End of an era as Real Madrid out of the Champions League?

For teams all across Europe, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief: Real Madrid are out. Los Blancos have terrorised the UEFA Champions League for the last five years, winning it in four of those years. The likes of Liverpool, Juventus and Atletico Madrid have tasted the pain of losing to the 13-times winners. However, it’s now over – and, for many people, it looks to be over for some time.

All you need to do is look at Los Blancos’ transfer business relative to their league positions. Last year, they won the title against a tired Liverpool side after an injury to Mohamed Salah. They finished nearly 20 points off the pace in La Liga. This year, they let go of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo – and his replacement was Mariano Diaz.

No harm to the former Lyon man, but it was hardly the major name people expected. The days of being linked with a ‘galactico’ signing of Neymar Jr. or Kylian Mbappe feels a long way away. Revenues are limited, and the club has spent the last few years thinning its squad to dangerous levels. When you consider that the summer’s marquee signing – Thibaut Courtois – was a goalkeeper, it says a lot.

Are Real Madrid set for a return to the background?

Through much of the mid-to-late 2000s, Real Madrid were a bit of a joke in Europe. Continually poor performances, culminating in last-16 knockouts, became commonplace. So, too, did weird signings and ineffective squad building.

While the return of Florentino Perez in 2009 changed everything, that generation is very much close to the end. The much-vaunted midfield of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos look like a pair of spent forces: players at the end of their careers at the very top. So, too, does the defence – the likes of Sergio Ramos and Marcelo no longer hold the same fear factor.

In fact, it would be hard to say who would be a long-term bet to stick around. The talismanic if injury-prone Gareth Bale looks set to move on. The drop-off in form of the likes of Karim Benzema – no longer playing alongside Ronaldo and suffering for it – is alarming. Young stars like Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio have dropped off the pace in incredible fashion.

While there is some hope in the shape of young Vinicius Jr. it’s safe to say that the future of Madrid looks somewhat bleak. A poor season for the capital club comes from time to time, but it’s the entire squad that needs a refresh.

Full rebuild needed for Los Blancos

People like Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Kaylor Navas, Bale & Modric look to be moving on in the near future. While much quality remains – including the likes of Raphael Varane and young players not getting much of a game like Alvaro Odriozola, Federico Valverde and Marcos Llorente – there’s a lot of work to be done.

For three years, continually poor decisions on and off the pitch were disguised by Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and a lot of good luck. A trophy won’t be coming home this year, and thus the problems are laid bare. After so many sticking plasters to cover the cracks for three years, though, this rebuild might take more than a single summer.

It feels like an oddity to write off the recent three-time Champions League winners. When you see how a young, hungry and vibrant Ajax tore them to pieces, though, it’s easy to see why. Four losses at home in a row, a lame duck manager and a lost grip on the El Clasico and the Champions League: where to Madrid go from here?