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Steve McManaman, Real Madrid legend and Boca Juniors victim in Tokyo: "They were a great team, tough and talented."

Steve McManaman, Real Madrid legend and Boca Juniors victim in Tokyo: "They were a great team, tough and talented."

There aren't that many English footballers who played for Real Madrid. In total, just eight, from former goalkeeper Federico Lindsey Larraine , who played five matches between 1907 and 1911, to the recent addition of Trent Alexander Arnold . And even fewer have managed to succeed in the heavy white shirt. Among them is Steve McManaman.

Attacking midfielder who played for Real Madrid between 1999 and 2003 and left a very good impression, he played 158 matches for the White House, just one less than David Beckham (159), and is the only one to win the UEFA Champions League twice (1999-00 and 2001-02). He also won two league titles (2000-01 and 2002-03), a Spanish Super Cup (2001), and the Intercontinental Cup and European Super Cup (2002). As a result, he is a member of the club's Legends Team and, in 2017, was chosen alongside Robert Pirés and Diego Forlán as a LaLiga ambassador.

"Real Madrid meant a lot to me. I spent fantastic years there. I embraced life in Madrid, I loved all the people, their culture, their lifestyle. That's why I spoke to Alexander Arnold about the opportunity I had and told him I was going to a spectacular club and that it was going to be a great time for him," he told Clarín ahead of the 2025-26 La Liga season, which begins on Friday when Girona hosts Rayo Vallecano at 2 p.m. and Villarreal hosts newly promoted Real Oviedo at 4:30 p.m.

McManaman, a World Cup winner with England in France 1998 and a victim of the Argentine national team in the round of 16, also comments on the Spanish tournament for ESPN and enjoys being close to the pitch. "If you can't play football anymore, the best thing you can do is go watch football, and I go watch La Liga and Premier League games. I still know the players, I'm associated with Liverpool (Editor's note: he played for the Reds between 1989 and 1999), and I also work with Real Madrid. I'm really lucky," he added.

McManaman scores against Bonano in the 2001-02 Champions League semifinal derby. Photo: AP/Denis Doyle McManaman scores against Bonano in the 2001-02 Champions League semifinal derby. Photo: AP/Denis Doyle

-How are you involved with Liverpool and Real Madrid?

At Liverpool, I work with the youth teams: the Under-18s, Under-21s, the lower categories, and, of course, the first team as well. I help develop the next generation of players. I'm also around the Real Madrid squad all the time; I play for the senior team. Ultimately, I'm still in touch with these clubs, where I spent most of my career. (Editor's note: He then had a brief spell at Manchester City between 2003 and 2005 before retiring.)

-We recently had two Champions League finals between Real Madrid and Liverpool: which team did you support?

-Wow... It was terrible, terrible! I know a lot of people from both teams, and knowing that one was going to win and the other was going to suffer a lot, let's just say it wasn't the best situation. Liverpool lost both finals, and that wasn't good, definitely.

-I imagine you wished it was a final for each of you...

McManaman won the 1992 FA Cup and the 1995 English League Cup. Photo: AP/Dave Kendall McManaman won the 1992 FA Cup and the 1995 English League Cup. Photo: AP/Dave Kendall

-If we're talking about LaLiga, we have to talk about Lamine Yamal: what does watching him play do for you?

I think he's a phenomenal footballer. When he won the league last year, he was 17, and I think he was the best 17-year-old player in the history of football. Not much more needs to be said. Leo (Messi) ends up being one of the best, or perhaps the best, but I think Lamine Yamal achieved much more at 17. It was incredible to watch him last year. I hope he continues like this and has another fantastic season.

-Does he remind you of any player you've played with or faced?

-Not really. Simply because he's 18 now. You don't expect a player that age to be that good. I think he's unique. He played for Spain and won the European Championship at 16; La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup at 17. I don't think the world has ever seen anything like that before. He could be truly special.

-Do you think he deserves the Ballon d'Or?

-I don't know, really. I've spoken to several journalists, and I don't know if Raphinha, Ousmane Dembélé, or Lamine would deserve it. What do you think?

-If it weren't for Lamine Yamal, Vitinha was the most consistent performer throughout the season with PSG and also with the Portuguese national team that won the Nations League, although the midfielders aren't as flashy.

I think the same, but I don't think I won it because the midfielder marketing isn't very good. Hakimi and Nuno Mendes also had brilliant seasons, but I don't think the Ballon d'Or will come from Dembélé, Raphinha, and Lamine.

What do you think about Franco Mastantuono's arrival at Real Madrid?

"It's a great signing. We haven't been able to see him yet, but we're eagerly awaiting his debut. He came from River Plate, and that's a guarantee. Real Madrid spent a lot of money on him; he was the most expensive transfer in the history of Argentine football... I saw him at the Club World Cup and he played very well; I loved him. He's young, very talented, and has a great future ahead of him."

You were a starter in the 2000 Intercontinental Cup, a historic match for Boca Juniors and one that's widely talked about in Argentina. What memories do you have of that night in Japan?

I don't remember it because we lost. I erased it from my memory (laughs). Seriously, I remember it very well. Of course, Martín's (Palermo) goals, but mainly how Juan Román (Riquelme) played. I remember very well that Boca had thousands and thousands of fans who traveled from Argentina to Tokyo, which really surprised me because Real Madrid fans didn't travel specifically for that game. They were everywhere on the streets, and I remember that as much as the game itself.

McManaman and Cameroonian Geremi Njitap chase Riquelme. Photo: Masahide Tomikoshi McManaman and Cameroonian Geremi Njitap chase Riquelme. Photo: Masahide Tomikoshi

-Because it was a great team, simply put. In those years, the gap between the Europeans and the South Americans, especially the Copa Libertadores winners, was very narrow. Today it's much greater. That Boca Juniors team had fantastic players. Palermo came to Europe after that final, Riquelme a few years later... It was a tough and talented team, one of the best in its history.

-Now a happy memory for you: the 2002 Champions League final and that unforgettable Zidane goal. Was it the most important match of your career?

-I'd say yes. We'd already won the Champions League two years earlier, and I scored a goal against Valencia, but 2002 was special because it was against Great Britain, in Glasgow, where I had a lot of friends, so it was wonderful. And that goal from Zidane...

-For many, the best goal in the history of Champions League finals.

-It could be. It was spectacular, like it came out of nowhere. Roberto Carlos's pass and how he caught it first time, that elegance. Truly spectacular.

-Was Zidane the best player you played with?

-Yes, without a doubt. He was a fantastic player, charismatic, elegant, very skillful, and also very tough, mentally very strong. And the fact that he won a Ballon d'Or and received the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times, that he scored in two World Cup finals with France... Zizou was the best.

Clarin

Clarin

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