“When the VAR arrives, Madrid will not win a title again“. The phrase spread like wildfire through social networks in the first months of 2018, when the implementation of video arbitration was about to become official in Spanish football. A football in which many endorsed the theory that Madrid was historically favored due to the arbitrations, an accusation that the white club had been suffering since its arrival in the elite, in the mid-1990s. 50s of the 20th century, when it began to impose its law in Spain and Europe.
The VAR was implemented in Spain in the 2018-19 season, the first after the glorious triennium of the three Champions Leagues. Zidane, and with Madrid in the process of self-destruction at all levels. The turbulence on the bench after the departure of the Franco-Algerian shaman, and the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo heading to Juventus, gave way to a practically blank season for Madrid, which only touched metal with the Club World Cupan always lower objective in a course with up to three coaches: Lopetegui, Solari and again Zidane.
That meager trophy won in the Emirates against Al Ain in a season to forget seemed to prove the defenders of the mantra that heads these lines right. Nothing is further from reality. That disastrous first season of the VAR in Spain gave way to a series of 11 more titles To date, the last Champions won against Dortmund at Wembley, the second of this cycle for Madrid after that of 2022. In total, 12 titles for a Madrid closely followed in Spain by its great rivals, the Barcelona (five titles), the Atlético and the Athletic (of the).
Madrid’s harvest includes three Leagues, two Champions Leagues, three Spanish Super Cups, one European Super Cup, two Club World Cups and one Copa del Rey.. Madrid has therefore placed its hands on all possible titles since the arrival of VAR in Spain, something that its fiercest opponents cannot say.
Bayern, City and PSG, at their level
Madrid’s dominance in the VAR era finds a replica in the major leagues in countries dominated very clearly by two clubs as powerful as Bayern Munich, Manchester City and PSG. The Bavarians, since the 18-19 season, have won 14 trophies, including five Bundesligas and one Champions League. For his part, the PSG They have won Ligue 1 five times, but their dominance in France has not been able to be exported abroad, without adding any international title in their modern history, that of the investment of Qatar.
In the Premier League, the Citythanks to its dominance in the four domestic competitions, to which it added a European Cupthat of 2023, to sign a total of 15 trophies, more than anyone in the VAR era. Ahead, also, of Liverpoolwhich has added the not inconsiderable figure of ocho titles.
Finally, in Italy, Juventus e Inter de Milan They share the domain with identical harvests (seven and six trophies, respectively), but without any of them having been able to ‘champion’ beyond the borders of their country.
