When Real Madrid Became Unmanageable for Camacho

Jose Antonio Camacho is a name that perhaps a lot of younger football fans are not familiar with, but he was a major left-back for Real Madrid in the 70s during his playing days and a natural leader for the club. His character and personality endeared him to the Madrid faithful, so when he took over in the summer of 2004 as the club's manager (his second stint after a brief period in 1998), there was expectation that he could rein in the Galacticos and find balance after a disastrous 2003/04 season.

Jose Antonio Camacho at a press conference

However, Camacho would quickly quit his position and claim that things were simply not working out for all the parties involved. But why was it that? More than a Camacho failure, it was a Real Madrid failure and the impending fall of the Galacticos project.

The Galacticos Project and its Decline

When Florentino Perez became Real Madrid's president in 2000, he promised the "Galacticos project", which focused on signing a top-tier star every summer. In 2000, it was Luís Figo. In 2001, it was Zinedine Zidane. In 2002, it was Ronaldo Nazario. And in 2003, it was David Beckham.

While there was initial success, the 2003/04 season saw the squad fall apart, lacking balance and discipline, which is why Jose Antonio Camacho was hired. He had a clear vision for the club and one decision was bringing back striker Fernando Morientes, who spent the previous season on loan at AS Monaco and actually scored against Real in the UEFA Champions League.

"I'm counting on Morientes because he didn't tell me he wants to leave," Camacho told the press in July of 2004 when he was Madrid's manager, as per AS. "We will try to have the best players possible. It's best not to give out names until we've signed them."

Based on what Fernando Morientes said in the 2021 Galacticos documentary, he quoted what Camacho told him so he could stay.

"Ronaldo, Raúl, and Morientes. Those are the three forwards I want on my team. Do you think you're not going to play?"

Then Madrid, without Camacho's consent, signed star English striker from Liverpool, Michael Owen. Another Galactico into the mix, which prompted Morientes to leave and the project began to fall apart from the very get-go.

After a couple of matches, Camacho would provide his resignation.

The Historical Value of Camacho's Resignation

Camacho's time as Madrid's manager in 2004 might be a footnote in that period of the club's history, but it actually reflects the steady decline of the Galactico project and what this meant for the club.

As a man loyal to Real Madrid, someone celebrated for his temperament and commitment to it, there is no denying that him leaving all of the sudden was not going to reflect well with the rest of the people involved in the club. Moreover, this is something that would prove him to be correct since Madrid would have two very poor seasons moving forward.

Camacho was also quite critical of the Galacticos philosophy of the club and the toll it took on the club in the long run in terms of planning and making so many stars work together.

"You wanted to do an afternoon training session and you couldn't, because there was an extracurricular plan. I spoke with the president (...) but there was nothing to be done. I told myself: I'm not needed here," Camacho explained in 2005, as reported by El Mundo. "It's very difficult to fit four or five Ballon d'Or winners into the same dressing room; it doesn't lead anywhere, only to harm, as has been demonstrated over time. Never in the history of Real Madrid or any other club have four or five Ballon d'Or winners been signed at once. It's not the same for someone to come with the Ballon d'Or, as someone who already has it, as for them to win it here; it's a big difference."

There have been a lot of stories throughout the years regarding how this Madrid squad was filled with enablers and people doing whatever they wanted, so what Camacho said seems to ring true, especially since he was involved with the club. Furthermore, the lack of balance was clear for everyone to see, which is something that he told Florentino Perez.

"There came a point when I told him (Perez) that with the squad he had, it wasn't possible to achieve everything he wanted," Camacho told El Confidencial in 2015. "As time went on, neither he nor I agreed with my ideas. That's when I decided to leave and let another coach take over the team. Is Florentino the owner of the club? He's the president, and therefore, the one with the most power."

Florentino Perez - when he resigned it was the final nail in the coffin for the Galacticos era

The Aftermath

Real Madrid would end up having a few new coaches until the summer of 2006 when Florentino Perez announced his resignation from the presidency, starting a new era for the club. It was also around this time that there was a growing rejection among the Madrid faithful regarding the Galacticos, which is something that would mark a steady change in the club.

And amidst the chaos, Camacho's short stint remains as one of those moments where fans got to see the glaring issues of the club and the rot that was setting in. In many ways, it is a representation of the decline of Madrid, consumed by stardom, thus making Camacho's time all the more fascinating to witness in hindsight.

Furthermore, his comments regarding his resignation and how he didn't want more money represents perfectly well his values and what Real Madrid has always meant for him.

"Do you know what? I didn't receive a single euro for the 21 days I was Real Madrid's manager. And I told Florentino Pérez, with whom I had signed a three-year contract, that he should only pay me for the time I had worked. Nobody should think I have money to burn, but in life, among other things, you have to be honest."