The Tenth, desire and obsession

That the greatest desire of all the Real Madrid to win their tenth European Cup is something well known by all. His last wound continental dates from May 2002, which took almost a decade listening to merengue, year after year, expressing his ambition to conquer what they like to call it, simply, The Tenth.

An ambition that for many has been the desire to obsession, as in the case of Florentino Perez, close to fulfilling its mandate within without having seen his team planted in a European final. Also for Jose Mourinho, although he, to which the Whites have dubbed as The Tenth prenatally, the designate as my third. That is the main reason that Perez and Mourinho have joined paths: the president wants his title back to Real Madrid coach dearest and Portuguese increase their own legend with third directing champions clubs in three different countries.

When we had never heard so clearly how far is eager to achieve the Tenth Iker Casillas. Since 2002, Casillas has won all the different Spanish championships in Madrid, while, as captain of the best selection of all time, became the first player to make three consecutive tournaments-Euro'08 tournaments, Mundial'10, Euro'12. But he, like his team, the Champions resists almost a decade too long for Real Madrid, both in his capacity as most successful team of all time, for the high level that have different templates has captained The Ghost since Florentino Perez taught him the door to Fernando Hierro and Vicente Del Bosque after winning the 2002 Champions.

As we have seen this afternoon in laSexta Sports , Casillas did not hesitate for a second when stating that, despite the bad image this offer, as he admits, would be willing to get to 25 points of Barca in La Liga achieve change if lifting the tenth. To me they are a statement of as normal, and seeing how well that explains Casillas, but the truth is not very striking resultarme stops. Us ask that scenario.

It would not be unreasonable for Real Madrid, either because circumstances push to it or on its own, was let go in the domestic competition instead of burning his ships to try to cut the eleven point deficit is currently with FC Barcelona. It would not be unusual either that even within the offices of the coaching staff have put some kind of deadline, something like If not cut anything after the first three or four days of 2013 ...

This will try to avoid what happened last year at Barca, who both rowing in the league while trying to defend his European wound, he ended up losing everything in just one week, the stubbornness of the Catalans by trace you to Madrid League also earned him the white colors a larger effort that he ran out expensive to Bayern , who fell in the semifinals of the Champions League. Makes sense: reserve forces to give everything in the four key parties: the fourth and Champions semifinals. But what about the risk involved?

Stake everything on a title that, at this stage of the season, has only six games before the Wembley final desired, have a high risk. A bad game, one bad game, you can send to home. A bad night that put you a pair of goals in your field, or one of those days when the opponent is grown in their stadium and play much better than we expected. A rebound goal, a slip of a defender, goalkeeper failure ... while all your shots for a goalkeeper's having a magical night, or leave out by centimeters, or taste the bitter flavor of the wood ... all without rule that however well you come by, you can play it badly wrong and finish you drowning in your own mistakes.

The qualifying competition is what they have, which penalize the errors until the end. And yet no mistakes, no matter how well you do, if an opponent is better or directly is luckier than you, because the same thing: you can stay outside without deserving the least. Of the sixteen teams that have qualified for the knockout stages of this year's UEFA Champions League only three or four that seem to win, but to see who got the last course, at this stage of competition in the betting Chelsea ... - but each and every one of them can make any loses.

Focus on conquering UEFA Champions League is a strong commitment. The award makes up for everything and more in the case of Real Madrid, who spent ten years pursuing this dream. But if I play everything on one card and do not work out, there is no net below, no consolation. 've Lost everything. Though I suppose that for many Whites, especially knowing his character, I put it to stake everything on the tenth.

To support this option may remember the role the League did in Madrid the last three times he won the Champions League. In the 1997-98 season finished 4th, 11 points behind Barca (avoiding the previous round of Champions at the start of next year in his capacity as holders). In the 1999-00 season was 5th, 7 points Deportivo (which would have led play UEFA were it not that, again, won the ticket to the Champions League by winning it). And finally, in 2002, finished 3rd, 9 points of Valencia, and it had lost the final of the Copa del Rey against Depor in the day the club met one hundred years.

On the contrary to Barca, who has always won the League raised while each of its four Champions, we can draw the conclusion that the Blaugrana need to have a good full year, play well and lead the league channeled to feel strong in Europe. Instead, the Madrid is the opposite in this regard. It's in their nature. As bad as things are going for you every day, when they reach the Champions nights, nothing matters.'s Spell over their activities the romaine is able not only to resurrect them, but even raise them to a level that no one else can reach. That may be what you end up playing the Madrid of the third year of the Age Mourinhista: the magic of the European Cup.

In NDF | Bayern snatches the Bernabeu dream of the Tenth