Perez brings the 'Galacticos' back to Real Madrid
Two hundred and 60 million dollars! For that amount of money you could buy yourself a sports franchise, admittedly not perhaps a storied sports franchise like the Montreal Canadiens, but a sports franchise none the less
Two hundred and 60 million dollars!
For that amount of money you could buy yourself a sports franchise, admittedly not perhaps a storied sports franchise like the Montreal Canadiens, but a sports franchise none the less.
In the case of European soccer powers Real Madrid however, for that amount of money you can buy two footballers! That's right, two, and that is the reason that, with all due respect to the character in the beer commercial, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is the most interesting man in the world!
The construction magnate returned to the helm of Real Madrid at the end of this past season, three years removed from his first term as president.
That first term introduced us to the word "Galacticos." It was Perez's ambition to put the biggest names, and greatest players, on the field at the same time for one club; a great idea on paper, but rarely successful on the field.
Indeed, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham all signed, Perez stunned the soccer world, and did achieve some success.
crown and two Champions League titles were not the expected return for shattering the world record transfer fee on more than one occasion.
Perez would leave the club in 2006. His project had failed. However, like all great super-villains, he has returned stronger than ever. The Galacticos, part two, is here!
The two crown jewels Perez is using to launch his master plan this time around are Brazilian Kaka and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. Together they have cost the aforementioned $260 million.
There are more names on the way - big names, for big money, including French striker Karim Benzema, who signed last week.
And that is why, this off-season is as compelling as we've ever seen. It is also why Florentino Perez is the most interesting man in the world.
James Sharman, host and creator of The Footy Show on The Score Television Network, is a self-admitted long suffering soccer addict. Contact James at [email protected] or follow him at Twitter.com/jamessharman