Will Real be getting a manager who can resurrect their season or will they get the man who failed so badly in the Premiership? I believe that he will thrive being back in a familiar league, as it was hinted at that the language barrier played a big part in his Spurs downfall. Even though he may feel comfortable in his new, familiar environment, the Real board are unlikely to let him go crazy with the cash, considering he is on a contract that only runs to the end of the season: why bring in expensive players now that will only get turfed out by the new boss in July?

Ramos appears to understand some people may have felt he never lived up (anywhere near) to his reputation at Tottenham and hopes its doesn’t happen again:

I hope I don’t let anyone down and that I achieve the successes that this club has set for this season.

Ramos arrives with the nine-times European Champions in a bad way, physically and mentally. With Mali international Mahamadou Diarra recently joining others such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gabriel Heinze, Pepe, Wesley Sneijder, Miguel Torres and Ruben de la Red on the treatment table. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas shed some light on the morale at the Santiago Bernabéu:

We are going through a bad run. Defensively we are vulnerable – and I’m the first (to blame). At the moment it seems that our opponents will have three chances and score three goals and it’s clear that we are all to blame.

I have been 10 seasons in the Primera Liga and this, for now, is the worst start I have had.

With the way that Spurs tended to leak goals under his tenture, are Real destined to climb or fall in La Liga table with Romas at the helm?

In reaction to this, Real Madrid are stepping up their “contracts for life”, usually reserved for living legends, that have been given to Raul and Iker Casillas. Real are looking at tying all their stars down to long-term contracts, or to at least add massive buy-out clauses that are mandatory in Spain.

Defender Sergio Ramos is set to be the first of a young squad to be offered a 10-year contract in order to fend off January raids from Manchester. The 22-year-old is set to be offered a deal thought to run until 2018 at the Santiago Bernabau, until he is 32, effectively ending his career with Los Blancos.

The deals are similar to the 8-year contract that was signed by Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, when he was just 19, tying him to the Gunners until 2014.

Real are reportedly considering offers to their core players, including Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart, Pepe, Gonzalo Higuain, Fernando Gago, Marcelo, Javi Garcia, Miguel Torres and Ruben De la Red. Ezequiel Garay, who signed this summer and has not even played yet (remaining at Racing Santander on loan this season), is due to be offered a long-term contract.

More experienced squad members Guti and Ruud van Nistelrooy signed deals, taking them well into their 30′s this past year. Real want to put an end to any chance of a repeat of the Robinho debacle, where the Brazillian manouvered his way to the Premiership, although not to Chelsea, by refusing to sign a new contract and repeatedly saying he was unhappy.

Will other clubs follow suit to prevent players being lured by the big bucks being offered by ADUG? Will Liverpool tie Torres down until 2020? Will Barca secure Messi until he is 35?

It seems that Manchester City’s takeover will affect more than just the Premiership title race. It’s changing the face of world football.

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Only second to Ferenc Puskas, who sadly could not be added to this series as he passed away in 2006, Alfredo di Stefano Laulhé is possibly the greatest player that Real Madrid, European and World football has ever seen.

On 4th July 1926, in Buenos Aires, di Stefano started a journey that would forever define the history of Real Madrid and the European Cup.

River Plate were the first club to experience his talents, picking him off the streets at the age of 13. It was here he learned to hone his natural skills fast, as first coach Carlos Peucelle, recalled:

I had never seen a player with such physical strength and determination. No one improved as quickly.

It was this determination and use of strength that helped him break into the first team, where he scored 49 goals in only 65 appearances. He was a hit with the River fans, only for a players strike to halt all games in Argentina, so in 1949 he moved onto Columbia’s CD Millonarios Bogotá. It was through this team that he would catch the eye of Europe’s elite.

In 1952, Real Madrid organised a match to commemorate their 50th year. Alfredo di Stefano played, wowed the crowd at the old Chamartín stadium and both Barcelona and Real moved for him. With the confusion over who owned his registration – River or Millonarios – both teams claimed they had sealed his transfer. Both sides argued their case and the Spanish Federation stepped in. They ruled that the player would spend four seasons in Spain, alternating between the teams. It caused such an outrage that the Barcelona president, Marti Carreto, gave up their share in di Stefano and resigned. So, finally, di Stefano was a Real Madrid player. And European football would never be the same. The next week, to add salt to the wounds, di Stefano scored twice against Barca.

Barcelona, who had until then been the dominant force in Spanish football, were to be plunged into the shadows of Los Blancos, as di Stefano helped them become near-invincible, winning La Liga in his first season. They went on to retain the title in 1955 and then turned their attention to the compeition that would define them as a club.

The newly formed European Champions Cup was the showcase for Europe’s top teams. Real were joined by teams like Sporting Lisbon, Hibernian (who reached the semis), Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven as they all battled it out to see who would be crowned “kings of Europe”. It was to be Real Madrid, who defeated Stade Reims 4-3 in Paris. With di Stefano, of course, amongst the goals. This set the trend for the next half a decade as they won the trophy in 1957, 1958 and 1959. di Stefano stood out from this outstanding Madrid side, winning the European Player of the Year award in 1957 and 1959, only missing out in 1958 to fellow Madrid player Raymond Kopa.

The 1960 European Cup Final, held in Hampden Park, Glasgow, was the pinnacle of di Stefano’s Real Madrid career. Together with Ferenc Puskas, they tore Eintracht Frankfurt apart 7-3. What makes this scoreline more remarkable was that all Real’s goals were scored by di Stefano and Puskas. The Hungarian managed four goals, whereas di Stefano grabbed a hat-trick. The result was testament to the stamina, power and all-round ability of di Stefano as Real Madrid became the first, and only, team to win the European Cup five times in a row.

Barcelona brought that run to an end as the two met in the first round of the 1960/61 season, but Real’s history was set. di Stefano had made his mark. He had made himself a legend. His 216 goals in 282 league matches is still a Real Madrid record. He is alo still the third highest ever scorer in La Liga.

So much was his contribution to Real Madrid that he was made Honourary President in 2000 and in 2006 they revealed the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, where the first team now train.

With all of his trophies and accolades (8x La Liga titles, 5x European Cups, 4x Colombian Championships, 3x World Player of the Year, 2x European Player of the Year, Named in FIFA 100) he falls into the category of some of the Worlds greatest players to have never played in a World Cup, despite playing for World Cups greats Argentina and Spain, and appearing for Columbia also. However, his greatness is still recognised among his peers, even if he was never able to showcase his skills on a global stage, with a certain Diego Armando Maradona once saying:

I don’t know if I was a better player than Pelé, but I can say without any doubt that Di Stéfano was better than Pelé. I am proud when one speaks of Di Stéfano… I can say that Maradona could be worse than Pelé. But I emphasise Di Stéfano was better.

Could praise come from anywhere higher?

Eric Cantona, the flamboyant Frenchman who graced the Premiership from 1992 to 1997, claimed that Ronaldo would be making a mistake moving to La Liga as his style and United’s suit each other so well, something that might not be replicated with Los Blancos:

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world right now. He is a genuine artist.

His style of play fits Manchester United’s very well, and the reverse is also true. It is pleasing to see such harmony.

The Frenchman went on to say that if he was after new challenge, having won the Champions League, Premiership, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield with United, then it would be understandable, but if money and fame were a factor in Ronaldo’s reluctance to snub Real’s advances, then it would be “stupid” to move:

He is still young, and so maybe he wants to take on fresh challenges. I can understand if this is the reason why he wants to leave for Real.

But if he were to leave because of something else, I think he would be doing something absolutely stupid.

The saga rumbles on, with the 23-year-old still refusing to commit to Old Trafford, while he recovers from ankle surgery in America. However, Real have cast their eye over new targets, such as Hamburg’s Rafael van der Vaart to fill the space they have been saving for Ronaldo. Could Ronaldo’s chance have come and gone?

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Having inherited Alex, Belletti, Ricardo Carvalho, Henrique Hilário and Paulo Ferreira, Scolari has set about signing Deco and allegedly had a hand in bringing Porto right-back Jose Bosingwa to Stamford Bridge. Now it has been revealed that another one of Scolari’s international ‘students’ is in talks to head to Fulham Road.

Real Madrid striker Robinho is reported to be in contact with Scolari’s Chelsea over a £25million move. How credible this claim is depends on your stance on agents, with Robinho’s agent Wagner Riberio leading the claim in Spanish paper AS:

It’s true that Chelsea are interested in signing Robinho. They have been after him for a while and there has been much more contact since Scolari became the new coach.

I met with [Chelsea director, Frank] Arnesen in London and he confirmed to me that Chelsea wanted my player for next season.

The move apparently depends on Real’s outcome in the Cristiano Ronaldo saga. If Ronaldo arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu, Los Blancos will let Robinho move to Chelsea.

It can also be seen as a way of making Real sweat on Robinho’s contract talks. The agent was again in the press this week saying that Real do not value his player high enough and the club stalling in contract negotiations demonstrates this:

Robinho’s priority is to continue at Real Madrid. But he cannot stay in a place in which they don’t recognise his talent and at the moment Real Madrid are not doing that and I’m not talking about money

We don’t like this attitude and we want Madrid to start valuing Robinho because at the moment they’re not.

Whether or not Robinho will arrive at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, but regardless of the outcome, the agent will have his nice slice of the pie.