Barcelona: The New Galacticos Of The La Liga
The term ‘Galacticos’ refers to the policy of Real Madrid under the presidency of Florentino Perez. According to this policy, one expensive superstar was always added to the team in each summer transfer window.
With time this term developed a negative connotation, when these superstars started to fail to produce results for their team. However, most of the time, Galacticos is referred to as the team in the start of the 21st century, which had its supremacy on the World of Football. The players included in the team were Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham. But, other players were also considered as a part of this whole legendary side, i.e. including Raul, Iker Casillas and Roberto Carlos.
This team enjoyed a lot of success in Europe, initially, but somehow failed to reproduce their success in the latter half of the decade. Nevertheless, the superiority enjoyed, between the years 2000 and 2003, is matchless in European football.
Now, Madrid’s team is trying to recreate their old Galacticos team, as they have signed some renowned footballers at very high costs, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso, in 2009.
This year, this team has been pimped up by the addition of Angel Di Maria. The basic idea behind Florentino Perez’s policy is that the presence of superstars would, eventually, bring success to the club. These superstars have played important roles in their last team’s success, and they would bring more success if they are blended into one unit.
On the contrary, the Madrid’s archrivals from Catalunya, FC Barcelona, have their own version of the perfect team. The Catalunyan giants have made a Galacticos of their own by buying one big player in each summer transfer window, but they have mixed them with the finest of their own players, promoted from their youth academy.
Thus, following the policy, FC Barcelona got hold of Dani Alves, in 2008, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in 2009, and David Villa, in 2010. These big names have been mixed with the likes of Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta, Xavi, Carlos Puyol, Gerard Pique, Pedro and Sergio Busquets; players who have been in the club for a very long time now.
There are other players who have been included in the side, like Keita, Maxwell and Abidal, but the real talent comes from the three big players and the youth players of the club.
This version of Barcelona’s Galacticos, the Catalunyans’ finest, has enjoyed more success, in the last two seasons, than any other Madrid’s team. This team made a record in Spanish history by winning the treble for the first time in La Liga. Also, their fine form continued as they won six trophies in the season, winning everything that came in their way.
Again, in the last season, they won their back to back league title, outplaying every single team in the process, while humiliating the new version of Madrid’s Galacticos. Even, during this season, they have gotten hold of David Villa, the best striker in Europe and probably in the World, which would further strengthen their squad.
These are the statistics in terms of numbers, i.e. the victories achieved by the Catalunyans. However, the Barcelona’s stars have also outplayed their rivals in terms of the game play. The Catalunyans are the best example, in the World, of the passing style, free flowing football, as they displayed lovely skills in the midfield.
Their players, like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, are the best players to watch on earth, which makes them one of the most brilliant football sides in the whole planet. Even, the old Galacticos of Real Madrid were not able to produce such a sublime show, although they had their own talented players.
There is no doubt that this Barcelona team has intended to take the reins of supremacy from the hands of their rivals, Real Madrid. With the quality coming in from the youth academy, and with the addition of new superstars ensures that this team would go a longer way then their rivals. The history of football is going to be re-written by the Barcelona’s Galacticos, while Madrid is trying hard to stop the onslaught.
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