As Real Madrid's latest world record "galactico" signing, Gareth Bale will inevitably be compared with some of the illustrious names that have pulled on the white shirt of the nine-times European champions before him.
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President Florentino Perez smashed the transfer record five times in his relentless pursuit of the elusive "decima", or 10th continental crown, luring Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and now Bale to the Bernabeu.
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Those five players together cost the world's richest club by income almost 400 million euros ($527.54 million), a quarter of which Real agreed to pay Tottenham Hotspur for Wales winger Bale in a deal unveiled on Sunday.
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Construction magnate Perez has also splurged around 215 million euros on the likes of former Brazil striker Ronaldo, David Beckham, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso, hoping they would help end a dismal run of European failure since the club's last Champions League title in 2002.
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It was clear at Bale's presentation that success in Europe remains Perez's overriding obsession and the player himself referred to the "decima" in his first words to Real fans.
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"The Champions League is a massive reason for me coming here," Bale told a later news conference. "I didn't want to just be playing in it, I want to win it," the 24-year-old added.
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"I'm sure that everyone in the club wants to win it and I definitely want to help achieve that goal and the 10th."
I just hope he won't be a flop at the end of the day cos I so much respect him as a football player. This is just too sad!