Leaving Real Madrid, a risky adventure

The legends who have decided to leave the club in recent years have not been able to replicate their successes or their level of play with another shirt

They say it’s cold outside Real Madrid. Leaving the white club, a big and safe home like no other in European football, has meant a step backwards in the careers of stars who in recent years decided to leave the Santiago Bernabéu to seek new challenges in other destinations. A reality that refloats with the departure of Casemiro already signed, who after a golden age embarks on what is surely now the most hostile challenge on the planet football: resurrect a Manchester United in decomposition since he said goodbye to Alex Ferguson in 2013. Waiting to see how things go for the Brazilian at Old Trafford, the truth is that, if one pulls the newspaper library, it is difficult to find Real Madrid players in recent history who have managed to succeed under the protection of another shield.

Raphael Varane

Varane, during a Champions League match last season against Atlético

Reuters

Casemiro will meet old comrades at United who exemplify the stark statistics. Raphael Varane arrived at the British club last season in a transfer, 40 million euros, very similar to that of the Brazilian (a large showcase on his resume and a juicy raise in salary). Despite the fact that the Frenchman seemed like a luxury reinforcement for ‘the red devils’, the truth is that his participation has been disappointing to date and in this one he was a substitute in the first two Premier League games.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano, during United’s defeat against Brentford (4-0) on the second day of the Premier

Reuters

In addition to Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo has suffered a similar fate. The legend of legends decided to leave Madrid in 2018 for Juventus and, despite the fact that he maintained inhuman goalscoring records, he failed to win the Champions League in Turin. Signed by United last season, the 37-year-old Portuguese is looking for a way to escape from a team in free fall that will not play in the Champions League.

Angel Di Maria

They say it’s cold outside Real Madrid. Leaving the white club, a big and safe home like no other in European football, has meant a step backwards in the careers of stars who in recent years decided to leave the Santiago Bernabéu to seek new challenges in other destinations. A reality that refloats with the departure of Casemiro already signed, who after a golden age embarks on what is surely now the most hostile challenge on the planet football: resurrect a Manchester United in decomposition since he said goodbye to Alex Ferguson in 2013. Waiting to see how things go for the Brazilian at Old Trafford, the truth is that, if one pulls the newspaper library, it is difficult to find Real Madrid players in recent history who have managed to succeed under the protection of another shield.

Raphael Varane

Varane, during a Champions League match last season against Atlético

Reuters

Casemiro will meet old comrades at United who exemplify the stark statistics. Raphael Varane arrived at the British club last season in a transfer, 40 million euros, very similar to that of the Brazilian (a large showcase on his resume and a juicy raise in salary). Despite the fact that the Frenchman seemed like a luxury reinforcement for ‘the red devils’, the truth is that his participation has been disappointing to date and in this one he was a substitute in the first two Premier League games.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano, during United’s defeat against Brentford (4-0) on the second day of the Premier

Reuters

In addition to Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo has suffered a similar fate. The legend of legends decided to leave Madrid in 2018 for Juventus and, despite the fact that he maintained inhuman goalscoring records, he failed to win the Champions League in Turin. Signed by United last season, the 37-year-old Portuguese is looking for a way to escape from a team in free fall that will not play in the Champions League.

Angel Di Maria

Di María withdraws injured from a Juventus match

AFP

Di María also joined United in 2015 in exchange for 74 million and, after a bad year in red, signed for PSG, where he never managed to replicate the successes achieved in white and where he was always on top of other strikers, such as Mbappé or Neymar. This summer, at the age of 34, he has signed with Juventus. With Madrid he lived his best stage as a player and was even named the best footballer in the 2014 Champions League Final, where the Whites won the Décima after beating Atlético de Madrid in Lisbon (1-4).

Sergio Ramos

Ramos, during a warm-up with PSG

EP

But surely, the most flagrant case is that of Sergio Ramos. The Andalusian pressed to renew with Real Madrid and, after seeing how they withdrew the offer, saw his financial expectations satisfied by PSG’s petrodollars, although his first campaign in Paris was disappointing. The injuries that he carried from his last year at Madrid only allowed him to play 13 games. After the pothole, the Andalusian is reborn, at least to date, indisputable in the defense of three devised by Galtier (four starters out of four possible).

To the city of Ozil

Ozil at Arsenal

ABC

Another of the most emblematic names of modern Madrid is the German Mesut Ozil, who left the white club in 2013 after the arrival of Gareth Bale. After a serious stint at Arsenal, he ended up in the Turkish league, where he has played for the last two years (Fenerbahçe and Basaksehir). He recently announced that he has started his career as a professional video game player.