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The duel between the two superstars took soccer to a whole new level. Clubs are now looking for ways to replace them. Barcelona and Real Madrid face “the impossible task”.
The super duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has characterized football for more than a decade.
Never before has the world seen two players deliver week after week like the two stars did.
Between 2008 and 2017, they had two monopolies at the Ballon d’Or Prize, setting scoring records that will be virtually impossible for anyone to beat in the future.
What made the match special was that they played for each of their arch rivals. Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Lionel Messi in Barcelona.
The duel characterized not only Spanish football, but also European football.
Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldos won the Madrid Champions League four times, while Lionel Messi and Barcelona lifted the trophy three times.
Overall, in his career at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo finished with 450 goals in 438 games, which is the club’s top scorer at the time.
Lionel Messi has 627 goals in 718 games for Barcelona, setting the world record by scoring 91 goals in total in calendar year 2012.
RESPECT AND RIVERS: Cristiano Ronaldo against Lionel Messi is the greatest rivalry football has ever seen.
Photo: Olivier Morin (AFP)
The stories and memories of both are eternal, but the big question that has been posed to both the Camp Nou boardrooms and Santiago Bernabéu has been:
“What do we do when our superstar gives up?”
So far, neither Madrid nor Barcelona have found a good answer. But it should not be sustained in trials.
Also read: Lionel Messi’s surprising change: from a silent superstar to a noisy leader
The Brazilian against the Welsh
Even while Ronaldo and Messi were on their real days of greatness, we can find traces that Madrid and Barcelona wanted to plan for the time that came after the two no longer surrendered on their extreme levels.
In 2013, therefore, Real Madrid chose to break the world record, which they had set themselves by signing Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United alone in 2009, by choosing Gareth Bale of Tottenham.
That summer, Barcelona responded by recovering Brazilian sensation Neymar from Santos, Brazil, to have him as a possible heir to five-year-old Messi.
Viasport expert Petter Veland believes that both paper clubs appear to have made cool attacks in the transition window by securing tomorrow’s next superstars:
– I really believe that Barcelona and Real Madrid did the right thing in their time. Gareth Bale’s 2013/2014 season was completely elusive. He became the winner of the match in the Copa del Rey final and sent Madrid to the top in the Champions League final, Veland told Nettavisen.
– So you thought you had the next big one. There was talk that he should put Ronaldo in the shade and be the reason why he could disappear from Madrid.
EXPERT IN SPANISH FOOTBALL: Petter Veland believes that replacing the strength of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is an impossible task.
Photo: (Nettavisen)
According to the TransferMarkt website, figures for the 2013/2014 season show that if Madrid wanted to clone Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale would soon be the closest.
Season 2013/2014:
Cristiano Ronaldo: 47 games, 51 goals, 17 goals.
Gareth Bale: 44 games, 22 goals, 19 goals.
Although Ronaldo may have found the net masks more frequently, it was clear that Bale was a man for big occasions.
And right here, Veland believes that something could have happened to Ronaldo, which could have meant that he would not only be fighting Lionel Messi.
– Here you can have the most interesting. Cristiano Ronaldo is an alpha male with a big A. He will always be the biggest, the best, the prettiest, the richest … he will be the best in everything, says Veland.
– So when do you start looking at Gareth Bale as a good teammate in front of someone who might take his position?
EMPLOYEES THAT NEVER WERE: Gareth Bale and Neymar were to be the next stellar duel. It was not so.
Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou (AFP)
The numbers for the coming seasons show that Ronaldo continues to average more than 50 goals each season, while Bale, who also had an unfortunate injury history, is starting to drift further and further away from the statistics. The 2017/2018 season will be Ronaldo’s last at the club:
Season 2017/2018:
Cristiano Ronaldo: 44 games, 44 goals, 8 goals
Gareth Bale: 39 games, 21 goals, 7 goals
Part of the same situation is observed in Catalonia, where Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez form a three-headed troll under the code name “MSN”.
Suarez was brought in to be the star council that Messi and Neymar had to play. At the same time, Neymar and Messi had a telepathy that sometimes seemed extraterrestrial.
The 2013/2014 season sees a clear distinction between the two superstars, where it is obvious that Messi is the great boss of the Camp Nou:
Season 2013/2014:
Lionel Messi: 46 games, 41 goals, 14 goals
Neymar: 41 games, 15 goals, 15 goals
The problem here was that Neymar, at the age of 18, had appeared on the cover of the sports magazine Placar in his native Brazil. Next to him was Pelé. He would become the greatest, the best, and he would carry the nation on his shoulders.
In Barcelona he met a figure who can be considered bigger than Pelé when he puts his shoes on the shelf.
In the 2016/2017 season, Neymar continued to increase his numbers. But the man with number ten in Barcelona, like Ronaldo in Madrid, took everything to a new level.
The 2016/2017 season:
Lionel Messi: 52 games, 54 goals, 16 goals
Neymar: 45 games, 20 goals, 27 goals
Like Gareth Bale, the man he was willing to fight when Messi and Ronaldo finally started to fade away, failed to raise the necessary level.
It should be too much for Neymar:
Messi and Neymar were always appreciated, but the other way around, where Neymar always felt that he was always in the shadow of Messi. So, in a sense, there are quite similar situations that we have seen in Barcelona and Real Madrid, but also completely different, says Veland.
– I think this is extremely interesting. Because here we see the mentality and the psyche, and their winning shells. It puts Messi and Ronaldo in an even better light when we see some break on the ground as soon as they try to replace them, while others fall off after it starts relatively well.
In the summer of 2017, Neymar had enough, activated his purchase clause and made the trip to Paris Saint-Germain.
The sum of 222 million euros would be a big problem for Barcelona, among others.
Also read: Ødegaard can get a place in the league league without playing more
Flop on flop on flop
When the transition took place in a controversial way, Barcelona had to do something drastic.
That same summer, Ousmane Dembélé entered through the gates of Borussia Dortmund, while Coutinho of Liverpool signed the following winter.
According to Barcelona itself, the two cost 235 million euros together. So far, none of them have been found. What again highlights the fierce problem facing Barcelona.
They will not only replace the goals and achievements on the field, but the focus, the focus of the sport and the enormous will to be the best.
– We can look at Neymar. Fantastic soccer player, but he never plays games in February, because then his sister turns age. In addition to this, he is rumored to be theatrical, over the top, and acting in conflict with his teammates, Veland says.
– For Dembélé, the situation is a bit similar to Bale’s at Real Madrid. He does absolutely amazing things, and then he hurts himself, Veland says.
OUT OF THE SHADOW: Neymar made the trip to PSG from Barcelona, in what was the most expensive offer of all time.
Photo: Lively Christian / abaca (Pa Photos)
According to Transfermarkt, Dembélé has missed 70 games since signing with Barcelona in 2017.
All as a result of various injuries, but above all the hamstrings:
– I’m not a physical therapist, or anything like that, but just looking at Dembélé’s injury history I think it’s somewhat repetitive. Shouldn’t you be suddenly injured over a period of 3-4 years? No, I don’t see a legitimate reason for that. He is who he is.
WITHOUT VOTING: Coutinho often came to Manchester United and Scott McTominay. But not in a Barcelona suit.
Photo: Nick Potts (Photos of Pa)
Anyway, it is the purchase of Coutinho, who would soon replace Andrés Iniesta, who could well summarize how Barcelona has had problems:
– I think we can conclude that Coutinho was a failure, it is a failure and it will be a failure. The only thing about him in the Catalan media is that they are looking for a new club. He does not work.
And the problems with Dembélé and Coutinho have led to 100 million new euros to acquire Antoine Griezmann, who has also had his problems:
– Then you have Antoine Griezmann who was doing “La Décision”, and he will change the hairstyles and always have something off the field. There is always something to face these players. One does not know if the head is present as it has been with Ronaldo and Messi.
14 goals and four goals in his first 37 games in Barcelona is a clear decline for Griezmann, who has been close to 25 goals in all his seasons at Atlético de Madrid.
If you also place Malcom, which should have cost € 41m (also sold for just over € 41m), you will be paid the staggering € 376m to find a replacement for Neymar, who would replace Lionel himself Messi.
Soccer Interested? Read in-depth topics in collaboration with FourFourTwo here
– I like whoppers and McDonalds menus
Real Madrid experienced the “unthinkable” when Cristiano Ronaldo decided to thank him in 2018. By then, he had won three consecutive Champions League titles.
Juventus paid 100 million euros for the star, and already during the first season you saw that neither Gareth Bale nor Karim Benzema had what it took to assume the legacy.
At the end of the 2018/2019 season, which is the first season without Ronaldo, they had left the Champions League in the eighth final against Ajax, finished third in La Liga and were not close to the Spanish Cup final.
According to Goal.com, an interesting statistic appeared. Real Madrid had finished with 63 league goals for the 2018/2019 season. The previous season they had 94 league goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s statistics for the next LaLiga season? 26 goals and five goals, that is, the 31 goals that “lacked” Madrid.
“Original” heiress Gareth Bale remained wounded and unfocused. Before the season, coach Zinedine Zidane had tried to sell him to Chinese soccer.
He managed to annoy all Madrid supporters by posing with a banner that read “WALES. GOLF. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER” (sending WALES. GOLF. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER) after sending Wales to the Cup final of Europe.
Bale is nicknamed “El Golfero” (the golfer) in various media due to his crazy interest in the sport:
– Gareth Bale seems like golf, the hobby, has become as important as soccer, explains Veland, who also says that the Welshman has struggled to become an accepted part of Madrid.
Much of the reason for this is unstable achievement as well as the problems of learning Spanish.
He also had a particular tendency to leave parties where he was referred to the rostrum, which also did not impress the audience.
Even with their scores in the CL Finals in 2014 and 2018, supporters have left with a bad taste in their mouths regarding Bale.
In his time it should have cost Real Madrid 100 million euros.
That is the same amount that Real Madrid paid for the “new” replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, namely Eden Hazard.
TUNG: Eden Hazard had a few extra pounds when Real Madrid picked him up from Chelsea.
Photo: Manu Fernández (AP)
Hazard’s problem, like Bale, has been hurt. Interestingly, this has been a lot about the weight of the Belgian star.
– Eden Hazard became overweight from Real Madrid and never eliminated it. Some put it in a direct context with their injury situation. He was barely hurt in Chelsea and after the transition from the dream, he may have relaxed a bit and lost focus, Veland explains.
– Instead of looking at Real Madrid as a new step, he seems to have lost something in the summer of 2019.
For the Spanish press, Hazard also did not despise those who claimed that he obviously weighed a few pounds too much when he signed for the club in the Spanish capital:
– It’s true, I can’t lie. I gained 5 pounds this summer, but when I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation, explained Hazard, who also stated that he had no problem losing weight.
The topic about Hazard’s pounds was so big that the expert Cristóbal Sória on the television program El Chiringuito made a song about how fat Hazard had become:
The song “Hamburguesas mayor” was sung directly on Spanish television, where Sória highlighted how much Hazard liked fast food:
– Hazard likes to treat him like a star, although he sometimes forgets when dinner is on the table:
– Who cares about a few extra pounds? I like whoppers, and McDonald’s menus, soaking it all in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce, sang Sória, who obviously mocked the Belgian star.
Also read: Barcelona profile with criticism of the club: – I am not a bag of potatoes
The stars of tomorrow
Although Bale seems to be focused on the golf course, while Hazard is enjoying the holidays, it is obvious that Madrid has prepared a future plan.
With large purchases from players such as Rodrygo Goes, Vinícius Júnior and Reinier Jesus, all 18 years from Brazil upon arrival in Madrid, Madrid’s tactics have changed dramatically:
– Real Madrid will pick up the next big. They can say that they have picked up Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Reinier, and then say that they have done it with the intention of becoming the best, but they cannot say that they have chosen one of them and said “this is our next Cristiano Ronaldo” Veland explains.
This also explains why Martin Ødegaard, now 22, was brought to Real Madrid in his day, while Erling Braut Haaland, 19, is constantly linked with the Spanish giant.
While they have tried to replace Ronaldo, they have also built slowly but surely for the great team of the future. This is further highlighted in the purchases of Eder Militão (22), Ferland Mendy (24) and Andrij Lunin (21).
Furthermore, Achraf Hakimi (21) and Federico Valverde (21) are players who have shown that they can play at the highest level.
THE FUTURE: Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Ferland Mendy are part of what the Real Madrid team could be tomorrow.
Photo: John Thys (AFP)
The “problem” for Barcelona is that they are still alive in the Messi era.
The 2019/2020 season has stopped, but they are the ones who lead the series. And at the top of the list of top scorers and goalkeepers we find Lionel Messi.
Since Barcelona has been ruined a lot in the Messis hunt it replaces for almost a decade, then the question is whether they dare to embark on another hunt.
However, Veland believes that they at the Camp Nou are seeing how Real Madrid handles the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo.
There they saw the team collapse shortly after the Portuguese disappeared:
– I think Barcelona has already looked at Real Madrid. Ronaldo disappeared in 2018, and Barcelona had already made it mentally clear that Messi, despite being perhaps the best footballer of all time, has not broken the code in terms of old age. He also grows old, says Veland.
– Now how limited we can maximize the crisis is limited. The number conversation is pretty brutal in terms of points and number of trophies after Ronaldo disappeared. I think Barcelona fears that it could be brutal reality when Messi disappears.
There is little evidence that Barcelona will stop spending money on the first:
“That is probably why they have been stingy in the transition market and have spent so much money on replacements,” says Veland.
Interestingly, it is Neymar who is constantly disconnected with a return to Barcelona. Almost three years after considering that Messi’s shadow was too large, he is quickly the one to come in and replace Messi.
For the second time
Also read: the television cameras captured Ramos’s message to Martin Ødegaard: – Slang with a lip
The impossible task
For Barcelona and Real Madrid, what is seen now is an underline of the violent era behind Catalonia and the Spanish capital:
– The situation they are in now is probably two where President Josep Bartomeu (president of Barcelona, jour.amn) and Florentino Pérez (president of Real Madrid, jour.amn) are thinking, “what can be the consequence if we don’t replace Messi and Ronaldo? ”Ultimately, he might lose the edge in the transition market.
Veland believes that it is an impossible task in the minds of the two Spanish giants:
– The first thing that surprises me is that the task they face, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, is the most difficult thing to find. That it can’t be done is logical, because it shouldn’t be possible, says Veland.
THE BIGGEST DUEL: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi.
Photo: Dani Pozo (AFP)
– If you have to take an exam to become a sports director and do the most difficult task, it is to replace Messi and Ronaldo. They have put the list higher than all the others.
The conversation of numbers, between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, is as clear as you understand it:
From the 2009/2010 season to the 2017/2018 season (the moment when Messi and Ronaldo devastated Spain):
Cristiano Ronaldo: 438 games, 450 goals, 131 goals. Five CL titles, two LaLiga titles.
Lionel Messi: 476 games, 472 goals, 178 goals. Two CL titles, Six LaLiga.
– That is why we speak of Ronaldo and Messi as the biggest and best rivalry we have ever seen.
To replace the two? The impossible task.
sources: Transfer Market, BBC, El Chiringuito, FCBarcelona, Marca, Sports, Placar, Esportes.R7, Goal.com, LaSexta, Realmadrid.com, AS, MessiVsRonaldo.net, Squawka, WhoScored.
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