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#1 Lopetegui, no Ronaldo, and the new Real Madrid
It has been a curious post-season for the defending European champions. Zinedine Zidane’s exit caught a lot of people napping especially president Florentino Perez.
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Then came the unwanted surprise; all-time great Cristiano Ronaldo moving on from the Santiago Bernabeu. Needless to say, it has been a summer of upheaval for Los Merengues.
Former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui has been installed as the new man in the dugout (his appointment also came with its own drama. The 51-year-old looks set to change the way the team plays, how it goes will provide compelling drama.
So far, the expected transfer splurge is yet to materialize as only Spanish international right-back Alvaro Odriozola and young Ukrainian goalie Andriy Lunin have been brought in (Vinicius Jnr. was signed last season).
How Lopetegui will manage the team remains to be seen and the next few weeks of pre-season football will give a clearer idea of the team’s direction.
Last season’s La Liga campaign was disgraceful. It is expected that winning the league will take precedence as the UCL hoodoo has been well and truly laid to rest.
It looks to be a season of recalibration at the Santiago Bernabeu. One thing is for certain though, it will not be boring.
