(Somewhere in Las Rozas, Madrid)

John: Good morning Cathy.

Cathy: Good morning John.

John: Did you hear about that Ronaldo, Real Madrid deal?

Cathy: Yes I did. I was quite surprised, I thought Florentino would wait at least until the crisis blows over before he started to spend millions again.

John: So did I, but hey, this Ronaldo is a real investment for the club.

Cathy: 94 million euros? Investment? How can you justify spending 94 million euros on one player? Isn’t that like putting all your eggs in one very expensive basket?

John: Yeah, I thought of that too. But hey, even if he is with the team for a year, I am sure Florentino will get his investment back plus some…you know with all the merchandising and special image rights they are going to have.

Cathy: I saw on the news last night they were going to try and bring back those old Madrid jerseys from when Ronaldo was playing for Madrid before he was traded to Milan.

John: But seriously though, one player, making nearly 24.000 euros a day, during a crisis… it just doesn’t make any sense to me!

Cathy: And to think that this is only the second player to be recruited for next season…how much more money is he planning on spending?

John: Rumour has it, that he might even go for two or three more stars as backup. Some players like Villa, Cesc, or even Forlan.

Cathy: Backup? That sounds like an entire arsenal to me. Just where do they think they are going with all those superstars. Have they forgotten the game? I mean, one thing is entertainment and sport, and yet another is charging such large amounts of money to watch, see or read about the games played.

John: Football is a business, though. They have their sources of income and revenue streams. Why should they be any different?

Cathy: I suppose you are right, but it does make you wonder.

John: I’ll tell you what I am wondering. What is Florentino going to do when Ronaldo breaks a ligament or is on the disabled list? Food for thought.