Sustainability Is Keeping Imperfect Real Madrid On Top In Spain And Europe

Real Madrid moved a point clear of second-placed Barcelona after laboring to a 1-1 home draw against Girona on Sunday. After letting a one-goal lead slip, it was not the best result, but it does extend the unbeaten league run to 15 games and keeps its competitors at bay for the time being.

All this comes as the soccer world tries to understand how Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Sevilla exited the Champions League at the first hurdle this season. It is telling that Real will be confident about defending its trophy, even after displaying some rare chinks of weakness in the competition and now in La Liga.

In Europe, Real’s draw against Shakhtar Donetsk and unusual defeat in Leipzig were uncharacteristic, proving even the best teams are imperfect. But qualification was never in doubt for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, all while their league rivals’ hopes hung by a thread. A thread that eventually broke with a group game to spare.

Rivals and dropouts Barcelona and Atlético—expected to go far—have both missed out on anticipated prize money awarded for progressing. And Los Blancos’ progression as the only La Liga team means it’s sure to pocket more millions at their expense. How much depends on the side’s results from the knockout round onwards.

Its position at the top in Europe and Spain comes from more than a coherent assembly of stars. While its competitors’ trajectories are stunting for various reasons, Madrid white is a beacon of stability with long-term planning with financial sustainability at the core. And, unfortunately for its challengers, that looks set to continue, despite the odd hiccup on the way.

No quick fixes

Barcelona is providing the stiffest competition for Real, but it has sacrificed a lot to mount a league challenge. Costing up to €50 million ($50 million), Robert Lewandowski is Barça’s top scorer with 18 strikes in all competitions, accounting for around half its goals—a magnificent addition so far. But relying so much on one player—in an attacking sense—carries issues.

The 34-year-old can’t keep these figures up forever, and an injury would leave the side stranded. In Valencia, it needed him to steal the points in added time. Contrastingly, Real has shared the goals more evenly. Karim Benzema receives heaped praise, yet Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde have contributed decent numbers up front.

In the ascendency, it hasn’t needed to reinvent itself with new faces. Instead, it has built its resolute characteristics, and the largely youthful squad is arguably stronger.

Already prepared

In the same vein, Real can afford to sell as and when. Take Casemiro, for whom it cashed in over €70 million ($70 million), safe in the knowledge it has capable replacements. That’s in stark contrast to the never-ending Frenkie de Jong saga. Barcelona could do with the money from selling him. It also knows it needs all the quality it can get to challenge at the highest level, which includes the Dutchman and a constant wave of signings.

Asked about the club’s targets in the January transfer market, Ancelotti assured there are none. Real trusts its players and doesn’t need to invest impulsively to win. It even made a profit in the last window, compared to a free-spending model built on short-term gains and not guaranteed to bring titles.

As for the rest, Atlético Madrid and Sevilla’s game plans are having problems. Under Diego Simeone, Atlético’s relentless style of play has worked a treat in certain seasons. Now the high-energy approach is showing signs of fatigue. For Sevilla, its carefully considered incomings and outgoings have helped it compete for so long. A lack of spark and cohesion at present shows just how hard this is to maintain without the resources some clubs have.

What levers?

To invest in a winning team, indebted Barcelona has sold stadium, television, and merchandising rights to bring in funds. Essentially, it has offered more of itself to build a winning team and brand—providing a base for more revenue moving forward.

This flexible approach is genius if everything works out. If it doesn’t, the whole operation evaporates. At the moment, Barcelona can boast of good profits from the latest financial year because of the cash injection from these levers.

If a Champions League or La Liga trophy doesn’t arrive soon, the club can only sell more of itself off and cling onto its prestigious name for so long before it all runs out. Sponsors and rights holders—such as media rights sharer Sixth Street—will likely reevaluate their standings, leaving the club with nowhere to turn.

Real is strengthening from a position of strength. The rest seem to be building from a state of weakness. Last month, despite the pandemic effects and significant redevelopment investment in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the club said it made a profit to go alongside its achievements on the field.