Madrid bid for third straight title

Real Madrid's failure to sign Cristiano Ronaldo means it is business as usual for the Spanish champions in their bid for a third straight league title.

During an off-season dominated by feverish speculation about Ronaldo's future, Madrid were reportedly willing to smash the world's transfer record but were left frustrated.

The Portugal winger's arrival would have added fresh talent and much glamour to Madrid, harking back to when the team boasted stars like Zinedine Zidane, Brazil's Ronaldo, Luis Figo and David Beckham.

Madrid supporters may miss welcoming one of the world's most dazzling stars, especially as the future of the team's most skillful player, Robinho, remains in doubt due to his desire to join Chelsea.

However, they can expect their team to again demonstrate its never-say-die attitude, as witnessed last Sunday when it beat Valencia 4-2 to win the Spanish Supercup - despite playing at one point with only nine men.

To compensate for Ronaldo's no-show, Madrid spent 13 million euro ($A22.32 million)to sign Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who became the club's fifth Dutchman and joined midfielders Ruben de la Red and Javi Garcia, both back from loan spells.

"It's a shame he (Ronaldo) couldn't join because he is great player. But not to worry. We probably have a team which is strong enough to start an important league and with which to battle for all our objectives," Madrid coach Bernd Schuster said. "We have a squad which we can trust fully - and now we have Van der Vaart."

Madrid senior players hinted that the team may even benefit from Ronaldo's non-arrival.

At the height of the speculation, striker Ruud van Nistelrooy complained that too much attention was being devoted to Ronaldo's signing while captain Raul Gonzalez and goalkeeper Iker Casillas warned of the dangers of changing a winning team.

Perhaps Madrid president Ramon Calderon has been hit hardest by not landing the Portuguese.

Calderon has already been criticised for his failure to secure two of the three players he pledged in his pre-electoral campaign in 2006 - AC Milan's Kaka and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas. The third, Chelsea's Arjen Robben, arrived a year later.

"It's obvious that the president's mind was always set on bringing him (Ronaldo). But if the player has caused confusion, wanting to come and then not, then Calderon couldn't do anything about it," Casillas was quoted as saying by sports daily Marca. "People could demand explanations, it's true, but Calderon's results speak for themselves: two years, two leagues."

Calderon felt Ronaldo's arrival would boost Madrid's Champions League hopes this season. The team hasn't reached the quarterfinals in the past four years, a poor return for a club which has won the competition a record nine times.

Starting his second season in charge, Schuster is now likely to find his future depends on whether his tried and trusted players can return the club to former European glories.

top