Barcelona’s Greatness Puts La Masia Above The Influence Of Big Money
Week in, week out, the public is exposed to what most believe is “the best football a team can play”. We’re talking about Barcelona in this regard. Since almost 3 years now, the Catalans have really increased their authority on any other rivals as elites in the world of football. Their results, their cup successes and their typical game are three things that elevate Barcelona above the rest in the eyes of the majority of soccer pundits and supporters presently.
Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol… they are all Barcelona stars for whom the club didn’t spend a single penny on the market to acquire their services. Thank La Masia, Barcelona’s youth team, for that! The truth is that the challenge that the Catalans expose is so huge domestically that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been forced to create a dream team – and this hasn’t come without huge financial costs.
In 2009, the re-elected president was the man behind an influx of stars into the Spanish capital. Perez brought in superstars Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and a few other big star names as he tried to compliment the loss of Real Madrid which had become Barcelona’s gain. Last summer, Los Blancos also welcomed Özil from Werder Bremen and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea to fill in the uncovered holes in their squad. Still, Real Madrid haven’t won anything yet as Barcelona work to defend their pride.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Barcelona: Ronaldo Beats Barcelona But La Masia Rules
Real Madrid may never regret acquiring €94M signing Cristiano Ronaldo, but the epic failures of the Portuguese superstar during El Clasico matches could give Los Blancos a few headaches and sorrows… Just as El Clasico is about to take stage at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Saturday, Live Soccer TV explains why Cristiano Ronaldo is more than Barcelona’s regular starting XI. Here, we’re talking in the language of money, of course!
Barcelona’s regular starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Victor Valdes
Defenders: Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Adriano, Dani Alves
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta
Forwards: Pedro, Lionel Messi, David Villa
Barcelona’s regular starting XI and each player’s cost on the transfer market, number of appearances and number of seasons at the club:
Victor Valdes
• From La Masia, has made 398 appearances in 12 seasons with Barcelona.
Carles Puyol
• From La Masia, has made 511 appearances in 16 seasons with Barcelona.
Gerard Pique
• From La Masia to Manchester United and back to Barcelona at a cost of €5M, has made 137 appearances in 3 seasons with Barcelona.
Adriano
• From Sevilla to Barcelona at a cost of €10M, has made 28 appearances in 1 season with Barcelona
Dani Alves
• From Sevilla to Barcelona at a cost of €30M, has made 145 appearances in 3 seasons with Barcelona
Sergio Busquet
• From La Masia, has made 130 appearances in 5 seasons with Barcelona.
Xavi
• From La Masia, has made 568 appearances in 16 seasons with Barcelona.
Andres Iniesta
• From La Masia, has made 355 appearances in 12 seasons with Barcelona.
Pedro
• From La Masia, has made 168 appearances in 3 seasons with Barcelona.
Lionel Messi
• From La Masia, has made 260 appearances in 6 seasons with Barcelona.
David Villa
• From Valencia to Barcelona for €40M, has made 42 appearances in his first and only season with Barcelona.
So Barcelona’s regular starting XI costs €85M. In order words, €9M less than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo! (Note that Carles Puyol may not feature in Saturday's Real Madrid vs Barcelona match through injury)
Live Soccer TV now asks you a challenging question, whether you are a Barcelona supporter, a Real Madrid supporter, or a neutral ahead of El Clasico: Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s First 11, who would you swap for the other?
Don't miss Real Madrid vs Barcelona in La Liga on April 16 2011, Barcelona vs Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 20 2011 and Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League's semi-finals first-leg on April 27 2011. It's all going to be covered LIVE on Live Soccer TV!
Get more knowledge on money issues surrounding Real Madrid and Barcelona. Check this article: Real Madrid vs Barcelona & Eight Money Facts Ahead Of El Clasico 2011
