Just to make it clear, this is an open letter to Florentino Pérez written by Jordan Shalom. Views are his own and they are not necessarily met by the staff.
--------------------------------------------
Dear Florentino,
Last season ended with boundless promise. Our beloved team finally climbed the European Mountain Top again- after 12 grueling years that saw 10 different managers on the touchline and over a billion Dollars in player investment. It would be assumed then, that a rational executive, would not fiddle with his recipe for success. Yet, Florentino, you fell into the same exact trap that you did 12 years ago. You fell in love with glamorous, marketable talent and shunned the lynchpin of your team's success.
Selling Claude Makelele was an asinine decision, to put in mildly. That decision was rightfully met with much criticism amongst the team and public, and team suffered- rolling into a lull for the better part of the decade. Unfortunately, that episode did not serve as a lesson for you. Your mistreatment of talent can be truly mind-boggling. Demanding, not asking, that Angel di Maria not participate in the World Cup Final revealed your true character. Had that been Cristiano Ronaldo in the same position, I can almost guarantee that a similar letter would not be sent. This affront to di Maria was inexcusable, and the decisions that followed only serve to further the case against your management of this sacred crest.
I get it. James Rodriguez is sexy. He sells shirts, tickets and is undoubtedly a very talented player. Yet, his acquisition was completely unnecessary and caused a conundrum for Carlo Ancelotti, who is obviously under immense pressure to play the young Columbian- and play him out of position. The question remains "Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?" Why does this quotation sound familiar and sum this situation up perfectly? Because it was the reaction of the great Zinedine Zidane to your decision to replace Makelele with David Beckham. You have fallen into the same exact trap, and it is likely that your current players harbor similar feelings.
Hopefully, for the sake of the Madridistas who are the pulse of this club, James Rodriguez's career at the Bernabeu will amount to much more than that of David Beckham's. Selling Mesut Ozil last summer was met with shock and anger by your fans, but it came with the blessing of your manager who understood the footballing implications of the transfer. But now, against the best wishes of your manager, you have offloaded the heart of your club. The man who single handedly brought la Decima home was disrespected and rightfully sought another home. I fear that this will be a black mark for the club that will plague them for years to come. Maybe this reaction is hasty, but the tell-tale signs are there again.