TNT Sports
Rage in Spain
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Published 07/04/2004 at 11:35 GMT+1
As the dust settles on Real Madrid's stunning defeat in the UEFA Champions League at the hands of French side Monaco, the Spanish press cast a shadow on the nine-time winners on Wednesday. "The End" was the ruthlessly simple headline adorning Spain's bes
Eurosport
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Similarly bleak banners stood out on Sport, "Out of Europe", and El Mundo Deportivo, "Real Madrid thrown out".
"Les Galactiques" came under fire from all sides. But is this to be the end of it?
Taking into account that it was a Real player, Fernando Morientes, who inflicted the fatal blow, questions will surely be asked about coach Carlos Quieroz's judgement.
Going out in the quarter-finals with a dream-team the likes of which other clubs can only fantasize, this may also signal the undoing of Real's policy of stars.
The club will also be keen to play down accusations that the side is in the twilight of its reign over European football and that they are essentially contenders for one trophy: the Spanish League.
"We hold ourselves responsible," admitted a distraught Roberto Carlos.
"We were the favourites. We did well in the first half but Morientes' goal put us on the back foot. We must now think only of the League. We must focus entirely on it," he added.
In the wake of Real's exit the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano's pre-match comment on Morientes suddenly takes on an eerily prescient ring: "it's always good when one of our players gives his best, I expect it tonight."
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