Is the coach to blame for Real Madrid’s European exit?

Just when it looked as though Real Madrid may have put together a team that was capable of challenging for domestic and European honours they fall at the last sixteen in the Champions League.

Decent

It wasn’t Barcelona or Chelsea or Manchester United that put them out. It wasn’t even Bayern Munich. No, it was Lyon. The team that currently sit fourth in the French Ligue 1 are a decent team, of that there is no doubt. However, the question has to be asked whether they are better or as good as Porto or AC Milan who were so clinically despatched by Arsenal and Manchester United.

I would guess that the answer to that question is probably no, and therefore Real Madrid’s failure to beat Lyon would suggest that they are a long way from being serious European contenders.

Short

When you look at the names of Casillas, Kaka, Alonso, Ronaldo and the rest, it is hard to see why this is the case. They are making a decent fight for La Liga which is generally accepted to be one of the two toughest leagues in Europe, yet they seem woefully short on the biggest stage.

Earlier this season the coach Manuel Pellegrini came under fire when his side were humiliated by third tier side Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey. A 4-1 aggregate defeat had many people calling for the head of the coach.

Dismal

The club are not backward in coming forward when it comes to changing the coach, even when the club are doing well. Pellegrini is the ninth coach at the club since 2003. The dismal defeat to Lyon, one would expect to heighten the club’s search for coach number ten.

Despite that, the Director General at Real Madrid, Jorge Valdano, has given Pellegrini his support following the European exit.

“We will respect Pellegrini because we believe in his work. He has a contract for next season and the plan is that he will continue being our coach. The season hasn’t finished and there are still things to fight for. This project, under president Florentino Perez, has only just started and this was a sad night because we had placed a lot of hope in this competition. We need to be more united than ever, to encourage the players and show our personality, to get over this situation and face the criticism that will come.”

With the final of this season’s competition being played at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, there is no doubt that is a very bitter pill for everyone at the club to swallow.

Trophy

Of course, Valdano is right and there is still a lot to play for. The team have overcome a big Barcelona lead in La Liga and have just gone to the top of the table on goal difference. El Clasico in April could be a title decider and there is every chance that Pellegrini will be able to hand the La Liga trophy to Perez, to reward him for his financial input.

The problem is that I believe the fans in Spain regard the Champions League as the ultimate prize and La Liga as something of a consolation. It is different in England where if you asked a majority of Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool fans what they would want to win most of all, a high percentage would opt for the Premiership.

Devastating

I am certain that Perez had set his heart on his team being in the Champions League final at his home ground. It will be a devastating blow to him that isn’t going to happen.

It is difficult to explain why Real Madrid have come up short again. Is it simply a case of a well organised team of less good players will sometimes beat not such a well organised team of star individuals?

Blame

If that is the case, then is it not the case that the coach is to blame? Surely those eleven Real Madrid players would beat Lyon if they were playing as a team and were properly organised.

I wonder if Mr Perez will be as supportive of the manager as Valdano has been?