ClapAfter a three-year wait, Real Madrid are once again the Champions of Spain as their 2-1 victory over Villarreal confirmed their place at the top of the La Liga mountain.
It didn’t seem as if they’d be able to overcome rivals Barcelona ahead of the initial restart, but as the games went on, it was clear to see that Barca were faltering – whereas Real were starting to thrive.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was clearly pleased with his side’s triumph as they return to the top table once again.
“The Champions League is the Champions League but La Liga makes me happier, because La Liga is what it’s all about,” said Zidane.
“This is a tremendous feeling because what these players have done is incredible. I am lost for words because I am too emotional.
“The players are the ones who have fought for this. It’s true I’ve played my role but they are the ones who believe in what they are doing.”
“It’s strange for everybody, we would have liked to have been with our fans at Cibeles but it’s not meant to be,” added Zidane.
“But I’m sure everyone is happy in their homes tonight. The fans always love to see the team win and we’ve done this for them.”
Still, while there are plenty of reasons to be positive, Real fans shouldn’t expect too much investment heading into the summer transfer window – as confirmed by Florentino Perez.
“It’s difficult to ask the players to take a pay cut to help deal with the situation and then make signings like that. That can wait. Madrid will sign the best again when the situation changes.”
“This year has been the most difficult for me,” Perez added. “We lost important income from the stadium. We had to talk to the players for them to do their bit. If they hadn’t voluntarily lowered their salaries, the company would have suffered losses. It’s an exceptional situation.
“We receive a lot of income from the stadium, we’ve had losses of 25% which is a lot of money. You notice it more with Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid than the other clubs because they cover their costs with television rights and we don’t.”
Some will also be questioning the future of Gareth Bale, as the Welshman continues to tease the idea that he could wind up leaving the Santiago Bernabeu sooner rather than later.
Still, while some Real fans will want to shift their attention towards the UEFA Champions League, they need to allow themselves to bask in the glory of what they’ve been able to accomplish already.
They know that they face a real test in the form of Manchester City, but they’ve already been able to overcome an important hurdle by dethroning Barcelona.
Now, they have to keep their foot down on the pedal in an attempt to really drive home the point that they want to be at the top of Spanish football for a long time to come.
It’s a huge accomplishment, and it bodes well for their future.
