The Dark Era Will Pass.

I would usually say "in light of yesterdays defeat..." but I'm affraid my friends that there is no "light" to discuss. It is a gloomy sky over the Capital (metaphorically) today. Today is a day much like five other days that have preceded it, a day where when I awoke I wished that it had all been a bad dream but another year it will have to be before I can afford to smile during Champions League football. After I opened my eyes. I put my face in my hands, a similar action that immeadiately fallow Pjanic's goal. Madrid is in dark times my friends. Since 2005, Real Madrid have only won 2 trophies out of a possible 17 (not including this years La Liga because it has yet to be decided. Nonetheless we are all soldiers of the crest. The bandwagons have been hopefully weeded out and we stand alone. The press has had a field day with our devistating exit but it's what we had to expect and something that we have dealt and coped with before, sadly. In these troubled times of big names and even greater expectations we have delivered very little. No one has known this more than the supporters ourselves. Our only two triumphs of the most recent history are our La Liga wins of 2007 and 2008. However this could be an omen of better things to come.

Let me reach deep into the history books. Every dark age is fallowed by a renaissance, a rebirth of the white shirt. Madrid endured a 20 year trophy drought in probably the darkest of ages between 1933 and 1953 (minus 2 or 3 Copa del Reys) which also included the Spanish Civil War. However after that, the next seven years was very kind to the royal Spanish capital. It brought us 5 European Cup trophies in succession as well as four La Liga tiles. And to continue with the success, in the 60's Real won 8 out of 10 possible La Liga championships and another European Cup. That is the greatest rebirth but it isn't the only. Currently Barcelona are enjoying the success that we so envy, coming off the greatest season in their club history with 6 trophies but this isn't the first time they've had a string of success. In the early 90's between 1991 and 1994 Barca won four consecutive La Liga's and a European Cup to go alond with but Real rebounded once again, tallying a Copa del Rey success in 1993 and a La Liga trophey for 1995 and 1997. In 1998, los blancos lifted their 7th European Cup 32 years after their last, then again in 2000 and then again in 2002.

Real Madrid CF is a club, a way of life, built on the meaning of success. Set backs are inevitable. This is football not heaven. The media thrashes us, the haters hate on us but I take it in stride. Madrid forever. This isn't going to keep me from loving the shirt, loving the club. It will hurt my pride and shot down some of my dreams but new dreams are born with every new season. I'm 20 years old and have lived through 3 European cups, 1 Copa del Rey, and 8 La Liga's, through the ages of both Ronaldos, Raul, Zidane, Morientes, Zizou, Redondo, Hierro, Ruud, and Makelele and so many more. The fact is that just because we didn't qualify for the Champions League Round of 8 doesn't define us as a club. It's tragic because we Madridistas hold our team to standards that no other club does. Playing for Real Madrid is not only a privilege but a duty that comes with responsibility. As a bearer of the white shirt you have not only an obligation to succeed, but to represent the club well in society with maturity and class. Football is our main passion but we are also successful in other fields. We''re the richest club in the world which attributes to what football has done for our club financially and economically. Our players set an example for the rest of society. We support those who have been hit by natural disasters in the cases of Haiti, Chile, and Cristiano Ronaldo's hometown as well as many other cases. The team split up and visited hospitals all over Madrid during the holiday and prisons like Sergio Ramos did last week. We are not only talented and eye catching footballers but good people who not only use their gifts on football pitches but their utilize their power in other positive ways to give back to the people. We have more to be proud about than football. Even if we did not succeed in breaking our five year (now six year) curse of not advancing past the round of 16, there's always another year and we still have chance to rip the La Liga crown from the scalp of Catalonia. We have nothing to be ashamed of. The frustration has been vented. It's time to move on.

A Real Madridista will be upset but will not pout. We know that there is more Champions Leagues and other championships to be won in the future and we won't rest until we lift those trophies. For the meantime it's back to work. They can say all they want. We're not phased by it, we expect it. Just as we should expect, they are seizing their moment in our despair because it's a rare occasion. They'll take every opportunity to ridicule us, but we will return to haunt them. We are Real Madrid and I say it proudly. We have more to smile about than to frown. We only have more work to do.

Hala Madrid

Bobby