The last of Real's Galacticos leaves

THE pain in Spain is hard to take.

After a week in which Barcelona and Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League, they meet at Camp Nou tonight.

It is a cathedral of sport, 98,000 seats guaranteed to be full.

In fact, as Barca's slogan goes, they are more than a club. This is the sporting equivalent of war by any other means.

Barcelona represent Catalonia, which thinks, acts and banks as a separate identity to Spanish rule from the capital Madrid.

The driving force is political and, with only the Spanish league title to play for, the pressure to win tonight is almost beyond reason.

In such a cauldron, you need experienced minds. But not all the bodies can take the strain.

Yesterday, Roberto Carlos announced not only that he will quit Real Madrid after 11 seasons, but also that he cannot be there, fighting in the enemy camp.

He is 33, his body is giving way. He has struggled for fitness, and aggravated a calf injury so badly against Bayern Munich on Wednesday that the only cure is three weeks' rest.

Poor, brilliant, rich Carlos. He is among the last of the faded Galacticos, and among the most fulfilled.

He has played 571 times for Real, and scored 70 goals as a left-back.

He has taken Spanish citizenship, although he might finish his playing days closer to his family in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

He said: 'My time at Real has ended. After three years without winning anything, I had to take a decision.'

Perhaps the decision was made when he was blamed for losing possession and allowing Bayern to score within 10 seconds of their last-16 second-leg clash.

He said: 'I've been at this club 11 years which, in 71/2 of those years, we won many things. But we lose one game and all the fault has landed on me. I don't accept this.'

It is hard to blame the pride of this Brazilian.

He was signed by current coach Fabio Capello, during the Italian's first spell in the hottest seat in world football, at the Bernabeu.

As coach and player, they won the first of three Spanish titles that Carlos has figured in for Real.

The player went on to also win three Champions League crowns, though not with Capello.

The coach was re-hired this season with the task of stripping down the galacticos era, and starting the rebuilding process.

Two left-backs have emerged to challenge Carlos - Spaniard Miguel Torres and Brazilian Marcelo.

Gifted as they are, they do not remotely replicate the know-how, the galvanic determination, the breathtaking speed, and the winners' mentality that characterised Carlos through the turmoil of a decade in Real Madrid white.

They will be lucky to taste the nectar of a domestic title, let alone win three European Cups and two World Cups as he has done.

In 125 games for Brazil, he scored 11 times - among them the most astonishing free kick seen on film or video, against France during La Tournoi de France in the summer of 1997.

It was bent from 40 metres out by his mercurial left foot, and seemed to be going at least a metre wide of the goal before curling in and deceiving Fabien Barthez.

I imagine the goalkeeper is still wide eyed, still looking for that ball to safely pass his post.

It is amazing what you can pack into a body of just 1.68m.

Carlos has thighs like a boxer, and a volatile nature that sometimes erupts like Vesuvius.

How many times have we seen him kick an opponent, and then sweet-smile a referee into excusing his temper?

By coincidence, a player far less temperamental, Henrik Larsson, also plays his last match for Manchester United tonight.

He will play in the FA Cup at Middlesbrough, and then return as planned to see out his career as a Swede playing in Sweden.

United plucked him from Helsingborgs, his home town, for a superbly-timed three-month loan during the Swedish winter break.

But he promised his club and family that it was temporary, and he would be back on March 12.

True to his word, he will be. True to his skill and his nature, he has given United a great chance of recapturing the Premiership title.

His signing bought time for others at United, notably Alan Smith, to gain fitness.

It brought rest for Louis Saha and Ole Gunner Solskjaer, although injury has prevented both from being fit and fresh when Larsson goes home.

But the acquisition of Carlos for the long run, and of Larsson for the short sprint, were based on two things - they have class, and they know what to do with it.

But, by the time Carlos is free from injury, Real could be out of contention for everything for the fourth straight year.

Capello may be out of a job, president Ramon Calderon will feel the fans' heat, and the sponsors will be up in arms.

Raul Gonzalez, their captain, said: 'We will fight to win La Liga. After that, the decisions are down to the people in charge.'

He added that, at Real, winning is all that counts.

On that count, he was speaking from memory. Real have not had the better of Barcelona for three seasons, let alone won in Europe.

Carlos will not be alone in departing the Bernabeu.

stsports@sph.com.sg



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