Madrid - the royal capital city that embodies and captures a robust culture of flamboyant and proud inhabitants. Unlike the autonomous boarder localities whom of which browbeat unique illuminating sophistications of their own, Madrid, beacon of the monarch, upholds and exemplifies all that is Spanish. Not Catalán, not Euskal, not Gallego, ETC but Español. And along with the title madrileño partners a certain swagger that identifies with an exemplary Spanish practice as controversial as it is traditional, corrida de toros – bullfighting.
The Spanish have a name for the daring, and cheeky personality pursued by strutting matadors – machismo - parading their trade in the dusty ring of Madrid’s own Las Ventas and other rings around the Spanish speaking world. Bovine infatuations have been instrumental to the development of Iberian civilization from the dawns of the region’s earliest inhabitants and continue to distinguish those in the country bold enough to claim their heritage as true Spanish. Festivals and celebrations in towns all over Spain, unique as snowflakes, oftentimes still portray local customs involving the creatures. Though widely condemned for their role in animal cruelty, bullfighting aficionados not only expect the poetic duel between man and beast to tip in the favor of the former but also demand it be done so by the means of an entertaining and enjoyable performance, that in which the crowd renders artistic and pleasing on an aesthetic level.
The intriguing mentality bangs a similar drum as the club that too represents the idea that is España, Real Madrid, built to win and designed to inspire. Re-suppressed by eternal and Catalan rivals Barcelona this past season, Real not only failed to lift silverware but lacked the keen scoring sting in vital matches that ultimately cost them the La Liga crown.
A grocery list of injury, personnel, and internal problems shook the Bernabéu’s thick foundation this campaign but the lack of clinical finishing traces a breadcrumb trail of missed chances back to the center forwards. For the entire season Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín hunted the plains for their respective sparks but never foraged their top form. Down from their previous season’s tallies considerably, Ronaldo’s broad shoulders could only carry so much of the load this go around, proving the Portuguese is human after all.
The Frenchman Benzema’s La Liga catch at the end of the season only amounted to 12 goals, nine off the 21-goal pace he set last season. Meanwhile, Higuaín marked 16 league goals this season, six less than he managed the season before. If you add the combined difference of 15 absent goals to Real’s recorded 103 in La Liga this season, the total becomes 118, not too far off the 121 goals Los Blancos boasted when they won the league title last May. Imagine what 15 more goals could have done for Real Madrid’s season as a whole. But La Liga’s 2012-2013 chapter is over and preparations for its sequel are well underway.
Now as we know, this past Saturday following the Osasuna match, Higuaín announced he will leave the club. For his swan song the Argentine opened the scoring and captained the squad but after seven years in white and four consecutive seasons of rotation with Benzema, Pipita has elected for a change of scenery. Who could blame him, really (especially after all his commitment)? With the pressure doubled by the stature of the club’s ambitions and perhaps tippled by the obligation to win AND entertain, the job taxes some more than it may pay emotionally. To be branded a galáctico is a great honor but also a crippling burden in many cases. Not everyone’s performances live up to the hype. Ask Kaká.
In the June 2013 issue of FourFourTwo, the magazine interviewed four of Madrid’s original galácticos (Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Figo) about when the term was first coined by the media, but none of the legends had anything positive to say about that identification.
“There was a negative tone to the word galáctico, a term we never use to describe ourselves,” remarked Ronaldo (the one prior to Cristiano). It added (and still adds, I’m sure) tension to an already intense responsibility that did more to hinder the players than help them in the end.
Juventus are the most like suitor for Higuaín, who will probably be sold for a sum between 22-30 million euro according to reports. The reward money from the sale will expectedly go toward summer purchases as soon as a manager is installed. But with only one true established ‘number nine’ in the roster, Real will need to pursue a center forward replacement. Morata shows signs of promise but can’t be expected to hull in the quantity of goals Pipita did just yet.
Uruguayan and Liverpool ace Luis Suárez has been heavily linked with Real in the last week and also claims he is unwanted and uncomfortable on Merseyside, but Madrid would be taking a risk on the wildcard’s behavior by bringing the striker aboard. Plausibly, Suárez’s personality has too much bite (couldn’t resist) for the tireless paparazzi of Spain. Insisting that he can’t escape the press at Liverpool as a case to leave would be counterproductive in a move to Real where he would dwell under the magnifying glass more than ever.
Whereas Suárez might have a pitchside meltdown under the pressure of Real’s day-to-day weight, another target of interest appears to be the piece not to only the club’s puzzle but would also fit the character in the capital.
His nickname alone says it all – the Matador. Edinson Cavani has been singled out by the Madrid press as a priority for Florentino Pérez this summer. Maybe not to the same extent in which the socios crave Gareth Bale, but now that Neymar has selected his poison in the enemy camp, Madrid supporters are banking on their president to make the next move with a statement of intent.
Cavani, property of Napoli, scored the most goals of any player in Serie A this season with 29, six more than runner-up Antonio Di Natale and five more goals than the whole of bottom club Cesena managed all season (fun fact). However, Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli’s president, is playing very hard to get with his most valuable asset and for good reason. According to MARCA, he has slapped a frightening 63 million euro price tag on the 26 year-old. But you could argue the asking price is worth it nowadays for a striker that has scored 104 goals in all competitions in the last three seasons. Not to mention he achieved 23 plus league goals every season over that same time period in the Italian Serie A, where goals are traditionally harder to come by.
A statistician may brag that Cavani could also clear the hurdle in European competition that Higuaín typically tended to fall at. In only eight ever Champions League appearances, Cavani scored five goals, while the departing Higuaín has only ever scored eight in seven seasons in the Champions League (48 appearences). European goals are priceless treasures for Real supporters who have lusted over La Décima since the club won their ninth European Cup in 2002.
Harnessing a matador’s traits, Cavani is swift and clever, but that doesn’t take away from the physical tools the six-foot Uruguayan possesses. A lethal finisher from all situations, he has an intimate relationship with both feet as well as a powerful heading ability. Cavani has become well known for his net bursting finishes but is entitled to praise for his finesse as well. His never-rest mentality on the pitch is testament to his fitness and his positioning as an attacker is paramount to his success in front of goal. At Madrid, Cavani could blossom even more, wearing the white uniform and surrounded by so many geniuses. The complete striker? Yes. A crowd pleaser? Indeed. Like a glass slipper? Pretty close.
The Matador in la capital would be a sight for sore eyes in Catalonia, where not only would he become an instant enemy but, coincidentally, bullfighting has been banned there. September 2011 was the last bullfight in Barcelona after a law was passed to end the ritual regionally. Some boil it down to animal rights while others detect an underlying theme of nationalistic fortitude, inferring that the corrida de toros is too Spanish and not Catalán. Los Blancos hero and Barcelona silencer Raúl used to practice his passes with the capote in times of celebrations for the fans, but since his departure the club vice-captain Sergio Ramos does the honor, dancing with his magenta and gold cloak. Ramos has claimed in the past that if he was not a footballer, he would indeed be a matador, but I doubt he will be jealous of Cavani’s nickname if the Uruguayan can olé Madrid to victory once again.