2013-14 UEFA Champions League
Real
Madrid's youth academy (RMC) may not be as well known as that of
Barcelona's, Ajax's, or Monaco's in European championships, but the
2013-14 UEFA's biggest tournamest, the Champions League and the Europa
League, will host a total 16 teams and 31 players who have gone through Real Madrid's academy.
CARVAJAL: Right Back in TimeReal Madrid's youth academy (RMC) may not be as well known as that of Barcelona's, Ajax's, or Monaco's in European championships, but the 2013-14 UEFA's biggest tournamest, the Champions League and the Europa League, will host a total 16 teams and 31 players who have gone through Real Madrid's academy.
RMC Champions > CARVAJAL: Right Back in Time
Galatasaray 1:6 Real Madrid
Top Performers
A quick glance at the top performer's chart in Whoscored.com's coverage of Real Madrid's 6-1 Champions League victory over Galatasaray will reveal an unexpected surprise. In his Champions League debut, Daniel Carvajal (RMC 2002-2012) ranked fourth best performer of the match. What's more astounding was the fact that Carvajal's rating follows Cristiano Ronaldo's perfect 10 (3 goals/1 assist), Benzema's 2 goals and 1 assist, and Di Maria's 2 assists, respectively. Not to mention that, according to Whoscored, Carvajal performed better than Isco, whose 33 minute opener allowed Madrid to bulldoze their Turkish opponents [1]. But, if one has followed Real Madrid's season thus far, one should not expect less from one of best defenders of the 2012-13 German Bundesliga.
Come
Right Back
"On
12th May 2004, you had the honour of first setting foot at Valdebebas. Your
dreams have come true. You are now returning here having been named the best
right-back in the Bundesliga". The
words of Florentino Perez resounded all throughout the Santiago Bernabeu
stadium as Real Madrid's president presented the club's new defensive
acquisition [2]. Many have
argued the Leganés should never have left the Spanish capital for Germany last
season, while others have praised the club's posture in allowing their
academy's graduates secure much needed playing time in foreign soil. Whether you are for the prior or latter
ideology there is no argument that Daniel Carvajal has earned a spot in one of
the best club's in the world.
"A
Good Investment"
Alarms
went off on July 11, 2012 in Madrid when Carvajal agreed to join Bayer
Leverkusen on a five-year contract for €5 million [3]. Many questioned the selling club's stance as
the first team only had Alavaro Arbeloa (RMC 2002-2006) as the only true
right-back in the squad, while Carvajal was also an integral part in helping
Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, ascend into Spain's second division the
prior season. To everyone's surprise,
Castilla acquired the services of Rio Ave's Fabinho (RMC 2012-2013) on loan [4]
to plug the whole left behind by their star defender. As the transfer window closed, many were left
dumbfounded by the kind of business Real Madrid had made regarding their prized
youth academy.
Domestic
Affairs
To everyone's dismay, Real Madrid Castilla went on to close the 2012-13 Liga Adelante season as the best reserve team in Spain, conceding nine goals less than their fierce rivals , Barcelona B, right behind them [5]. Fabinho went on to play for newly ascended AS Monaco in the French Ligue 1 [6], and Carvajal received a call from a sporting director in Madrid. Real Madrid were about to begin a new project with a re-elected Perez at the helm. Having closed the season without a single piece of silverware, Jose Mourinho's time as coach at the Spanish capital came to an end, and the new project was to begin with Carlo Ancelotti in command. Incidentally, Mourinho left the club with many questions unanswered. One such dilemma concerned the ownership of the right back position as the Portuguese coach tried five different players who failed to impress [7]. So, the club looked towards their German neighbors and their academy product.
To everyone's dismay, Real Madrid Castilla went on to close the 2012-13 Liga Adelante season as the best reserve team in Spain, conceding nine goals less than their fierce rivals , Barcelona B, right behind them [5]. Fabinho went on to play for newly ascended AS Monaco in the French Ligue 1 [6], and Carvajal received a call from a sporting director in Madrid. Real Madrid were about to begin a new project with a re-elected Perez at the helm. Having closed the season without a single piece of silverware, Jose Mourinho's time as coach at the Spanish capital came to an end, and the new project was to begin with Carlo Ancelotti in command. Incidentally, Mourinho left the club with many questions unanswered. One such dilemma concerned the ownership of the right back position as the Portuguese coach tried five different players who failed to impress [7]. So, the club looked towards their German neighbors and their academy product.
As Bayer Leverkusen finished their 2012-13
Bundesliga season third place behind "kings of Europe" Bayern Munich
and Borussia Dortmund, Carvajal received his share of accolades. After 32 matches, the 5 ft 8 in player made
it to the Whoscored.com's [8] and Budesliga's team of the season [9] in his first
and only season in Germany.
WhoScored.com @
GRAPHIC: La Liga WhoScored
Team of the Week, Gameweek 4 pic.twitter.com/E1pjW2swkA
When Carvajal received the call back from Real
Madrid, he was ecstatic as the "Merengues" have been his childhood
team. They activated the €6.5 million
buy-back clause in Carvajal's contract, and he was presented May 12, 2013 as
the first player of the new project [10]. In
fourth game week into the 2013-14 season, Carvajal appeared on Whoscored's team
of the week, this time in the Spanish league with Real Madrid [11].
Though he did cost them €1.5 million, Carvajal has continued his good form since his tenure his northwest Germany. Since his debut with the first team (August 18, 2013) in the first game of the season, the Leganés has had four appearances and one assist in league [12]. At just 21 years of age, Real Madrid have acquired a much needed defender for years to come.
[3] "La marcha de Carvajal
ratifica la poca confianza de Mourinho en la cantera blanca" [Carvajal
departure confirms Mourinho's little confidence in white cantera] (in Spanish).
El
Confidencial. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
[9] "Team of the season 2012/13".
Bundesliga. 25 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
[10]
"Real Madrid recall Carvajal". Bayer Leverkusen. 3 June 2013.
Retrieved 3 June 2013.
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ÁDÁM SZALAI: Living in the Shadow of Puskas
RMC Champions > ÁDÁM SZALAI: Living in the Shadow of Puskas
[2][4]
The Shadow
In
2007, Real Madrid acquired the services of a young Hungarian from VfB
Stuttgart II name of Ádám Szalai (RMC 2007-2010*) [1]. Rumors of "the
next Puskas" swept across the Spanish capital like wildfire. Seeing as
how both the late Hungarian goal-scorer and Real's new recruit began
their footballing careers
in Budapest Honvéd FC. Ferenc Puskas was a Hungarian
striker with great character and one of the greatest strikers to have ever worn the all-white-strip. His goal to game ratio was immense
scoring 156 goals in 180 La Liga games and 35 goals in 39 games in
Europe all after his 31st birthday [2]. It's no wonder Real Madrid were
so quick to recruit another Hungarian striker with a
nose for the goal 41 years later.
From Riches to Rags
However, Szalai's
Real Madrid dream was short-lived, as 3 years and 23 goals out of 71
games later, Szalai was loaned back to Germany to 1. FSV
Mainz 05 [3]. Ádám's goals could only help Real Madrid B reach the 6th
position in La Liga's third division, missing out on the playoffs [4].
While many felt their hopes were up for nothing, living in the shadow
of the great Puskas may have been too much for 23-year-old Szalai. It
was time for a fresh start.
Mainz's 2012-13 season was not one of its best performances since they gained promotion int the Bundesliga in 2009 as they finished in 13th place [5]. Yet, it was one of Szalai's best season as a professional by far. On 10 February 2013, Szalai scored his 12th goal of the season against FC Augsburg, becoming the most productive Hungarian goalscorer in a single season in Germany's top division [6]. Szalai scored 13 goals out Mainz's total 42 goals of the season. That's about 31% of all goals scored by Mainz in 2012-13 as noted by WhoScored.com. The statistics website also placed Szalai as the 8th best goalscorer of the Bundesliga after Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich [7]. His performances were not unnoticed by FC Schalke 04's general manager, Horst Heldt, who's club was pending the club's qualification to the UEFA Champions League and could use the extra income to fund his transfer [8].
The True Test
Szalai now played to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, a
dream tournament for any professional footballer. Schalke had finished
4th in the 2012-13 [5] and many eyes were upon them to disrupt the hopes
of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich for the title. Schalke was also
known for having prolific goalscorers such as Klaus
Fischer (182 goals), Kevin Kurányi (71 goals), Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez
Blanco (28 goals), and currently Klaas-Jan Huntelaar [9]. Szalaiw was brought in to compete with for a place up top; an
arduous task as the Huntelaar was in good form since the
beginning of the season, scoring in the first two games of the
season [10]. Because of this, Szalai had to play the minutes given
to him as a substitute. A younger player, less experience player may
have become unsettled with the situation since Szalai was not playing regularly. Yet, he had only grown as a player after having dealt with the pressure of the
Spanish capital and struggled in a mid-table, German club for a couple of
years. All he had to was
wait for a chance to show everyone what he can do.
Suddenly, on August 17, 2013, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar picked up an injury in the 4-0 loss to Wolfsburg, which left the 2012-13 season hero sidelined for several weeks [11]. Ádám Szalai was subbed in and became the main target man for the Gelsenkirchen side, while the Champions league play-off games loomed in the horizon. It was the Hungarian's time under spotlight; it was time to show his pedigree.
Schalke's final group phase game was against previously disqualified PAOK of Greece. As the 2012-13 Ukrainian league runner-up was banned from European competition by UEFA after a match-fixing scanal, PAOK was reintroduced as Schalke's pre-qualification rival [12]. It was clear to many that Schalke were favorites. The first leg, however, told a different story; at home, Schalke and PAOK tied 1-1, and the game was going to be decided on Greek soil. In between the European fixtures, Schalke faced Hannover in the domestic league. Despite the loss, Szalai scored 55th minute to cover some of Schalke's blemishes [10].
Destination: Champions Leauge
The
second leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifier was a tense match.
Right before the half, Szalai scored. Advantage Schalke. The
second half began with PAOK's response, which brought the score level
again. Tension rose as a tie would only lead to extra time and a penalty shootout. After a rash tackle by Jermaine Jones, Schalke were reduced to 10 men, but spirits are soon lifted as the
Schalke's Julien Draxler scored on the 67th mintute.PAOK retaliated once again at the 79th minute, but the goal was meaningless as FC Schalke 04 would still be in the Champions league due to the "away goal" rule. Then, a minute before the whistle, a striker earned his keep. Ádám Szalai scored the definitive goal at the 90th minute of play to take the tally to 2-3 (3-4 on aggregate). FC Schalke was in the 2013-14 Champions League competition [13].
Though the shadow of Puskas may have followed him to Gelsenkirchen, Ádám Szalai's showed he has what it takes to quiet any doubting Schalke fans. From the arduous training camps of Madrid to roar of fans in Germany, there's only more to see from the young Hungarian. And, as Huntelaar returns from injury, there's going to be a spectacular fight for the number "9" spot in west Germany this season.
* Stands for the years the player spent in Real Madrid's reserve team (RMC). [1] "VfB-Talent Adan Szalai wechselt zu Real Madrid" [VfB Talent Adan Szalai moves to Real Madrid](in German). SWR
[2] "Ferenc Puskás" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferenc_Pusk%C3%A1s
[3] "Verein bestätigt: Ungar Adam Szalai von Real Madrid zu Mainz 05" [Club confirms: Hungarian Adam Szalai from Real Madrid to Mainz 05] (in German). Main-Spitze. 9 January 2010. Retreived 22 June 2013.
[4] "Ádám Szalai" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Szalai#cite_note-2
[5] "German Bundesliga Stats – 2012–13". ESPN Soccernet. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
[6] "Bundesliga: Szalai 12 gólos, ezzel egyedüli magyar rekorder" (in Hungarian). NSO. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
[7] "1. Bundesliga Top Players (2012/2013)" http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/81/Tournaments/3/Seasons/3424
[8] "Transfer news: Schalke interested in Mainz striker Adam Szalai". Sky Sports. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
[9] "Notable Former Players" FC Schalke 04. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Schalke_04
[10] "Schalke 04" http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/39
[11] "Huntelaar Sidelined by Injury." http://www.schalke04.de/en/news/130818_huntelaar/page/482--86-86-.html
[12] "UEFA disqualifies Metalist Kharkiv." http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/championsleague/story/uefa-disqualifies-metalist-kharkiv-thrown-out-of-european-competition-for-match-fixing-081413-
[13] "PAOK Thessaloniki FC-FC Schalke 04" http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/767659/Live
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