Real Madrid in search of redemption

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From a team that clinched La Liga with record points in 2011-12, Real Madrid went down the spiral last season.
An internal turmoil, personal egos and more, affected the team's performance on the field. The then manager Jose Mourinho conceded the title race was over by the time Christmas arrived and his countdown started by the time Real's pursuit of 10th Champions League crown was over in the semifinals against Borrusia Dortmund.
With the sacked Mourinho being accused of spoiling the Spanish football culture and sour relationships with Iker Casillas causing mutiny in the team, club Presiden Florentino Perez turned towards Carlo Ancelotti -who was with Paris Saint Germain -to repair the damages. Ancelotti might well be the man who can lead the Los Blancos to European glory after a decade.
But then there is this warning from Mourinho: “Madrid is a special club. It is not just a club. Madrid is politics. Madrid is not about football, Madrid is not about sport, but about many (other) things around,“ he said to ESPN recently. Sooner or later Ancelotti will discover what it is to be at Madrid -though he won't be entirely new to the environment as he discovered it AC Milan and Chelsea. But the pressure will be immense.
The Italian may not have the may not have the flair of Mourinho but knows how to win trophies and playing attractive football -which the Los Blancos fans are long deprived of. Though the centre of focus this season has been on bringing Gareth Bale to Madrid, they still have a formidable squad at their disposal. Kaka will personally like to be back with Ancelotti -with whom he flourished at Milan and Ronaldo by all accounts will still be the man who will pose major threat to the opposition. The inclusion of Zinedine Zidane as sporting director has already brought stability to the club and the former French international has played a significant role in bringing Isco - the highly rated midfielder to Real.
That he is leading the voice to bring Bale to Madrid from Tottenham shows a new intent in the club.
Whether Bale arrives or not, Real have plenty of class at their disposal with Raphael Varane the young bright prospect. The likes of Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Coentra, Marcello will form a fort in the back with Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria, Luka Modric and Isco taking care of the midfield.
With Gonzalo Higuain leaving for Napoli, Ancelotti has to depend on Karim Benzema and Ronaldo with Jese Rodriquez, Denis Cheryshev and Alvaro Morata in waiting.