Burning fuse at the Bernabeu
Most Real Madrid players would have expected to wake up with a bit of a sore head after their side clinched the Spanish title last weekend, but few will have been prepared for the monumental hangover that was to hit the club the following day.
Most Real Madrid players would have expected to wake up with a bit of a sore head after their side clinched the Spanish title last weekend, but few will have been prepared for the monumental hangover that was to hit the club the following day.
Less than 24 hours after their dramatic title-winning 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on the final day of the season, coach Vicente del Bosque and captain Fernando Hierro were unceremoniously shown the door.
For Hierro, 14 years of service at Real ended last Monday afternoon when, contrary to all expectations, he was refused an extension to his contract. The 35-year-old had paid the price for leading a player rebellion sparked by the squad's irritation at the club's decision to announce the signing of David Beckham in the run-up to the title decider and the delay in renewing the contract of the much-loved Del Bosque.
After the post-match celebrations on the pitch, Hierro had a stand-up row with the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano in the dressing-room and refused to lead the players out for a second lap of honour or to speak to the media. Club president Florentino Perez was furious and, when they then threatened to boycott the traditional reception laid on by the Madrid council, he responded with a barbed retort at the post-match meal. "I can only see long faces as I look around the tables and I can't understand why people are not celebrating - please be more mature. I ask you to put on your suits tomorrow and turn up to the reception to pay tribute to the thousands of fans."
After tense discussion that stretched into the early morning, the players eventually agreed to attend the reception, but hours later Hierro was informed he had been discarded. It has been an open secret that, during the course of the last year, there has been a widening rift between Perez and some of the heavyweight players in the squad. Perez tried to use Fernando Morientes as a makeweight in the deal to sign Ronaldo at the start of this season, a move that incensed the striker's close friends Hierro and Raul. An irate Hierro responded to the proposal by saying that "players are not merchandise", but his assessment was completely at odds with Perez's view. Head of the massive construction company ACS, the bespectacled 56-year-old may be a devoted Real Madrid fan but first and foremost he is a hard-nosed businessman determined to use the world's leading players to ensure that the club are supreme in football's global marketplace.
On the back of his audacious election-winning swoop for Barcelona's Luis Figo three years ago and the subsequent addition of Zidane, Ronaldo and now Beckham - who will be unveiled as a Madrid player on Wednesday - he has turned Real into the biggest brand name in football.
There is no doubt that Perez is an extremely astute operator, but none of this would have been possible without his skilful use of what the Spanish call enchufes, or connections. As a former local politician, Perez has become close friends with the leading figures in the ruling centre-right PP party that runs the capital. Without these connections Perez would never have been able to get the approval for the sale of the club's city-centre training ground that has given the club cash to shell out close to £132 million on buying four of the world's top players in the last three years. Perez's experience in wheeling and dealing with the local authorities allowed him to override objections of residents and opposition parties and get the training-ground land reclassified so that four huge tower blocks could be built on it. He then persuaded the local authority to agree to buy the land for £258 million, wiping out the club's £160 million debt.
While other clubs are being crushed by the worldwide funding crisis in football, Real have actually become more wealthy. As long as they keep delivering on the pitch, the Spanish club's position at the summit of world football looks unassailable. And that is where the rather indecorous removal of the faithful Del Bosque comes in. Seven trophies in 3.5 seasons, including two European Cups and two league titles were not enough to earn the amiable 52-year-old a contract renewal. "This decision may seem cruel, but we are running the most prestigious sporting institution in the world... and we take decisions with our heads not our hearts," said Perez.