

But Pavon was as useless as ever. No speed, no positional sense and with this God-given talent to make stupid mistakes.

It's ridiculous blaming Quireoz for not playing the Youth Team players. Everytime he tries to do it, they screw up. The only two who have impressed are Meija and Juanfran. Meija is playing more and more and Juanfran has started getting a few opportunities, though admit he needs more. Everyone else including Portillo has played crap, look at Borja after he came on yesterday. If we played the Invisible Man we would have seen more of him on the ball. So the coach either has to choose to develop players anbd lose matches, or play the same players again and again even if they get tired because there is just TOO MUCH of a difference between a Ronaldo and a Portillo. If anyone needs to be blamed, blame Perez.

And if you want cantera players to develop, send them out on loan, the Real Madrid team and the Champion's League is not the place to experiment when the coach knows that 2 bad results and all the rabid dogs at Marca and AS will shout for him to be fired. God knows that we would have been better served if we had sent Portillo out on loan instead of El Moro (though El Moro wanted to leave and get 1st team exposure).

And this Pavon and Zidane policy is great but it cannot be so rigid. Look at Helguera and Salgado on the current team. Look at Hierro when he first joined us. Makalele. Fernando "GOD" Redondo. None were Zidanes or Pavons.

And finally Pavon should shut his trap with his claims about the Cantera being elite. Playing in the 1st division may be elite for most footballers but it's not enough for Madrid. There is a difference between playing for Espanyol and playing for Real Madrid. By the higher standards we have, the Cantera is not elite and Pavon is definitely not elite. He won't get a starting place at Seville, Barca, Depor, Valencia, Athletico, Bilbao, Osasuna, Zaragoza and god alone knows where else. So he of all people should not talk about being "ELITE"... he would only be Elite in the Secunda B.

Real Madrid 1- Bayen Munich 0
March 10th 2004
Scorer: Zidane (32')
Real progress to the quarters 2-1 on aggregate.

I feel last night was the most complete performance I have seen all season. They fought hard and concentrated for every single minute, they chased the ball and applied pressure when not in possession, they kept the ball well when they had it, they worked hard for each other and they defensively they were superb, especially in the 2nd half.

Iker-man: To me he is the best goalkeeper in the world at age 22... and with those saves of Makaay and Ze Roberto in the first half, he proved it. (9/10)

Raul Bravo: Defensively perfect, did even better than Roberto Carlos. Good work offensively too, holding the ball well and getting into good positions. (9/10)

Helguera: Calm, fast, controlled. Some crucial blocks. Impeccable. (8.5/10)

Meija: The single biggest gain from this season. His mis-kick nearly let in a goal, but did not make one other mistake. His reading of the game, his positioning sense, his speed, his calmness, his maturity are all outstanding for a player who has not played 10 games as a member of the first XI in the league and the Champion's league. Already he looks a better player than Pavon did last year (when we all felt he had a great season). This guy is our Puyol. (8.5/10)

Salgado: MOM for me, along with Zidane. Lucky not to get a 2nd yellow but what an astonishing game. Always a threat attackingly (and he had no right to win the header that led to the goal!), and extremely committed defensively. Sometimes it makes sense to buy players other than Zidane's and groom Pavon's. (9.5/10)

Figo: Probably the least effective player which does not mean he did not play well, and one or two great runs. Greater defensive commitment than we have come to expect. (7/10)

Beckham: Was frustrating at times in open play, not particularly dominant, but his passing and dead balls were A-grade. (7/10)

Guti: Gave the ball away a few times but another outstanding game. I was more critical of him than most earlier this year but he is now playing possibly the best I have seen him play. One of his best games defensively and some great positions offensively. (8/10)

Solari: Worked hard all over the field, created chances, held the ball well, had a good strong game. On any other team he would be an automatic starter. (8/10)

Raul: Still not 100% with a few poor touches in the 1st half. But got better as the game progressed and was a constant nuisance to Bayern. Ran tirelessly, putting pressure on the Bayern defenders. Hard-working performance that ranks among his best this season though I am still praying for the floodgates to open and he old, confident Raul to return. (8.5/10)

Zidane: GOD. There is none higher. And Bayern learnt it the hard way. (10/10)

The best XI in La Liga versus the Premiership: Read bottom-up

Here's my teams:
La Liga
Canizares
Puyol Ayala Pellegrino Carlos
Joaquin/Figo Valeron/Ronaldinho Baraja/Helguera Zidane (not as a winger but a midfielder who drifts to the left, like he does for Madrid. Roberto Carlos makes the wider runs)
Ronaldo Raul


Premiership
Brad Friedel
Gallas Riise Hyppia Cole
Kewell Vieira Makalele Giggs
Henry Van Nistelrooy

I'd say 4-2 to La Liga.
I also have to say that I think Liga has extraordinary depth. That's why a team like Alaves reaching the UEFA Cup Final or Sociedad coming second on the last day of the season is not such a surprise. The English equivalent would be Birmingham in the UEFA Cup Final in 2 years and Bolton second the league this year.
In fact outside of Man U and Arsenal (and possibly now Chelsea and someday Liverpool and Newcastle), the Premiership cannot have a serious title contender. La Liga on any given year has 4 (Madrid, Valencia, Deportivo and Barcelona) with the possibility of any from Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Athletico Madrid and Sociedad making a strong run.
there's something to be said in how a marginal La Liga player like Geremi is so influential in La Liga. Also, if you look at players like Tristan, Riquelme, palermo, Morientes and Kily Gonzales who all struggled to play last year and are clearly world-beaters.

Here's some of the players who you can choose from for a liga B team:
casillas/Rustu
Reizeger Salgado rafael Marquez Helguera Naybet Romero
Beckham Figo/Joaquin* Guti valeron/Ronaldinho* Aimar Solari Xavi Overmas Luis Enrique De Pedro cambiasso Motta Vicente (with Heguera/baraja being a possibility)
Portillo Kliuvert Saviola Kovacevic Nihat Tristan Pandiani Luque Torres
* One of them will play for the main La Liga team so the other can play for the B team.

I can bet that this Liga B team will beat the Premiership A team. And the awesome array of creative and attacking talent is just further proof of why the Liga is infinitely superior to watch than the Premiership, which for all its speed and directness is as close to footballing Nirvana as a Big Mac (and I like Big macs) is to a meal at a 3-star Michelin restaurant.

The Blah


----- Original Message -----
From: Viswamitra Hariharan
To: 'Raja Balasubramanian' ; 'Ved Bhushan Sen' ; 'Ved (non-work) Sen' ; 'Karthik Mahadevan' ; 'Anirban Blah'
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 2:43 PM
Subject: RE: La Liga vs. Premiership...


Think 3-1 for La Liga ... but u know whats the funny thing in this
comparision ... beyond this top 11 team the La Liga lacks serious depth
whereas the Premiership can have atleast another team with similar
strength ...

Ved im sure u disagree

Now what do I think about the premiership team -

Campbell ... please ... I have a problem with him in the arsenal team.
Also I think I would prefer the offensive options of a Riise to Cole.

Cudicini ... Im sure the premiership can do better than that. And Stevie
G, duff, veron anyday a better deal than Keane.

Well personally think Michael owen should be there ... but that argument
is equally valid with ruud and henry .... depending on who u support.
Though I think henry is looking a little jaded this year. Also now with
Mutu, Crespo, all in the premiership ... this striker thing will be
difficult.

Hi all ...... Im guessing all of you are this interested in discussing
this .. if not im sorry.

Viswamitra Hariharan


-----Original Message-----
From: Raja Balasubramanian [mailto:rajab700@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 2:18 PM
To: Ved Bhushan Sen; Ved (non-work) Sen; Karthik Mahadevan; Viswamitra
Hariharan; Anirban Blah
Subject: La Liga vs. Premiership...

interesting posting on the BBC messageboards.. the
person who posted this also said that la liga would
win..any opinions guys??

La Liga
Canizares

Puyol Ayala Pellegrino Carlos

Joaquin Zidane Alonso Overmars

Ronaldo Raul


Premiership

Cudicini

Gallas Campbell Hyppia Cole

Kewell Vieira Keane Giggs

Henry Van Nistelrooy

Makalele gets an offer from Chelsea, offering to almost double his salary. He would prefer to leave unless Madrid improves the salary they pay

The bomb has exploded all right!!!!!!!!

This is the worst news possible. On the same day that Viera signed a deal!

That leaves us with Davids as the only better option. Baraja comes close but was injured often last year I thought. Xabi Alonso does not come close, I think Gatusso is better. Ballack will not be sold. If they do sell Makalele, maybe the best option is to buy 2 central defenders and put Helguera in the middle. I think he is probably even better than Makalele.

I know that this is blackmail but I feel that it was bound to happen. I feel that the match against Juve proved that we can survive the loss of any player, but we cannot manage without makalele. He is not as good as the Galacticos, but he is more important than any of them, with the possible exception of raul and maybe, Zidane. For the last 2 seasons, I'd say that his contibution has been greater and more consistent than Figo. As such an important player, he should get paid at least as much as a Beckham. I don't know how much Helguera gets paid but he is another guy who needs to get paid as much as Beckham.

We can't let him stay an unhappy player...that never works out. At the same time I very much doubt Valdano and Perez will allow blackmail, and I think the way they teated Hierro's dissent is proof of their iron fist.

Chances are they will sell and if they sell, I really hope the guy who comes in is Davids, or if not, then they buy Mexes and Samuel, and put Helguera in the middle.

11th August: Quick thoughts after the Asia Tour:

- The English media and I were clearly watching two separate sets of matches. They kept going on and on about how impressive Beckham was but to me he really was not that hot. He can still drop a ball on a penny, and he does distribute well, but I did not think he was any better than supposed fringe players Solari and Guti. He may have exceeded a lot of people's expectations but unless he improves his tackling and his ability to get past people he will not live up to the hype in my eyes. Work-rate, crossing and free kicks won't make him a Galactico.

- Ronaldo is not match-fit but he is still the Phenomenon. This year, we won't need to wait till one-third of the season is over before he starts firing on all seasons. I think Van Neisteroy keeps getting better but Ronaldo is still THE MAN, and unless he's injured I'm sure he will be the Pichichi this year

- Zidane is God. Of that there is no doubt.

- Portillo and El Moro both look like high quality forwards even though they did miss some sitters. I doubt if there is place for both on this team unless Quireoz plans to rotate his squad in a big way, not just for Copa Del Rey. I love the runs that Portillo makes and the positions he takes in the box... pure predatory instincts. He still needs to work cohesively with the others but that will only happen if he plays regularly with them, which he does not at this stage. Also, his dribbling skills need some more developing. At this stage Morientes still looks the better player.

- Celades is the opposite of Zidane. He is just c r a p!

- Macca looks to be on his way out. That's the only explanation for Celades playing ahead of him.

- Guti and Solari were hugely impressive. Guti's vision, distribution, involvement and work-rate were better than I have ever seen. I am convinced that his best position is behind the strikers in central midfield. We should definitely keep him in the squad not just because he is from the Cantera but because he will be a great sub to have on the bench. Solari looks to have rediscovered the speed, dribbling and shooting that made him one of the best players of the 2001-02 season. I was disappointed with him last season, he was good but he lacked the spark... now he looks like being back to being a match-winner.

- Cambiasso is not ready to be a single pivot when Makalele is injured

- Roberto Carlos is a machine, and I say this in the most complimentary way. No one else can dream of being this fit in pre-season. One of the best players as usual.

- Raul was born to captain this team

The best squad against Betis if we must have a single-pivot diamond formation:
Casillas
Salgado-Pavon-Helguera-Roberto Carlos
Figo-Makalele-Zidane-Solari
Raul
Ronaldo



7th August: On Valdano's statement that Madrid don't need to spend really big money on a defenfer because Pavon and Helguera are good enough. Pavon is ready to step up and become one of Europe's top defenders

Agree to some degree. I think they make a good team and the only way Pavon will get better is by playing more games. I also believe Helguera is one of the 3 most versatile defensive players in Europe (like Zanetti), someone who is a good central defender and an excellent defensive midfield pivot.

But at the same time, I feel that the cover that we get has to be at least at that level, not someone who drops the level appreciably, as was the case with Hierro last year. That's why I'm not so excited about the Luisao idea. It's no point buying someone who is a squad player, we might as well stick to the cantera in that case.

The best solution, that gets us a strong defence, strong midfield and lets Pavon improve would have been to buy anyone from Mexes/Lucio/Marquez/Milto/Chivu, ideally someone with some pace, and let Helguera play alongside Makalele as a double pivot. That way we have the most balanced side possible.

A side that will not ge overrun in midfield, that will win balls for Figo and Zidane to create for Raul and Ronaldo, that allows Salgado and Roberto Carlos to get forward without fear of giving away cheap goals. Also, a side that let's Pavon and the new guy develop an understanding safe in the knowledge that 2 of Europe's best defensive pivots are protecting them.

At the same time pavon keeps getting better and more experienced while Guti gets decent midfield opportunities as a sub (and he is a lot better as a creative midfielder than as a forward).

But no, we've gone and bought Goldenballs (who I do feel is quite a good player actually, definitely Top 25 in the world, but no more) and so the system is all screwed and all my plans for developing pavon while still having some steel in the side are out of the window.
If I was American I'd find someone to sue

The Sale

I think we all guessed this would happen, and maybe it's better in the long term... we will make a lot more money to buy great players in the future.

Just to clarify, this is clearly not a "waste of money". They will recover the money in less than 2 years in merchandising alone. Also, Beckham will now hand over 50% of all personal endorsements to the club (they have bought 50% of his image rights). In case Beckham does not do well at the club or the club does not do well without him, they will only pay Man U 18 million pounds, the balance 7 is based on appearances and results. Barcelona had done a projection saying they could earn 10 million a year from Beckham. The Real marketing machine will earn at least 1.5 times that. 70% of all Man U merchandise in Japan is Beckham. Over 50% of all Man U merchandise in Asia is Beckham.
And as to those who say how it's terrible that this deal is terrible because commerce is being put before football, that's just silly. To do well in football you need the money to buy the best players. And for that you need to run your team in a way that makes commercial sense, where you can make money. To delink commerce from sports is an amateur concept, one that died many years ago. The clubs that delink the two only end up close to bankruptcy, like Madrid themselves 3 years ago.

The only way in which this money is a waste is if it results in us not having the cash flow to buy a central defender and a defensive midfielder this summer. If that happens, then I doubt we will win anything next year unless Pavon, Helgura and Makalele manage the entire season without injuries and unless the coach (whoever he may be) drops Hierro.

I know why we bought Beckham but I the greater priority for next season is to buy Chivu and Lucio or Mexes and move Helguera to midfield. Sometime back I had said one defensive midfielder and one central defender, but none of the good defensive midfielders (Viera, Davids, Gatusso) are available cheap so two central defenders would be a better idea with Helguera in midfield.

The team has spoken about how Beckham will may in central midfield with Makalele but I think that will be a big mistake. We lost to Juventus because of our defensive frailties, both at the back where Hierro was disastrous, and in midfield where Davids overran a midfield that was sorely missing Makalele. I am worried that playing Beckham in the middle will leave Makalele even more isolated and overworked than the last year, and instead of addressing our weaknesses accentuates them.

That is why I still hope we sell Figo... with his diminished skills, I don't see him as significantly better than Beckham on the right flank. Yes Figo is better, but not significantly... he is getting older and slower every year, he tends to give the ball away, he doesn't release the ball quickly enough, he over-dribbles and he dives too much. His moments of genius put him at a level above Beckham the difference not unbridgeable. So while Figo is still better than Beckham, I think it's better to have Beckham replace Figo on the right than to play Beckham in the middle. A midfield of Beckham-Helguera-Makalele and Zidane will control games far more effectively than a midfield of Figo-Beckham-Makalele-Zidane. Beckham prefers the middle but the reason why he has not been able to nail down a spot in the middle even for England is because he simply cannot control a game from the middle, he cannot be a "pivot" and he also then loses his greatest strength, the crosses from the right. Honestly, when it comes to playing at the middle, Beckham is only marginally better than Guti at this stage, and I'm sure enough people in Madrid would debate that as well.

Selling Figo even in a depressed market will still free up some cash and allow us to add some steel to the line-up by buying 1 or 2 world class defenders.
The plan right now seems to be to sell only Morientes at this stage along with some possible B-Team players like Tote (who I actually think is an excellent player). There are a lot of players who can be sold now... Geremi, Celades, Tote, Morientes and collectively they should raise at least 15 million pounds. Throw Figo into the mix and we will end up with enough cash to buy some superb defensive players. We will also recover the cash on Beckham and come out looking like geniuses from this.

Man U may have made a marketing mistake but in footballing terms it's probably a great move. If they replace Beckham with Ronaldinho and a world-class goalkeeper they will be serious Champions League contenders next year, a team that is strong in every part of the field except one of the wing-backs. But the terms of the payment from Madrid (over 4 years) means that they won't have a great cash flow situation and they will need to negotiate similar terms for the players they buy.

Real Madrid 4-Athletico Madrid 0
Meanwhile Real Sociedad lost 3-2 to Celta Vigo leaving Madrid 2 points clear with one match to go after having gone into the match in second place

Match Review and Thoughts on il Fenomenon

A spectacular performance as all the stars came out to shine against Athletico with the title at stake.
Zidane looked a little tired as did Figo but they still managed to shake it off and deliver when it mattered most.

There was clearly tension in the air with it being a derby and with so much at stake but the team killed the game in less than 20 minutes.
By 30 minutes we were on a different planet and could already start thinking of the game at Vigo (where Vigo were already leading against Sociedad) and the game next week against Bilbao when the 29th title now lies in our hands.
The first goal had Zidane threading through an inch-perfect pass to il Fenomenon who finished spectacularly with his left foot.
The second goal had Figo deliver a better than Beckham cross to the foot of Raul in front of goal.
The 3rd was the same from the left flank to Ronaldo... this time the provider was Roberto Carlos.
The 4th goal by Raul (off another Zidane pass) was like icing on the cake but in those 30 minutes, the big 5 all stood up to be counted.

Almost everything was perfect, including the formation where Guti in midfield had one of his best games in ages.

So why almost... because of the ease with which young Torres made Hierro look his age... going past him with ease leaving the great man looking old and slow and clumsy yet again. I hate having to say this almost every week, and I love and respect the man for being the soul of this team during our revival in the late nineties, but he is dishonouring his legacy in playing on as a shambolic parody of himself.

But be that as it may, let's end by saluting il Fenomenon. Yes he missed a few sitters and could have had 5 goals last night. But just getting those chances is tribute to his genius. His runs, his feints, his intelligence... his absolutely unparalleled ability to see spaces and create opportunities where none seem to exist.

I have often called Raul the best forward in the world over the last 4 years. People across the world talk about Van the Man or Thierry Henry as being the best forwards in the game today. The Pichici title will go to Makaay. Sheva and Vieri will stake their claim to the title. But when il Fenomeno starts playing close to his best, and since the Christmas break, he is almost as good as he was in 97-98, none of these players come close. A Jaguar is a great car. So is a Lamborghini. But neither can ever be a Ferrari.

In the 4 years of darkness, we had come around to recognising Zidane as the greatest player of our generation. But the Fenomenon is back. And if he stays this way, then despite the 4 lost years, the son of Algerian immigrants in the suburbs of Marseille will have to be content to be an all time great, the most complete player of his generation... but not the Greatest.

Because the Greatest will be someone who at various times has been called unprofessional, overweight and mercenary... but who, at the end of the day, is just an exuberant, buck-toothed man-boy from Brazil who loves to score goals.

Il Fenomeno is ready to re-stake his claim as the only living player who can be mentioned in the same breath as Pele and Maradona.
The world's best-loved footballer is back where he belongs.
To the divine powers that control footballing destiny... we can only say thank you!

Sports Marketing in India: The Cricket Conundrum

The Business of Sports:
Sports… one of the two fastest growing consumer entertainment segments in the world, along with video games. Bigger than music. Bigger than movies. Bigger than books. The real “universal” language.

Football, Tennis, Basketball, Golf, Racing… marketing platforms with dedicated audiences, with followers who have an emotional response, where loyalties go beyond interest, where people put their wallets where their mouths are.

Players, events, broadcasts, clothing, merchandising, reporting, grassroots development, fan management, talent development, advertising… every single aspect of sport has been analysed, professionalized and monetised.

All of which makes sports a serious business.

The Indian Scenario:
India is been very different from any other country in terms of sports marketing. Indian sports marketing is essentially just cricket marketing, with cricket cannibalising all other sports, leaving a few sports like Golf, Tennis, Racing and Football to fight over the scraps. This is very different from other countries, where you never see one sport monopolising funds to such extent.

Every country has between one and four dominant sports, but no major country has a scenario where one sport captures over 80% of all brand spending on sports related advertising and sponsorships.

While Golf seems to have carved a small niche for itself, most Indian sports have failed to attract much sponsorship.
This essentially leads to a situation of dual cannibalisation, where cricket cannibalises other sports by draining them of funds, while the monster cricket brands like Pepsi, LG, Samsung, Hero Honda and Sahara make it increasingly difficult for smaller brands to keep up, to be heard, without spending similar amounts of money.

The Cricket Conundrum:
Movies and cricket are India’s 2 great national passions, the lowest common denominators. Nothing else can bring in the same audiences, with cricket surpassing even movies in its cross-regional and cross-linguistic appeal.

As a result, brands in India are increasingly being put in a situation where they can no longer afford to spend the amounts needed to be heard, to stand out in the middle of the cricket clutter. However, they are left with little choice but to continue spending on cricket despite the lack of returns simply because they see no other platform that can deliver the audiences that cricket does.

Proposals to sponsor other sports are met with comparative TRP ratings, and statements about how other sports don’t have much of a following.

Of course, no sport will have much of a following in the absence of grassroots initiatives, the creation of home-grown heroes, and the opportunity to experience other sports first-hand… all of which only happen if funds are put into a sport and a holistic marketing and development approach applied to it.

This is clearly the responsibility of sports administrators, and not companies, and it is understandable when brand managers insist that their duty is to create ROI or their shareholders, not to promote sports. And if there is an audience for a sport other than cricket, then the brand will certainly engage in the sport, but until then they will continue to focus on cricket as their primary sporting platform, simply because of the ROI’s provided by cricket.

The ROI Myth:
There is no absolute consensus on how this ROI is defined. Clearly, association with cricket increases brand recognition. And despite the inability of many Indian marketers to differentiate between Brand Recognition and Brand Appreciation (with Reliance India Mobile “Sehwag ki Maa” Ad being just one example), let us, for the moment also accept that an association with cricket also increases Brand Acceptance and Brand Appreciation.

The question that needs to be asked is whether cricket is necessarily the best way to achieve this. Whether cricket delivers the greatest Returns in terms of Brand Appreciation for every rupee Invested. A cursory glance at last year’s A&M/Mode Annual Survey of the Top 10 brands in India reveals that only one of the Top 10, Britannia, has a significant and sustained involvement with cricket.

Let us make a marketing leap of faith and assume that in the new paradigm, the objective of marketing is not Brand Building but sales impact. Let us assume that the association with cricket has contributed to the sales figures of everyone from a Pepsi to a Samsung. Again the key here is not the absolute impact on units sold, but the Return on Investment. There are simply no quantitative or qualitative tools that can determine whether Rs.5 crores of cricket related spending per year leads to more sales than Rs.5 crores of sales promotion activity at the retail level.

So, what we have is a situation where:
1) If the objective of marketing is sales, it is debatable whether cricket sponsorships have a greater impact on sales than other lower cost methods
2) If the objective is Brand Appreciation, are very few brands that are able to effectively translate awareness into appreciation, and except in a few isolated instances like MAK Lubricants, those that do, do so at a price point that is often unsustainable in the long term.

Marketing by Formula:
Truth is, marketing in India is increasingly becoming a formulaic discipline. Crunch the numbers, cover your bases, do what everyone else is doing. Leading to a situation where the returns on the marketing rupee are not questioned enough, or if they are, are questioned along the wrong lines.
“X has Yuvraj, so we must have Sehwag”, and if you manage to sign Sehwag, and people see the Sehwag ad, that is all that matters. So run the ad 20 times a day, especially when Sehwag gets out, or if India is not playing, during the broadcast of the latest thriller between Bangladesh and South Africa. That is what the average marketer in India understands of marketing ROI.

Don’t worry about the qualitative aspects, ranging from what feeling the ad creates in the audience to whether you have truly been able to leverage the player or the sport in the most effective way.

As a classic example, the recent World Cup saw brands falling over each other to clamber on to the cricket bandwagon. Yet, the highest ROI on marketing investment was probably the celebrity-free MAK Lubricants… low cost, but completely memorable. In terms of ground-level promotions, the Britannia Khao World Cup Jao,, a sustained property from 1998-99 and again in 2002 – 03, is an example of a low-cost, highly effective marketing campaign. Which translated in the high recall for both brands post-World Cup 2003.

The point here is not that cricket sponsorships and cricket endorsements don’t work. Of course they do. But the key to making them work is a clearer understanding of what sports marketing really is about. Cricket sponsorship that is driven by the fear of being left behind, will result in a worse evil, spending shareholder money in activities that create no differentiation, that are lost in the clutter.

MAK Lubricants works because there is a clear understanding of how to leverage sports as a marketing platform, how to capture the essence of a sport and use it to strengthen your brand, regardless of the linkage between the brand and the sport.

Reliance India Mobile does not work because it is a crude attempt to hitch on to the bandwagon, without understanding how the sport can bring value to the brand.
Because sports’ marketing is not about hitching on to the most popular sport in the country, it is about leveraging a sport in the most effective way to create value for your brand. And despite the huge amounts of money being spent on cricket, few brands in India have an understanding of what sports marketing is really about.

Sports Marketing… the evolution:
There is a reason why sport is such an effective platform for marketers globally. It creates an emotional impact, has a loyalty quotient, is a part of the tapestry of people’s lives, in a way that few other things are.

But sports marketing can never be about one sport. This is why we don’t have half the world’s sports marketing budgets allocated to football. Because as sports marketing evolves in any market, the awareness creeps in that sports’ marketing is not about putting all your eggs in one basket. Because as every brand tries putting its eggs in that basket, then regardless of how big the basket is, one day the eggs will spill over and break.

Sports’ marketing follows a very well defined evolutionary pattern, especially in emerging markets.

1) 3-5 sports in a country that have high fan interest, with one of the sports being a national passion

2) Increased professionalism in the leading sport and increased corporate interest in the sport

3) An explosive growth in sponsorship for the leading sport and cash crunch in other sports

4) Niche-based and philanthropic support for the other sports functioning almost as a life-support system while the lead sport reaches saturation point.

5) Rationalisation in sponsorship for the lead sport as sponsors start taking low cost-leadership positions in other sports, seeking to achieve differentiation, to be a leader in 2 or 3 niches rather than a minor voice in the lead sport

6) The other sports begin growing until they reach a stage where they are well supported by companies, have loyal, dedicated followings and are a cost-effective platform for brands. Meanwhile the lead sport continues to draw the highest audiences and funding, but at a more sustainable, less cluttered scenario.

A good example of stage 6 is England where football is the dominant sport, but where there is strong corporate funding for sports like rugby and racing. An even better example is Australia where Aussie Rules is the dominant sport but Cricket, Rugby, Tennis and a host of other smaller sports, all receive substantial corporate support and have strong fan interest.


India and Sports Marketing… a summary:
India today is somewhere between stage 3 and 4 in the evolutionary model. However, marketing hubris seems to be stopping brand managers from thinking, from being innovative, from moving to the next level.

It’s time for marketers to start thinking about and questioning their involvement with cricket. Marketers must realise that while “me-too” marketing is the easily justifiable strategy in the short term, it can be hugely damaging in the long term. A minor voice on a major bandwagon can never be a great brand. Great brands are innovative, intelligent and have the ability to identify niches where they can establish a leadership position… a position that is gradually extended to more and more niches.

The opportunity to use sports as a platform for marketing leadership is out there… it remains to be seen whether Indian marketers have the ability to play ball.

The Blah