Armando Perez: Latino Libre

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17/08/2024

Armando, you came so close last season to winning LaLiga. Do you think you can win it this year?

I think this is impossible to know for sure right now. Last season we got a points total that would usually be more than enough to win the league but then we also have Carlo (Ancelotti) and his Real Madrid team. They were fantastic. Maybe both of us deserved to win the league last season but that's not how football works.

I think we can win it this season but we need to focus more on winning each game. Let's try to get as many points on the board and then see what that gets us. We could get more points this season than last season and still not win it - we just do not know right now. But that is the beauty of football - there is usually more than one good team in every league, except maybe Germany.

There has been a lot of changes in the playing squad at Villarreal this summer. Does the team need time to gel together and just how big an impact will losing the likes of Rulli and Moreno have on the squad?

The boys who are gone are players, and people, we will miss dearly. Of course there is also Manu (Trigueros) and Serge (Aurier) who you didn't mention, and others too. We'll miss them. They were good guys and shared the real Villarreal spirit on and off the pitch.

We have to be patient with the players that have come in. They are all, of course, top professionals but this is a new surrounding for them. Playing for Villarreal is very special and like no other club with how close the fans are to the team. We are a small community here but a very amazing one. We will give the new guys time but we know they'll be prepared to take us to the next level.

Champions League football awaits this season. Just how much are you looking forward to managing your first game in Europe?

It is what I dreamed about doing. I was lucky enough to play quite a few times as a player but to do so as a manager is special. Not so many managers get the opportunity to partake in this competition and it is very special. I hope to have some fantastic memories after this season.

Is Youssoufa Moukoko ready to become the talisman up front that Villarreal need?

Of course. He's still very young but he has so much energy and an appetite for learning. I cannot speak highly enough of him on the training pitch, in the gym, video analysis, all these things. He is a very very ambitious person too and he wants the best for himself and for the club. I think he's a very special player and could rival some of the greatest players of all time.

Karim Benzema retired from football, leaving a big hole up front for Real Madrid. Do you think that could hurt theire chances of winning LaLiga?

Obviously - he was a very good footballer! Real have a very good team and I'm sure they're confident they can push for the title again, but it'll be up to us to stop them.

What is your dream outcome for this season?

To win a trophy. We want to win trophies and we have four fantastic opportunites to do so. We have LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Champions League and Supercopa to compete in. Hopefully we can bring at least one home - the supporters of this football club deserve that much.

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Results

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It was a dream start to the LaLiga season as Armando Pérez's Villarreal side won six games on the bounce. A 3-1 win away to Valencia and a 2-1 win at home to Atlético were definite higfhlights, as start player Yeremy Pino inspired The Yellow Submarine to a very positive start.

A surprise defeat to Real Betis followed but a return to form saw Villarreal win the following 3. However, the form took a huge dip as Pérez's side lost to Barcelona before drawing to Real Valladolid and Getafe. This seemed to give the squad a kick up the bu though as they finished the year with four LaLiga wins in a row, including a 3-1 win away to Sevilla and a massive 1-0 win at home to Real Madrid.

Champions League football was certainly interesting. Villarreal got a very tough draw as they were put into a group with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Legia Warsaw. Villarreal were not expected to do well, but will be disappointed to have only won one game (at home to Legia Warsaw), drawing two others and losing three. Not good.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Alban Lafont has played every minute of every game this season. While he has performed quite well, he will be disappointed to only have 9 clean sheets to his name so far. A lot of that comes down to the defenders underperforming massively. No real standout performers at all. Pau Torres has been the best of a bad bunch. Disappointing.

Dani Parejo has been phenomenal in midfield. Even though he's now in his mid-30s, he's sensational. A creative force who works hard for the team.

Yeremy Pino has been the star man going forward. His creative presence deserves more than the 11 goal contributions he has so far. While Moukoko had 13 goal contributions (9 goals and 4 assists) to his name, the young German should have plenty more.

LaLiga

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The LaLiga title race was incredible. After 17 games, Atlético lead the way on 44 points, with Barcelona trailing on 43, Villarreal on 41, Real Madrid on 37 and Valencia on 37. The defensive solidity of each of the five teams was seen as a key reason for the five-way title race.

Real Madrid were still big favourites to win the league, however, and Valencia were expected to completely drop out of the race sooner rather than later.

UEFA Champions League Group B

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Villarreal were predicted to finish 3rd in the group and that is exactly what they did. Chelsea and Bayern Munich stormed away, while Legia were there to make up the numbers. 3rd place for Villarreal meant progression to the UEFA Europa League knockout rounds, which was not all too bad in reality.

Upcoming Fixtures

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A big second half of the season awaits Villarreal. Supercopa and Copa del Rey action kicks off in January, while they will also look forward to games against Lille in Europea League knockout action in February. Fans will likely have a clear picture of how successful the season could be by the end of February.

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09/01/2025

Yeremy Pino has today completed a permanent transfer from Spanish club Villarreal to Italian giants Juventus. THe 22 year old Spain international joins the Turin-based side on a four-and-a-half year deal for a transfer fee of €160,000,000. The transfer makes Yeremy Pino one of the most expensive players in history and he is expected to become a key player for Juventus.

Pino's move marks the end of a seven-and-a-half year stay at Villarreal, a club he joined in 2017 from Las Palmas. Pino made his LaLiga debut in 2020 and quickly became a key player on the right hand side of Villarreal's attack, with his creativity proving him to be one of the most talented players in the world.

Pino had played a key role for Armando Pérez's side, and had scored 6 and assisted 4 more in 17 LaLiga games so far this season, before completing his move. His partnership with fellow young attacker Youssoufa Moukoko made Villarreal a fierce outfit and fans of Villarreal will miss the departed star.

Villarreal will not be happy to have lost their best player but can be happy in the knowledge that they received an astronomical fee for him. It is not yet known how much of the money will be made available for Pérez to reinvest into the squad but the club is expected to replace Pino with at least one new player in January.

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17/07/2025

Following the sale of Yeremy Pino to Juventus, Villarreal have since reinvested the money earned back into the squad. First in the door was Greek wing back Kostas Tsimikas, with Portuguese star Pedro Gonçalves joining shortly afterwards. The pair joined for a combined €119,000,000 - a significant chunk of the €160,000,000 made from the sale of Yeremy Pino.

Kostas Tsimikas is now 28 years old with 38 Greece caps to his name. The left wing back joined from Brighton for €36,000,000, having previously spent time at Liverpool where he picked up the nickname 'The Greek Scouser'. Tsimikas joins on a three-and-a-half year deal.

Tsimikas is considered a very techinical wing back with an incredible crossing ability. His creativity from out wide is considered an important asset, while his dogedness in defending is also greatly appreciated.


Pedro Gonçalves was the direct replacement of Yeremy Pino. The 26 year old Portuguese star joined from Sporting CP for €83,000,000 (plus the part-exchange of a useless youth player), signing a three-and-a-half year deal. Pedro has 22 Portugal caps to his name, having scored 7 times previously.

Pedro is considered a goal scoring attacking midfielder, capable of playing centrally or out wide. He will likely find himself on the right hand side of Villarreal's attack and will look to be linking up with Moukoko this season.

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Transfers

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Outgoing:
The first sale of the window was the biggest as star player Yeremy Pino moved to Juventus for a club record €160,000,000 fee. The fee activated his release clause. While Villarreal lost a world class player, they received a world class fee for his services. All the best to Yeremy.

Youth player Pedro Obama left to Sporting CP in a part-exchange deal, while left back Alfonso Pedraza left for a €3,000,000 fee to Marseille. Neither player would be massively missed.

Incoming:
The Pino money was reinvested to bring in two players to strengthen the starting eleven. In first was Kostas Tsimikas - a Greek left wing back - for a fee of €36,000,000 from Brighton. Portuguese attacker Pedro Gonçalves joined from Sporting CP for €83,000,000 (plus Pedro Obama) and was expected to fill the void left by the departing Yeremy Pino.

Villarreal Youth Intake

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By all accounts it was a decent intake. Some players who look like they could go on to become good LaLiga players. However, there were no real standout starlets. The best of the bunch was arguably Javier de la Cruz - a hard tackling 15 year old central defender.

Results

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LaLiga:
Villarreal continued their excellent league form into 2025 with a string of wins against Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Mallarco, Alavés, Granada and Málaga. However, a tough away defeat to Atlético followed. Villarreal responded to this with wins over Valencia, Real Betis, Athletic Club and Cádiz before succumbing to a draw against Real Sporting.

The league form was outstanding with very few blemishes. The team's ability to score goals showed, even in the absence of Pino, with Moukoko leading the line well. There were still games against Barcelona and Real Madrid to come but the form so far has looked good.

Supercopa:
Villarreal lost to Real Madrid in the semi final. No shame in losing to the best team in the country, who went on to win the competition.

Copa del Rey:
Villarreal were superb in the cup. Wins over lower league sides Haro and Albacete came before big wins over Granada and Real Sociedad to earn Villarreal a place in the final, which will be played in April.

UEFA Europa League:
A third place finish in their Champions League group did not end Villarreal's European journey this season. A Last 32 tie against Lille went to extra time in France where a Moukoko goal gave the Spaniards passage to the next round. They were far more convincing against Napoli, winning 6-2 on aggregate, with Moukoko scoring 4 of those goals.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Rodák played 4 games as Lafont missed out on a few games through illness. 3 clean sheets in those 4 games showed him to be an able deputy, while Lafont's own performances drastically improved. He was up to 20 clean sheets for the season, a very respectable figure.

The improvement in performances also occurred in the back line, with club captain Pau Torres and Nehuén Pérez particularly impressive. The two had become irreplaceable, while Lenglet also improved.

While Alberto Moreno has had a poor season, Dumfries, Vázquez and Tsimikas were all proving to be incredibly creative forces from out wide, constantly supplying the attack with dangerous crosses and passes.

Dani Parejo continued to excel in midfield, while Hamed Traoré settled in well. Both were capable of scoring and creating chances and formed a strong partnership in midfield.

Pino's replacement Pedro had 10 goals + assists to his name already but it was Arnaut Danjuma who shone out wide. The left-sided Dutchman was up to 16 goals and 6 assists as his pace and trickery proved too much for LaLiga defences.

Juanmi was proving to be an unreliable deputy up front but that didn't matter much as Youssoufa Moukoko was scoring for fun. The German star had 25 goals and 8 assists to his name as the young prodigy was proving himself to be among the best attackers in Europe. Could he continue his excellent form?

LaLiga

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Villarreal's title push was on! With just 9 games to go, Villarreal's points total of 72 was enough to put them in top place, just 2 points ahead of Atlético Madrid, 4 points ahead of Barcelona and 5 points ahead of Real Madrid. With time running out for Real Madrid, they were starting to be considered less likely to win the league, but there was still a game between Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu to look forward to. The destination of the league title could hinge on that result.

With Champions League qualification pretty much secured, Villarreal have achieved what they considered as a minimum expectation. This has been helped by the goals from Moukoko, who lead the goal scoring charts, while Danjuma was also an incredible performer in attack. Could these two continue to fire Villarreal to success, and maybe even clinch the title?

UEFA Europa League

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There were some big teams left in the Europa League. Arsenal and Inter Milan looked a threat and were likely to prove big challengers to Villarreal, who themselves were to face Real Sociedad in the quarter finals.

Upcoming Fixtures

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Two big months for Villarreal. With the Spanish club still in contention for three trophies, it could either be two months to remember or two to forget.

LaLiga action could prove complicated, with Pérez's team having to host Barcelona and Sevilla with a trip to Real Madrid also on the horizon.

Villarreal will be happy to be facing Real Sociedad in the Europa League quarter finals, having already beaten them this season, and a shorter travel time would allow for more recovery time.

Pérez's first major final as Villarreal manager, and indeed in his entire managerial career, would come in the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid. The game is to be played at Camp Nou in mid-April, with the winners lifting the trophy. Could Villarreal win the competition for the first time in their history?

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19/04/2025

Villarreal got their hands on the Copa del Rey trophy for the first time in their history after a penalty shootout victory over Real Madrid in the final at Camp Nou. The shootout came after the score was tied at 1-1. Both sides had scored four of their five previous penalties before Benjamin Pavard saw his penalty, and Real Madrid's sixth, saved before former Real player Lucas Vázquez scored from the spot to hand Villarreal the trophy.


On a balmy evening at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Real Madrid were missing star man Vinícius Jr through suspension but you might have never guessed it as they took the lead early on. Kingsley Coman picked up the ball in a dangerous area before spinning away from Nehuén Pérez and giving Real Madrid an early lead with a deft, curled finish.

The goal sparked Villarreal into life and they didn't have to wait longer than nine minutes to level the score. Dani Parejo's lofted through ball was latched onto by fellow midfielder Hamed Traoré, who broke through Real Madrid's defence before slamming a low effort beyond Courtois and into the back of the net to tie the game.

Villarreal dominated throughout the remainder of the game and they thought they won it with eight minutes to go when Vignato's header beat Courtois following a laser-guided cross from substitute Lucas Vázquez. However, a VAR review showed that Danjuma was marginally offside and Real Madrid hung on to make it to extra time, albeit by the skin of their teeth as Villarreal striker Youssoufa Moukoko saw a stoppage time looping header clatter off the crossbar.

The Yellow Submarines had VAR to curse once more as Danjuma's explosive volley, from another Vázquez cross, was ruled out for offside.

With seconds to go in extra time, Real Madrid had a chance of their own to win the game as Malcom rounded Alban Lafont but the Brazilian slammed an easy chance off the bar and Villarreal escaped. The game went to penalties.

Each team scored four of their five first penalties in the shootout. Nemanja Jović, Luka Jović, Malcom and Florian Grillitsch all scored for Real Madrid, while Youssoufa Moukoko, James Garner, Arnaut Danjuma and Kostas Tsimikas scored for Villarreal. Ismaël Bennacer and Clément Lenglet missed their penalties.

The shootout went to sudden death and up first was Benjamin Pavard for Real Madrid. The French defender went low to the left but Villarreal goalkeeper Alban Lafont guessed correctly and kept the penalty out. With all eyes on Lucas Vázquez formerly of Real Madrid, the Villarreal right wing back sent Courtois the wrong way to secure the trophy for the team ni yellow.


The trophy is Villarreal's first major domestic trophy and just their second major trophy ever, following the UEFA Europa League win in 2021. The entire town of Villarreal was in celebration and there could be more to come with Villarreal leading the way in LaLiga and also in the semi finals of the UEFA Europa League, where they will face AS Monaco.

Armando Pérez:

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"This is a special moment for this football club and of course for myself. To get such an important trophy, and the way we did it too, is really special and it's an unforgettable moment for Spanish football. We deserved to win today and I'm so proud of my players for all the hard work they put in so far this season.

We still have a lot of very important games to play this season so we can't celebrate just yet. We can use this win as mommentum and keep fighting with everything we have to make sure this isn't the only trophy we win this season. We're hungry for more.

At the end of the season, no matter how many trophies we end up with, we will celebrate this victory and we can be very proud of what we have achieved."

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Results

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LaLiga:
Flawless. Villarreal won every single game to secure the LaLiga title. The run included a 1-0 win over Barcelona, with Moukoko scoring a late winner, and a 2-1 win in the Spanish capital against Real Madrid. With a high amount of fixure congestion, there was a lot of squad rotation and everybody chipped into make a perfect finish to the season.

UEFA Europa League:
Real Sociedad proved to be a tough opponent, unlike previously. A narrow 2-1 aggregate win over them was enough to claim a place in the semi finals, where Monaco awaited. Villarreal were outstanding over the two legs, winning 6-3 on aggregate to secure a place in the final.

Villarreal Season Stats

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Lafont and Rodák had proved to be an incredible goalkeeping unit, keeping 27 clean sheets combined in a total of 59 games. Both goalkeepers arrived last summer and settled in incredibly well. Two inspired signings.

The defence was playing well and keeping Villarreal competitive. Captain Pau Torres was, of course, the star in the back line. A combined total of 12 goals scored from the five central defenders in the squad showed they were more than capable of helping out in attack too.

Lucas Vázquez's form in the latter half of the season, including scoring the winning penalty in the Copa del Rey final shootout against Real Madrid, saw him regain favour as the starting right wing back. Tsimikas and Moreno were still settling into the club.

Dani Parejo was up to a combined 23 goals and assists for the season as a deep lying playmaker and was very much the heartbeat of everything positive done by Villarreal. His form has earned him the right to extend his contract, with talks scheduled for the end of the season.

Pedro Gonçalves only arrived in mid-January but was up to 19 direct goal involvements - a staggering figure. Boulaye Dia and Emanuel Vignato were proving able deputies out wide, combing for 20 goals together, but it was Arnaut Danjuma who shone brightest on the flanks. The Flying Dutchman had 19 goals and 8 assists to his name from the left wing, and had become a clear fan favourite.

MOUKOKOOOOOOOOOOO.... The German striker had found the back of the net 30 times, assisting 9 more times, in his first full season for the club. World class.

LaLiga

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Villarreal's perfect run to end the season earned them a grand total of 99 points, and their first LaLiga title ever. Atlético pushed all the way into May but the relentless pace of Villarreal was too much.

Atlético, Barcelona and Real Madrid completed the top 4, with Valencia close in 5th. Athletic Bilbao, Cádiz and Real Sporting were all relegated.

Moukoko won the Golden Boot with a league high 21 goals. Parejo claimed the most assists, while Lafont won the Golden Glove. A good season for Villarreal's star players.

Upcoming Fixtures

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Just one game remained - and what a game! Villarreal would play against Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League final in San Mamés, Bilbao. Arsenal, who had just finished 5th in the Premier League, were favourites to win but Villarreal were on a high like no other. Could Pérez and Villarreal win and claim an unprecedented treble?

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28/05/2025

Villarreal had a night to remember as they got their hands on the UEFA Europa League trophy following a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain. Goals from Clément Lenglet and Boulaye Dia gave the Spanish team victory as manager Armando Pérez lead his tam to a historic treble, following success in LaLiga and Copa del Rey.


It was a game of two contrasting playing styles as Mikel Arteta's Arsenal focused on retaining possession and carefully carving out chances, while Armando Pérez's Villarreal were happy to remain a little more compact in defence and use dynamic runs and diagonal passes to break through the lines.

The first real opportunity of the game fell to Arsenal striker Darwin Núñez on the edge of the area but the Uruguayan couldn;t do much more than fire a tame shot over the bar. Emile Smith Rowe also threatened with a driving run and low shot but Lafont was equal to the Englishman.

Villarreal showed glimpses of what they were about in the first half with Youssoufa Moukoko, in particular, threatening Arsenal with runs in behind but the German's best chance of the opening stages of the game didn't mount to much more than a shot from a tight angle which slapped the side netting.

It was the team in yellow who took the lead, and it came in the 63rd minute from a set-piece. Dani Parejo's delivery from a wide free kick was inch perfect and it was met by the head of Clément Lenglet at the back post who kept his effort low and out of reach of Ramsdale to give the Spanish side the lead.

Mikel Arteta might rue missed opportunities and none more so than the miss of Gabriel Martinelli who blasted a close range effort well over the bar in the dying stages of the game, letting Villarreal off the hook after some uncharacteristicly poor defending.

Substitutes combined to wrap up the game in stoppage time for Villarreal as Emanuel Vignato danced away from Jeremie Frimpong before sliding a ball across the six yard box for the onrushing Boulaye Dia to tap in to secure the win.

There was jubilation in Bilbao for the Spanish contingent as Villarreal secured their second ever Europa League title, and put the seal on a famous and historic treble. A fantastic end to a fantastic season for Armando Pérez and Villarreal.

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31/05/2025

Shock news broke out from Villarreal today as the club confirmed the departure of manager Armando Pérez following the resignation of the 44 year old Spanish manager. The decision brings an end to a very successful two-year spell where Villarreal twice finished with over 90 points in LaLiga, and won a LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Europa League treble this season.

Armando Pérez was hired as Villarreal manager on 16th July 2023, having previously spent two seasons managing fellow Spanish club Málaga. The former Spain international player was known for playing a dynamic 3-4-2-1 system, which he integrated into Villarreal, while also taking on the challenge of revitalising an ageing senior squad at El Submarí Groguet.

With no European football to contend with in his first season in charge (2023/2024 season), Pérez was able to focus his squad on concentrating domestically, with performances in LaLiga proving to be impressive. Indeed - Villarreal's club record point total was only just bettered by champions Real Madrid (93), earning Villarreal a spectacular 2nd place finish and passage to the UEFA Champions League group stages for the following season.

Despite the addition of European football to contend with in his second season, Pérez got his team to continue playing at a high level. A third place finish in their Champions League group was disappointing, yet expected, but allowed Villarreal to have a proper crack at Europa League knockout football. The departure of Yeremy Pino in January for €160,000,000 did little to upset the rhythm of Villarreal, who dominated LaLiga in incredible style. 99 points was more than enough for the club to win its first ever LaLiga title, and this was added to by Copa del Rey and Europa League glory.

The treble won under Pérez's stewardship significantly added to a trophy cabinet which only contained a Europa League (2021) and Tercera División (1970) previously, cementing Pérez and his players as club legends.

Pérez leaves Villarreal in search of a new challenge. Having previously stated his intention to become the greatest manager of all time, Pérez is likely to be searching for a club geared to contend for trophies, and his performances as manager of Málaga and Villarreal over the past four seasons will have plenty of clubs interested in his services.

Bookies have indicated Real Madrid to be the most likely destination for Pérez - a club he served as a player and a coach previously. Carlo Ancelotti was sacked following a disappointing 4th place finish, leaving a vacancy at Los Blancos.

Armando Pérez:

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"It is a difficult decision for me to leave Villarreal after two incredible years with the club. I would like to place on record my thank you to everybody involved with the club, from the chairman to the staff to the players and to the fans. I leave with great memories that will live fondly with me forever.

While I do not know who will replace me in charge, I am confident that the infrastructure at the club is geared up to win more trophies and the fans can look forward to more success in the future. It is truly a wonderful club and I will miss hearing the wall of yellow at Estadio de La Cerámica sing."

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05/07/2025

Armando Pérez has today signed a three-year contract to become the new manager of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. The former manager of Villarreal and Málaga replaces Carlo Ancelotti following a disappointing 2024/2025 campaign where Los Blancos finished in 4th place in LaLiga. Pérez will earn an estimated €130,000 per week to manage the club he was once player and coach for.

Real Madrid's new manager joins having previously enjoyed stints at Málaga, where he won promotion to LaLiga, and most recently Villarreal, where he last season won a treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Europa League. Pérez resigned from Villarreal, citing the need for a new challenge as the reason for his departure, and he will be looking forward to competing for top honours with Los Galacticos.

The expectation at Real Madrid will be to win LaLiga and to challenge for all other honours. Pérez will have a war chest of €75,000,000 plus money received from player sales to make this happen. Pérez is rumoured to be keen to move on ageing stars Toni Kroos, Casemiro and David Alaba to pave the way for the next generation of Real Madrid footballers.

If Real Madrid are to challenge on all fronts, they will need their star players to perform at their best. These players include Brazilian attacker Vinícius Júnior, who scored 16 goals in LaLiga last season, and French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who is going from strength-to-strength every season.

LaLiga fixtures for the upcoming season have not yet been released but all eyes will be on El Clásico games against FC Barcelona, derby games against Atlético Madrid and heated clashes against Pérez's former clubs Villarreal and Málaga.

Speaking to the press in his first interview, Real Madrid's new manager outlined his plans for the upcoming campaign.

Armando Pérez:

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"Firstly - I am delighted to be back here at Real Madrid, this time as a manager. This is the biggest club in football and I cannot speak highly enough of how well equiped this club is from top to bottom. I'm already looking forward to my first game at Santiago Bernabéu and hearing 'Hala Madrid y nada más'.

We've a fantastic squad in place and we'll look to add to the trophies the club has already won. We are confident we can win a lot of trophies next season, and in future seasons, and I cannot wait to get started.

We will play attacking football and we'll look to always be on the front foot. Other teams should fear playing against us and we need to show the world why we are the best. We have to show them the Galacticos way. Hala Madrid!"

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The story of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol began in 1902, when the club was born as Madrid Club de Fútbol. The team wore a white kit in tribute to Corinthian FC, a former London-based football club. In 1920, the club name became its current itteration when the Spanish monarch King Alfonso XIII bestowed the title on the club.

The glory of Real Madrid kickstarted in 1943, when a man named Santiago Bernabéu became club president. He helped found the inaugral European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League) - a competition which Real Madrid won each of the first five itterations. Real Madrid's success was unprecedented as they dominated football domestically and continentally from this point.

Te modern day Real Madrid began to take form in 2000 when Florentino Pérez became president. Florentino promised take Real Madrid to even newer heights and put together a team of players known as Los Galácticos. The team boasted world renowned stars including Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Hierro, Raúl, Figo, Cannavaro and many, many more.

A second itteration of Los Galácticos came in 2009 when Florentino Pérez came in for a second spell as president. Cristiano Ronaldo joined for a world record €80,000,000 fee, going on to score 450 goals in 438 games for the club. Karim Benzema, among others, also joined as Real Madrid enjoyed more contintental domination, winning the UEFA Champions League four times between 2014 and 2018.

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The Florentino Pérez era officially ended in April of this year as he lost a club election to new president Roberto Vallés. Vallés has vowed to oversee the next era of Real Madrid dominance and the appointment of manager Armando Pérez, a man who knows the club well, is seen as a step towards making that happen.

Real Madrid play their football at the Santiago Bernabéu - an 81,044 all-seater stadium in the Spanish capital named after the club's former president. The club's facilities are top of the range and among the best in world football, providing the best resources for players and staff.

Real Madrid's trophy cabinet is, quite frankly, ridiculous. 37 LaLiga titles, 13 European Cups/Champions Leagues, 4 Club World Cups and 21 Copa del Rey trophies are among those which line Los Blancos' trophy cabinet. Any amount of trophies added in the next few seasons wouldn't be more than a drop in the ocean compared to what has been won previously.

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No player, present or future, is likely to come close to Raúl's record of 741 appearances (all compeititions) for the club, or Cristiano Ronaldo's 450 goals in all competitions. Toni Kroos' 519 appearances and Vinícius Júnior's 85 goals ranks highest among current players. Supporters of Los Blancos will be hoping Vinícius Júnior will be able to get somewhere near the numbers shown by the club's legends.

Despite being a club rich in Spanish legends, the only Spanish player in the current senior squad is Nacho, who is likely to leave in the summer. Improving the domestic player bias is seen as an important factor in developing the club to reach its former heights.

Wage expenditure at the club has spiralled out of control under Florentino Pérez's rule. Nine senior players earn €300,000 per week, or more. Reducing this wage spend will likely allow more ability to evolve the squad for Armando Pérez.

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13/07/2025

Trent Alexander-Arnold today completed a permanent transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid. The 26 year old English right back leaves his boyhood club Liverpool for €110,000,000 - a record fee for a defender - which could rise to €135,000,000. Trent signs a five year contract with Los Blancos and becomes the club's highest paid player on €600,000 per week.

Alexander-Arnold, a native Liverpudlian, rose to prominence in the 2016/2017 season when he made his senior debut for Liverpool. He quickly became renowned as a creative force from the right flank, with pinpoint crossing and an eye for a long, raking pass. He quickly became the best full back in world football.

With nearly 400 appearances for Liverpool prior to his move, Trent was a key player in the team that won a Premier League title, as well as two Champions League titles. He has also established himself as England's best right back, earning 42 caps as he has helped his country to a World Cup and a European Championship.

Trent will wear the number 2 at Real Madrid. With manager Armando Pérez preferring a 3-4-2-1 formation, Trent is likely to play at right wing back, where he will be tasked with the entire right side of the pitch. He will link up with Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Kingsley Coman - players Real Madrid fans expect to form part of the next Galácticos.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold:

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"Firstly, it's been an incredibly difficult decision for me to leave Liverpool. It's the club I grew up supporting and loving and I'm so honoured to have been able to play for them, and to win trophies with the club.

I'm really excited to join Real Madrid. It's a club I have great respect for and is always competing for trophies. There's a great squad of players here and I can't wait to get involved with the team. Hopefully we can win plenty of trophies in the next few years - that's my aim and why I came here."

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