Brazilian magic delivers 29th title for Real Madrid
On a nerve-jangling final night of a long Spanish league season, Real Madrid’s victory kept them two points clear of Real Sociedad, who had to settle for second spot despite a 3-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid took the lead with a close-range Ronaldo finish in the ninth minute only for Bilbao to equalise after 36 minutes with a Bittor Alkiza strike.
A Roberto Carlos special restored the Real Madrid lead in first-half injury-time, though, and a second Ronaldo strike after 61 minutes made certain of the title.
Deportivo Coruna and Celta Vigo were already assured of finishing third and fourth and taking the remaining Champions League places, while last season’s champions Valencia finished fifth to go through to the UEFA Cup.
In the only other outstanding issue of the league season, Barcelona pipped Athletic Bilbao to a UEFA Cup place with a 2-0 victory at home to Celta that took them up to sixth.
Real Madrid’s victory has secured yet another triumph for unassuming coach Vicente del Bosque, who has now guided the team to two league titles and two European Cups since he took charge at the club in November 1999.
Meanwhile, David Beckham may be one of the most skilful players in the world but he could still have problems adapting to his new team Real Madrid, the club’s centre-back Ivan Helguera said on Saturday.
“He (Beckham) has the best touch in the world,” Helguera admitted.
“He can bring a lot of things to the side but he will have to adapt to the team and that isn’t easy, just ask (Zinedine) Zidane and Ronaldo.
“He will have to adapt to Madrid and all that comes with it and little by little we will have to see what Beckham can offer the team.”
Former Real coach John Toshack is not convinced that the club had to sign David Beckham or that the England captain will settle easily in Spain.
“The signing doesn’t make too much sense unless of course Luis Figo moves on,” the Welshman, who steered Real to the Spanish title in 1990 and had another short spell with them in the late 1990s, said in an interview on Saturday.
“I think most coaches in Spain would tell you that the Real Madrid side needs strengthening in other areas,” the Welshman said.
“The president Florentino Perez has gone in for this (sort of singing) over the last three years, Ronaldo, Figo, (Zinedine) Zidane. Unless there are one or two changes I think he might have just gone a bit too far.”
Figo plays on the right of midfield for Real, the same position Beckham has occupied for Manchester United for a decade.
Toshack doubts whether Beckham, signed from United this week for 35 million, has the footballing and psychological armoury to do well in Spain.
“I’m not so sure that Beckham has got the character and kind of qualities to play in that central midfield role that this Madrid side needs,” said Toshack.
He said the Real fans were notoriously hard to please, as Ronaldo found early last season following his move from Inter Milan.
“They’re an unforgiving crowd, I mean 60 to 65,000 every week and if you hit a couple of bad passes they’ll let you know.”
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