I was staring straight into the shining sun.
It is a story of a ~12-year-old boy, who just finished watching his first world cup football, Korea-Japan ’02. The boy had seen the blue whites of Argentina bowing out – sadness amongst the older generation around him as the camera zooms on Batistuta. The boy had seen the weirdest haircut in the Turkish team, it was his first time looking at an early ’10s version of era-defining Mohawk. Additionally, he had seen a “world-cup winning” French team losing and leaving the first round, in fact, his first permanent memory of football can be Senegal vs France, first round, World Cup Finals.
Finally, he had seen the Brazil team playing an authentic version of football, different than others where they play man-to-man, hints of a lost tribal dance, and also score goals from freekicks. The superstar for him in that world cup was a guy who just returned from injury and everyone was doubting his presence and performance, yet he scored around 9 goals. He was the phenomenon- Ronaldo Nazario de Lima and his hairstyle which apparently differentiated him from his teammate Roberto Carlos. Brazil amazed me that year, be it Rivaldo-Ronaldinho-Cafu or the phenomenon himself.
This Brazil team had a few players who were playing club football in clubs whose games you could see on ESPN. Hazy and full of static, but that boy could see Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo playing in white shirts, along with the other famed players from the tournament. The newspapers called that team, “Galacticos” – a collection of stars. Life went along afterward, Galacticos, just like the Beatles, broke down. A lot of their games were pretty poor. There were many individual moments of brilliance, yes, but they were few and far between.
Coaches and managers came and went, some attained success, some did not, yet that boy – I always wanted to catch up with that team. The gameplay of Galacticos had been fluid, usually. I never understood the role of Figo in that team, Beckham also felt like trying to match up with the tempo but Roberto Carlos and Zidane were awe-inspiring. On a dark day, a flick made popular by YouTube is good enough to take my melancholy out.
Fast-forward to March 2022. I was on the Madrid Metro Station – Plaza de Espana, on my way to Santiago Bernabeu station. As the name came to the digitized board, my heart began shaking. Is this real life? Or has all this been a long dream?
I came out of the station and I could not believe my eyes – the super-imposing structure of Santiago Bernabeu took my breath for a moment. I knew I had a date with destiny that day. I walked past the Madrid logos/stores that sell bootlegged replicas and the mascots, which obviously I could not avoid. I could not believe that I was in the palisade of dreams, I walked around the entire stadium, I wanted to gauge the monstrosity that is the infrastructure itself and obviously the work that was being done to make it even bigger and put it in the map of 21st Century. This feels like what the Romans would feel around Colosseum, I can only guess.
Walking into the Stadium, already under construction is under-whelming but you will not feel it at that time. At that time you are busy soaking in the grass of the stadium while Hala Madrid plays in the background. The 84,000 capacity stands – all empty looks at you and make you feel insignificant yet strangely powerful. My brain was pumping in serotonin-like there was no tomorrow. How many times have I watched this green field, Iker Casillas, Diego Lopez, Keylor Navas and Tibo Courtois. So many legends have dominated these fields. People cheered for Ronaldinho when he kept pulling a worldie, during Classico.
My thoughts were disrupted by a tap on my shoulder, a guy wearing Barcelona colours wants a photo here. I smiled, of course, my pleasure. Thank you for paying good money despite hating this institution- this is the allure of Real Madrid, even the haters would stand in a line to see you.
I walked out of the stands, the next destination being the trophy room. The legendary trophy room has been the focal point of any football-loving individual. Real Madrid- as a club has won everything, they have the authority over words like European Royalty and Legendary regarding football. They are the most successful club in the history of the game and they have decorated the room to show it in such a way. The room starts with trophies you have not heard of, ever. But they are huge and shiny, and magical moments being telecasted at the other side of the room shimmer on the shiny silver side and you can feel those moments.
Parents bring their children to show a visual representation of the word glory. The trophy room will feel endless once you walk into the second room containing the Spanish Football League – La Liga trophies. At the time of my visit, it was 34 trophies, I could not even count. I walked past each one of them, trying to reconnect my memories with each one. Ah – this one is the 2007 La Liga Santander trophy. That season was- as you would call it – balls to the wall. Both sides are at 76 points. Jose Antonio Reyes – a loanee from Arsenal scored the title-winning goal. It was glorious. And it was also my first time watching Real Madrid winning a trophy. You can never forget your first time, I guess.
Next, are the Supercopa and Copa del Reys, or in English – Super Cup and King’s Cup. Again, stopping at 2013-14 Copa Del Rey – Bale’s Run at Mestalla. I was standing – sad to see another failed cup run. But no, Fabio Coentrao to Bale, flick to front and then the Welsh Wizard took flight. The beginning of the era of dominance. While looking at the 2011 trophy, I scan the corners to see any visible cracks. Sergio Ramos dropped it during the celebrations. So many trolls went on – Real Madrid forgot to hoist a trophy up high as they have not won one in a while. Well, that aged poorly.
What about SuperCopa de Espana trophy of 2021-22. Real Madrid won that one, the most recent trophy till I visited. That has become the least important trophy once again, as usual. My co-editors at Madrid Betar make fun of the fact Supercopa is so unimportant that you could put the Castilla- the Youth Team in the games, silly but on a particularly draining season, why not? I kept walking, I kept taking photos. I had to capture each and every single photo of this day. They will reside in my memory for the longest time.
In the next room, are the crowns of glory and the swords of the fallen foes. Yes, the room of the UEFA Champions Leagues. It is said that Real Madrid defined the European Championship Tournament by winning it and making it their bread and butter. A lot of skeptical and opinionated people talk about early tournaments being not the most important but the problem with that bias is that you always look through the lens of your club. If your boyhood club was still in its infancy, it should not cloud the vision of the facts. The first continental-wide tournament was dominated by one club and one club only. While walking past the shining trophies, I look at that statement as well as my reflection, Real Madrid is the King of Europe. I am in the presence of royalty.
Right underneath was the jersey of Di Stefano, domination was started by him. Beside that, was the medal from La Decima. Signed jerseys, photos, pins and medals got me lost. I came to the end of my walk. A dream, a longing finally met, and my life was never the same again.
Photos – Yours Truly.
