Booing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafa Benitez by Real Madrid Fans Is Absurd
For a few brief hours on Wednesday, as 2015 in La Liga drew to a close, Real Madrid went top of the table thanks to a 3-1 home win over Real Sociedad. Such an occurrence would be a popular and joy-inducing moment at most clubs, but the home side were jeered off the pitch at half-time—leading 1-0—and didn't receive much better treatment at the final whistle.
Right from kick off, manager Rafael Benitez was once again the subject of boos and whistles from the crowd when his name was read out over the PA system, per Marca, while the same treatment was given Cristiano Ronaldo when his name was read out and with every shot off target the No. 7 rattled in.
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The ongoing feud from the stands down to pitchside is unhelpful, pointless and distracting in most cases, but with the state of play in terms of results and position of the team and what they could yet achieve this season, it goes beyond merely frustrating and into downright absurdity.
There is an issue that needs to be resolved—and will be in the only way Real know how, sooner or later—but for the sake of any hopes of success, the fans need to stop signalling disapproval at every opportunity and return to backing the side.
The Manager
Benitez started his post-Christmas week by telling the media there was a campaign "against Florentino [Perez], myself and the entire team." The manager knows perfectly well he isn't universally liked or wanted but similarly knows that—to a point—it's irrelevant. He is in place and will remain so for now in spite of the ongoing speculation about successors.
"Everything we do or say is criticised, manipulated, taken out of context and anyone with a bit of experience can see that. It's clearly a witch hunt. Anyone can see it. When people question everything you do, it makes absolutely no difference whether you field a certain player or not. Everyone begins to question your track record. We all have to do that little bit more, starting with me, but we won't take stock until the end of the season.
"
Working Rafa's speech in reverse order, it's almost certainly clear that "take stock" at the end of 2015-16 will mean a parting of the ways. It's almost a win-win situation for Benitez at this point; with the president, Perez, having publicly backed him more than once, he can fight it out for the season and leave without a trophy, citing unbearable lack of support from the fans affecting the team, or he could leave with a trophy and say just imagine what we could have done with a united fanbase.
Either way, it's extremely unlikely he will be in charge in August 2016.
As for questioning Benitez's track record this season and whether one player is picked or another, we have made specific and frequent references to exactly that point in our regular Ultimate Guide and La Liga Hangover columns. Not everyone from Real's packed-with-quality squad can take to the field every match—that's just the way it is. And when someone is left out, anyone with an agenda can pick on that specific player's situation as a method of beating the coach up.
It's easy, it's predictable and it shows very little understanding or appreciation of the role of a manager.
James or Isco? Both? OK, but then Karim Benzema has to be left out. Or Toni Kroos. Or Luka Modric. And Casemiro. Want balance in the midfield? Then Casemiro plays, but maybe neither Isco nor James gets to play. There is always fluctuation in lineups, and someone is always left disappointed.
What about the first sentence? "Everything we do or say is criticised, manipulated, taken out of context."
Some will be thinking maybe Benitez went too far with that. Or maybe not. Judging by the fact Marca dedicated an entire headline and short article to counting how many times the manager used the word "campaign" in his oration, maybe he has it spot on.
Five times in 15 minutes, if you want to know. Newsworthy? Or manipulated into being so?
The media narrative affects fan perceptive; it has always been so. Every snap away at Benitez's credibility by the Spanish media in particular is reflected by those in the stands.
The Star
The phrase "you don't know what you have until it's gone" could have been specifically created for Real Madrid supporters.
Claude Makelele, Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo are just three who immediately come to mind.
What on Earth possesses some fans to suggest talents of this innate quality, consistency and longevity are replicable? And not just that they can be replaced but that some should actively be hounded out, jeered and booed.
Yes, sure, big-money transfer fees can bring in new and exciting faces, but taking the current treatment of Ronaldo into account specifically, who is the great hope to replace his consistent strike rate? Eden Hazard, who hasn't scored in a competitive club game since early May? That's eight months without a notable strike for Chelsea. In that time, Ronaldo has bagged 34. And he scored a hat-trick the day before Hazard's last goal.
But boo him, right?
It's beyond absurd. This is a player who has broken just about every conceivable goal record for Real Madrid, fired them to La Decima, is the team's top scorer with comfort this season despite having a fairly standard campaign so far and has been crowned the best player in the world numerous times.
It's an embarrassment that fans could jeer his name when it's read out, whistle him when he misses a penalty and admonish him for reacting to the crowd who were, yet again, impatient in the last home game.
The Fans
Supporters are the lifeblood of any club—let's get that straight first of all. If something turns them so completely against following the team, then that point of contention should be seen as a wrong.
But supporters do not run the club and cannot simply be unhappy with any given decision and let that dictate their stance for all time, for everything and toward everyone. Don't like the manager, a signing or the president's policy? Fine. By all means show that. But to continue to deride them game after game at the expense of backing, enjoyment and positive passion is not conducive to aiding improvement.
It makes no sense and is detrimental to all.
The time for change will come at Real, whether by elections or other means, and no doubt the process will start over again. Many a manager has been outed despite winning silverware, while others have been equally derided for their manner, their style, the way they talk or the players they prefer.
Real's fanbase is so wide, vast and different there is no human alive who could be to the preference and liking of everybody.
What exactly is the plan? Get rid of Benitez and what? Any other manager is still only in place a year or two, or slightly more if they're very lucky. There is zero growth, continuity or scope for ongoing improvement. Everything has to be now, and even then it isn't enough.
It's acceptable for fans to be furious. It's acceptable for fans to demand change.
But perhaps that should be tempered, just for once, with a little patience, tolerance and an admission they don't know what's best because they're not involved. They don't train the players or negotiate with them. They don't hear from agents which manager is interested, and they don't have the ideas or expertise to say with certainty what fundamental changes could lead to improvements.
La Decima was won with passion, intensity and belief from the stands, pushing on the talent on the pitch.
Where is that now?
Real Madrid 2016
The new year is, as always, a new opportunity for all. The transfer window will occupy some minds and minutes, and an early good performance or two could broker a peace between those on and beside the pitch and those filling the seats around it, but it could also fragment the relationship further.
Real face Valencia on Sunday, Jan. 3, just a few days before an open training session at the Valdebebas training complex, where season-ticket holders will be able to watch their heroes up close. If the game at the Mestalla goes well, the atmosphere should be good—but the predictable alternative won't make for a happy day for anyone associated with the club if Gary Neville overcomes Benitez.
Different groups of supporters place value on different parts of the team, but the cold facts are that since the debacle of El Clasico, Real have won six of their seven Liga or Champions League games—seven of eight if the Copa del Rey match against Cadiz is counted, even though Benitez's team were expelled afterward.
Performances are not optimal, but why would they be with whistles and boos raining down from above?
Change is ahead. Some will work and some won't—just like any other year. But perhaps a change in fan mentality could alter the enjoyment they get from matches. And who knows, it might even prompt the team to close the gap at the top of the table. It's only two points, you know.
That's probably not worthy of all the venom and vitriol being aimed the way of the main figureheads of the first team.
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