The One Season Nicolas Anelka Spent at Real Madrid

Nicolas Anelka was one of the gifted strikers of his generation and also one of the most mercurial and mysterious at that. The talented Frenchman was capable of moments of absolute brilliance, but also being someone who could disappear at a moment's notice. If there was a period of his career that perfectly represented that dichotomy of his, that would be his sole season with Real Madrid.

Nicolas Anelka's back when playing for Chelsea

An expensive signing during the summer of 1999, Anelka came with lofty expectations, but his time with the Los Blancos, especially during the first half of the season, was very chaotic. Moreover, he never found his place at the club, which is something he has highlighted throughout the years. It is also a testament to how important an environment can be for a player.

This is the story of Nicolas Anelka's time at Real Madrid.

The Move That Changed Everything

From 1997 to 1999, Anelka played in the Premier League for Arsenal, arriving there at 17 years old and establishing himself as one of the top-class young talents in football at the time and won the 1997/98 league title as well. Moreover, during the 1998/1999 season, he would be the team's top goalscorer in the league with 17 goals, which is something that prompted Real Madrid to pay 22 million English pounds for his services.

However, while he had proven himself to be a talented player, the reality is that arriving at a club of this caliber began to show the mercurial nature of Anelka's playing style and this took a toll on his psyche.

"I understood what it meant to be a star when I arrived at Real Madrid, and I hated it," Anelka said many years later. "After being greeted at the airport by fans and journalists, I thought: 'What am I doing here?' This is too hard. It was the beginning of a nightmare. I felt a lot of pressure from the start. Every day in the Spanish press there was an article or a photo about me. I would have liked to score more, but I didn't have the chance, and I didn't measure up. Too many things happened. In part, I do regret it. Players always want to play for Real Madrid. There were too many sacrifices to make and I was too young to understand."

Another variable that affected was the star-studded structure of the squad and how things at the club were functioning, especially regarding the press, the media in general, the teammates, etc.

"After the press conference, I went to the changing room. I got there first, sat down, but players kept coming up to me and saying: 'That's my spot'. I would say: 'Oh, sorry. Can I sit here?' and then another player would come up and say: 'That's my spot'. It happened maybe 20 times. I just thought: 'What am I doing here? This is going to be hostile'. What I experienced that day was just the beginning of the nightmare."

Confidence Collapse

A major issue that also hampered Anelka's confidence was the fact he spent the first five months of his Madrid without scoring, which is something that he made him a target with the press. Furthermore, when considering his personality, one that would cause him problems along the way in his career, one can see why this combination didn't do him any favors.

This is perfectly exemplified by the fact he went to play the then-new FIFA video game with the staff of football tabloid Marca and then they released a cover saying he finally scored... in a video game. When considering he took time off his day to play with the journalists, something that was probably done as a nice gesture or at least a way to build bridges with the media, and they still released that cover, that is saying a lot.

Vincente Del Bosque was the manager during Anelka's Real Madrid year

"He went through some difficult times in terms of settling in," then-Real Madrid manager Vincente Del Bosque said in 2024, as reported by Marca. "He was a good kid and a really good person; we liked him a lot. He came from another country, another culture, and well, it took us a while to adapt, to the point that he himself thought we were happy when he didn't score goals. In fact, we had to tell him that we didn't care if it was Morientes who scored a goal, or Raúl, or him..."

High-Leverage Moments and the Goals That Defined His Madrid Spell

Now, it is also fair to say that Anelka had his good moments. Once he finally ended his goalscoring drought in the FIFA Club World Championship against Al-Nassr on 5 January 2000, he began to improve. Another highlight was his goal against lifelong rivals FC Barcelona in what was a 3-0 victory, which was a nice addition to his connection with the fans.

However, the Frenchman's ultimate highlight with Real Madrid would be scoring against Bayern Munich in both legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. This would be a key contribution of his and would earn him a start in the final against Valencia. Moreover, there is also the fact that he was playing the final in Paris, his hometown, which has a special meaning when considering this was his first Champions League trophy.

Sadly, it wasn't meant to be for Anelka. This would mark the beginning of constantly changing clubs, this time around returning to Paris Saint Germain, the club where he made his debut in France. Anelka would become one of football's great journeymen of the 2000s, although some people still appreciate what he contributed to Real Madrid and understand the difficulties he went through.

"We were together for a year and I have affection for him," Del Bosque said in 2010 when he ran into Anelka, as reported by RTVE. "He helped us win a European Cup on this very pitch, he played a part, and I have fond memories of him."