The next seven days were supposed to be a dream come true for Real Madrid. Announce the signing of Kylian Mbappe, arguably the most sought-after player in the world, at the start of the week, and win the Champions League by the end of the week.
That was the hope of club president Florentino Perez, who had been bullish about the chances of landing the World Cup-winning France forward.
Mbappe's choice to remain at Paris Saint-Germain has been met with criticism. The Madrid press has gone mad, with all of this week's coverage centered on the non-deal rather than the important business of Saturday's final against Liverpool.
As a result of the aftermath, Karim Benzema has courted controversy, but it might be good news for some of the Bernabeu club's key players.
In any case, Real Madrid's preparation for their quest for a 14th Champions League title has not gone as planned.
The Madrid media echoed this sentiment, and the outcry stemmed from the fact that all they had heard - or believed - was Perez's version of events.
According to sources close to the president, everything was agreed upon. Mbappe had started looking for a home in Madrid, his presentation to the adoring fans was in the works, and Perez had indicated that everything was in place in private meetings and meals.
Perez claimed that the player was counting down the days before he came, and PSG's rejection of a new contract offer over the last eight months further added to their concerns.
Mbappe, on the other hand, has declared that his decision would be made at the end of the season
Real Madrid informed him he had to choose between money and glory, and there has been much conjecture this week that he picked the latter.
His motivation, though, was not solely financial.
Mbappe feels he answered "yes" to PSG and staying in France, not "no" to Real Madrid, despite what you may have read or heard. That was clear to me when I met him in Paris for a BBC Sport interview this week.
Mbappe says, "You never know what the future holds."
In the end, the player felt he still has unfinished business in Paris, despite the fact that the two teams' bids were identical.
Money was obviously important to the 23-year-old, but it was also about love - which he had plenty of in Paris - and power, the three things that everyone desires. The player will become the club's focal point all of a sudden, and everyone will have to adjust. Lionel Messi is one of them, to be sure. Let's have a look at what happens.
Mbappe is also aware that by the time his lucrative new deal expires, he will be 26 years old and likely at the peak of his abilities. Then anything could happen; there's no such thing as a guarantee.
Real Madrid's current star player, Karim Benzema, is 37 years old and could leave the club when his contract expires. Perhaps this explains his bizarre Instagram post of Tupac Shakur in front of an image of a 'friend' of the rapper who reportedly betrayed him before his 1996 death. This was regarded as a not-so-subtle hint aimed at bringing Mbappe's personal 'betrayal' to light.
Of course, the two are France teammates, and Mbappe was quick to point out that Benzema's immature reaction had more to do with Real Madrid's powers that be wreaking havoc than with Benzema himself.
Benzema has been dissatisfied with his role in the scandal, and it took his intervention this week to change the tone.
He effectively pressed the reset button during a Champions League media day on Tuesday, saying that the time for discussing these minor details had gone and that it was now time to focus on the game.
Mbappe's absence in Madrid is unlikely to disappoint Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who are both in the final on Saturday.
Vinicius has played more minutes than any other Real Madrid player this season and has performed exceptionally well in the Champions League. Rodrygo has played less this season, but he produced one of the most unforgettable moments in European football last season when he scored twice in the dying minutes of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City to keep the tie alive.
More backing for Vinicius, who was informed as a 16-year-old that he, not Mbappe, was the club's future, is now unavoidable. His potential significance to the Spanish champions has risen considerably. Vinicius will most likely benefit from the fact that he won't have to look behind him.
New contracts for him and Rodrygo are being discussed as I type. Real Madrid has learned that this is the coat to which they must cut their cloth, despite the fact that neither player is a "Mbappe." Because they can no longer compete in the procurement of superstars, they will have to sign prodigiously gifted teenagers like the aforementioned pair and Eduardo Camavinga and convert them into superstars.
Today's big question is where Real Madrid and its leadership stand in the aftermath of this off-field crisis.
There's no disputing that Perez and the rest of the team are in desperate need of a wake-up call. Both aren't used to coming in second place in transfer negotiations, but they must accept that, thanks to Mbappe's handling of the situation, which included letting his contract run down and waiting until the end of the season to announce his decision, the timing of these massive deals is now in the hands of the players.
Perez is a terrific leader with a killer instinct, and prior deals have shown that he and Real Madrid always get what they want.
Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, has been challenged this week after his hopes of signing Kylian Mbappe this summer were shattered.
The development of state-owned clubs like Manchester City (Abu Dhabi) and PSG (Qatar) has altered the European football scene. On and off the field, the pecking order has moved, with the game's two young superstars deciding to pledge their futures to these clubs rather than Real Madrid and Barcelona - Erling Haaland to Manchester City and Mbappe to Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid's failure to finalize the Mbappe transfer has lost them not just money and market status, but most significantly, face. For a club that considers itself to be the finest in the world, that's not a pleasant feeling.
Despite the stadium's refurbishment, Real Madrid is still a well-run club with manageable debt and a team that is evolving and will become younger this summer.
Not to mention the fact that they are one win away from completing a La Liga and Champions League double.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0