Cristiano Ronaldo thinks Real Madrid are the best football club in the world. Real Madrid are one of the best. But here are five reasons why Real Madrid are not the best football club in the world.
They Are Not the Richest
Real Madrid is a rich football club, but they are not the richest. That honor goes to Manchester United. United were valued as the richest football club in the world according to a Forbes 2011 Soccer Valuation. United were valued at $1.86 billion dollars. They have topped the list of most valuable football teams for seven years in a row. Real Madrid were ranked second on the Forbes list.
They Have Not Won the UEFA Champions League Since 2002
Real Madrid have won a record nine UEFA Champions League titles. That is an impressive accomplishment. But Real Madrid have not won the title since 2002. The reigning UEFA Champions League winners are FC Barcelona. Barcelona have won the UEFA Champions League three times since Real Madrid last won the title.
They Do Not Have the Best Attendance Figures
Attendance figures for Real Madrid are very good. For the 2010/11 Spanish Primera Division season, Real Madrid had an average attendance of 70,736. Their total attendance for the year was 1,344,000. But they were second to Barcelona who averaged 80,153 and had a total attendance of 1,522,913. United also topped their attendance numbers, with an average attendance of 75,109 and total attendance of 1,427,077.
They Are Not the Oldest
The oldest football clubs have the richest history. Real Madrid was founded in 1902, 109 years ago. They have been around for a long time. But rival football club Barcelona was founded in 1899, 111 years ago.
They Do Not Have the Best Player in the World
This one is debatable. Real Madrid striker Ronaldo is one of the best footballers in the world. But Barcelona have Lionel Messi. In January 2011, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or trophy, crowning him the best player in the world. On Thursday August 25, 2011, Messi won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Messi is widely regarded as the best, but some think Ronaldo is better. [Article: Fan perspective: Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo – who is better?]
Ronaldo claims that his club Real Madrid is the best in the world. He may be a little biased. There are a few reasons why Real Madrid may not be the best.
More from this contributor:
Manchester City look like Premier League contenders: A fan’s take
Five storylines for the 2011/12 Premier League: Fan’s view
The top five football leagues in the world
Edwin Torres has been coaching competitive youth soccer since 2001. He enjoys coaching, playing and watching the game of soccer.