Juventus bring Los Galacticos back down to earth
Three weeks ago, Real Madrid had the world at their feet after completing a dazzling 6-5 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Three weeks ago, Real Madrid had the world at their feet after completing a dazzling 6-5 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The timid surrender of their European crown in Turin on Wednesday represents a spectacular fall from grace.
A 3-1 semi-final win for Juventus -- and 4-3 on aggregate -- denied Real a chance of a 10th European Cup win, and fourth since 1998, and may signal the end for coach Vicente del Bosque and captain Fernando Hierro.
A side featuring a quintet of the world's most feted players -- and habitually referred to in Spain as "Los Galacticos" -- had already humbled Alex Ferguson's side in a 3-1 win at the Bernabeu.
On a magical night at Old Trafford they then clinched a semi-final spot when a Ronaldo hat-trick kept their opponents at arm's length throughout the game and earned them comparisons with the 1970 Brazil.
A few days later, Real moved four points clear in the Spanish first division and a first league and European Cup double since 1958 was theirs for the taking.
The situation looks very different in the wake of the meekest of capitulations to Juventus.
David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero put the Italians 2-0 up and, after Luis Figo had missed a penalty, Pavel Nedved effectively sealed victory with his side's third.
Zinedine Zidane did pull one back in the 89th minute but the Frenchman's strike came too late to inspire a Real comeback.
Real are also in trouble in the Spanish league after a 5-1 defeat at home to Real Mallorca and a goalless draw with Recreativo Huelva.
They are now a point behind Deportivo Coruna and Real Sociedad with five games left to play, and Del Bosque's position is under question.
Real president Florentino Perez may well stick to his pledge to re-sign a coach who commands respect from players and the admiration of everyone for his deft handling of a dressing room featuring some of the most famous names in the world game.
It may be difficult to justify Del Bosque's position, however, if the club fail to win anything in a season when Ronaldo was added to a squad already featuring Zidane, Figo, Roberto Carlos and Raul.
Juventus proved on Wednesday what has long been suspected -- that Real are so weak in defence, and so reliant on the guts and guile of French midfielders Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane, that they are vulnerable to any side organised and aggressive enough to take the game to them.
Makelele was out injured, while Juventus managed to limit Zidane's influence by relentlessly attacking Real's left flank, forcing Zidane back to cover for Roberto Carlos.
Real's overwhelming problem, though, was in defence, where the 35-year-old Hierro was humiliated.
The Real captain was at fault on the first goal, failed to stop Del Piero on the second and generally failed to play to the standard required.
"Hierro - go now!" was the unforgiving headline in sports daily As the morning after the game and his fate does appear to be sealed.
Again, Perez may honour a previous promise to give Hierro a new contract but the leadership of the defence must surely now pass to Ivan Helguera.
"Real fans should be proud of the side's achievements in the European Cup in recent years," Del Bosque said in defence of his team.
The supporters have indeed been proud of their club but that success has raised expectations so high that even Del Bosque's record of two European Cups and a league title in three seasons may not be enough to keep him employed.