Last week, Real Madrid created history by winning their eleventh European cup by defeating their crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid on Penalties at San Siro, Milan. But the road was not a smooth one for Los Blancos as they had a roller coaster ride this season.
This season started with Rafa Benitez being appointed as the new manager just to get sacked mid-way through the season and in his place, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane was appointed.
That brought the club some good fortunes as Real Madrid went on to finish second in La Liga and won their second Champions League title in three years. Winning a trophy will come as a big relief for the team after they were disqualified from the Copa Del Rey for fielding an ineligible player (Denis Cheryshev).
As far as the individual performances are concerned, almost every member of the squad rose to the occasion with few of them stood out among the rest. Let us take a look at the nominees for Real Madrid’s Player of the season and who eventually wins it.
Nominee #1: Casemiro
Real Madrid has been longing for a good central midfielder for a while and this season, they have found the right man for that role. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has given Real Madrid a new lease of life since coming back to the Bernabeu from Porto.
After winning Rafa Benitez’s trust, Casemiro became a regular starter in the squad and has performed consistently. In the big matches, he stood up to the occasion and did the job for his team. After a fantastic Madrid derby early on in the season, Casemiro was benched for the El Clasico in favour of a more attacking option in James Rodriguez as per the club President’s orders and Real Madrid went on to lose 4-0, the match that started Rafa Benitez's downfall.
Zidane took over and he made full use of the midfielder as Casemiro impressed everyone with his performance every match. In the second El Clasico of the season, Casemiro kept Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar at bay and he became a favourite among the Bernabeu faithful.
He is calm and has the composure that is needed in a big match. With age on his side, Casemiro might become one of the best in the business given the potential he holds.
Nominee #2: Cristiano Ronaldo
Who can leave this Portuguese International from the list of candidates nominated for the Real Madrid’s player of the season? Once again, the winger had a fantastic season as he scored 50+ goals in a season for the sixth consecutive time.
Ronaldo hit the purple patch at the right time and that helped his side maintain the pressure on Barcelona in La Liga and win the UEFA Champions League. He stepped up in big matches and scored some crucial goals for his team which helped them win the Champions League. With Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema at their best, Cristiano linked well with the duo and made the famous ‘BBC trio’ a deadly force once again.
He could have easily equalled his own record for the most number of goals scored in a single Champions League as he fell one goal short of the 17-goal mark, a record which he set in the 2013-14 season.
Nominee #3: Keylor Navas
This season, if Cristiano Ronaldo was the driving force for Real Madrid in the attack, then Keylor Navas was the watchful guardian in front of the goal.
Navas, after being signed from Levante right after the 2014 FIFA World Cup was made to warm the bench as Carlo Ancelotti preferred Iker Casillas over the Costa Rican International last season. The start of the season saw Navas involving in a swap move according to which he was set to join Manchester United while their goalkeeper David De Gea will be coming to Madrid in return.
But, due to a fax machine failure, the move was stalled and Navas stayed at Real Madrid. Since then, Navas has been the saviour for Real Madrid as he saved his team from blushes on several occasions. The failure was a blessing in disguise for Real Madrid as they got a very good goalkeeper, who conceded just three goals throughout the Champions league and was equally good in La Liga too.
Nominee #4: Luka Modric
Watching Luka Modric play is a treat to our eyes as he makes Football look easy. In the last couple of seasons, Modric has been instrumental for Real Madrid as he brought in the balance and stability to the team.
Luka Modric is the heart of Real Madrid this season as he was crucial to the team’s success throughout the season. He was the best midfielder among all the 20 teams in La Liga and in the champions League, he will be right there at the top.
He has completed 91% of his passes successfully in the 46 matches he played in all competitions this season. His forward passes were vital for Real Madrid as the front three made the full use of it throughout the season.
Nominee #5: Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale, the world’s costliest player has bounced back after a below-par 2014-15 season for Real Madrid. The Welshman occupied the centre-stage this season as he outplayed Cristiano in most of the matches.
Though he missed a majority of the matches this season due to injuries, Bale showed what he is capable of when he if fully fit. Both Rafa Benitez and Zinedine Zidane used the 26-year-old wisely as they allowed him to play in a more central position when compared to the last season.
He also stood up for the team whenever needed and gave hopes to the fans regarding the future of the club after Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at his peak runs out. He scored 19 goals assisted 10 in 21 La Liga matches and was Real Madrid’s best player in the semi-finals and finals of 2016 Champions League.
After a promising season, Bale will look for more success with the club in the net season.
And Real Madrid’s player of the season goes to...
When it comes to picking just one player, it will be a tough choice to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Keylor Navas. As mentioned above, if Cristiano Ronaldo was the driving force for Real Madrid in the attack, then Keylor Navas was the watchful guardian in front of the goal.
This was just another season for Cristiano Ronaldo, but Navas’ good work in front of the goal helped his team win a lot of matches. Being a Real Madrid fan, I would prefer Keylor Navas as Real Madrid’s player of the season ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Who according to you is Real Madrid’s player of the season? Cast your votes here:`
