Falling 5: European giants with dwindling domestic statures

#3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid have been consistent on the continental stage than in the La Liga for a few seasons now.

One might think of it as something gravely appalling to call the 33-time La Liga winners as underperformers on the domestic front. The league displays though, say a different story altogether. Six La Liga titles since the turn of the century might not be too bad for certain teams but if you’re Real Madrid, that is not quite the case. Los Merengues’ misery is further aggravated when one looks at the Liga haul that Barcelona have claimed during the same period.

Consistency is something which throughout the course of the Galacticos era has been Real’s Achilles heel. Various managers have come and gone but have failed to produce top performances on a season to season basis.

It is difficult to comprehend from a neutral point of view, as the results on the continental stage have been astonishingly different to those on the domestic front. Perhaps it is the mentality that varies from European competitions to the La Liga that has affected the Los Blancos. Real Madrid have always been a team of superstars and the UEFA Champions League has often been hailed as a more defining competition for the club. One might think that this thought and euphoria around the European competition might have had some bearing on the disappointing La Liga returns.

For one of the giants of the game, Real Madrid have had a rough time winning Spanish leagues. Given the recent trends, the day might not be too far off wherein their record tally of thirty-three titles might soon be with Barcelona.