Real revival
Balague believes Real can return to the top of European football
Last updated: 5th May 2008
Real Madrid: on the brink
Schuster has won the respect of everybody because he is doing it the Real Madrid way.
Guillem Balague
Quotes of the week
Tuesdays, Sky Sports 1
A win for Real Madrid against Osasuna this weekend will claim their second La Liga crown in as many years.
Who would have thought that would be the case ast the turn of the year when their form faltered and Madridstas were calling for the head of Bernd Schuster?
Balague believes that Schuster must receive credit for turning the fortunes at the Bernabeu and bringing back a brand of football that the club is renowned for.
Balague said: "There's no doubt that Real Madrid are worthy champions, and you shouldn't underestimate something else that is not in the stats: their style.
"Not only have they won the league but they have done it regaining the style that made them famous all over the world.
"There was a key moment in the season after the African Cup of Nations when Schuster could have gone for Mahammadou Diarra (who returned having played for Mali) or Fernando Gago in the centre of midfield - completely different ways of playing football.
"With Diarra - much more direct and physical. With Gago, even though he wasn't playing well, it was all about control, possession, passing. And Schuster went for Gago!
"Schuster has won the respect of everybody because he is doing it the Real Madrid way."
The reigning champs' rivals, Barcelona haven't won in four matches and a run of only one win in nine La Liga games has all but handed the title to Real Madrid.
The El Classico derby in a couple of weeks time will be turned into a championship party for Bernd Scuster's team.
Villarreal held off any Madrid title celebrations on Sunday with a 1-0 win thanks to Marcos Senna's Beckham-esque halfway-line wonder goal but a win at the weekend for Madrid will confirm their title win.
Balague now believes that with some shrewd transfers in the summer, Madrid will once again be a team to be reckoned with next season.
"All of a sudden you've got a Real Madrid that for the last two seasons have signed 17 new players for 120 million euros and in the middle of this rebuilding of Real Madrid from the Galactico era to what we're seeing now they have win two titles.
"So there cannot be better preparation for what in their eyes is coming, which is not an era but a much more solid club that all of a sudden the foundations are ready.
"Three or four new faces and you will have the Real Madrid of the next three to five years.
"The other thing that has worked for Real Madrid in their favour has been the percentage of goals per minute of the substitutes, that includes Robben, Higuain, Saviola, is much higher than Raul and Van Nistelrooy.
"What does that tell you? That says that they have the foundations of a team, that people come from the bench and feel part of the unit and have quality to win games."
