The End of Real Madrid’s Dutch Experiment

Over the past four years Real Madrid have spent over £100 million on six Dutch players. Once all the rage at the Bernebeu, this week’s departures of Rafael van der Vaart and Royston Drenthe signal the end of Real Madrid‘s Dutch experiment.

Rafael van der Vaart, who joined Tottenham for a cut-price £8 million, and Royston Drenthe, who signed on Loan at Hercules, were the last surviving members of Real Madrid‘s Dutch contingent that once included Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Four years after van Nistelrooy‘s £20 million arrival from Manchester United, all six players are gone.

It’s no surprise that the Dutch departures from the Bernebeu coincided with the return of ‘El Presidente’. Florentino Perez took up his third term at the helm of Real Madrid in June 2009. During Perez‘s first two terms in charge he was the initiator of the Galacticos era. Choosing star power over raw talent, the tough-talking Spanish politician made few friends on his way to assembling one of the most talented and unbalanced teams in history. For every Luis Figo that arrived, a Claude Makelele departed. The silverware soon dried up and Florentino Perez was on his way.

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