Can Real Madrid win five trophies in five months?
Real Madrid begin 2023 with the aim of fulfilling an unprecedented quest. They will try to win the Holy Grail – all the trophies available to them – the infamous sextete in a single season. Back in 2009, Barcelona won six trophies in the calendar year: LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Super Cup, Supercopa, Club World Cup. But no side has ever won six trophies within a single season. The portada de Diario AS laid down the gauntlet on Friday, describing it as an “assault on the greatest challenge in their history”.
They already have one trophy in the cabinet, courtesy of their 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Super Cup in Helsinki back in August. Their adventure could run until June, or it could be over in a matter of days.
Having progressed to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, their January continues with a tough trip to face Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica, a ground in which they haven’t tasted victory since 2017, enduring five consecutive draws against the Yellow Submarine.
A curious subplot will be the goalkeeper they will be up against. Following confirmation of Gerónimo Rulli’s departure to Ajax, Pepe Reina will be Villarreal’s number one at the age of 40. He first faced Real Madrid in a Clásico at the Bernabéu way back in March 2001. Raúl and Rivaldo both scored braces that day, in a game full of players who would go on to become coaches. Reina has faced Los Blancos with four different clubs, only winning with Liverpool under Rafa Benítez. In another curiosity, he left Napoli in the summer that Carlo Ancelotti arrived, so their paths have never crossed, despite Reina’s connections with Napoli, Milan and Bayern Munich.
If Real Madrid get any positive result against Villarreal, they will go top ahead of Barcelona’s trip to face Atlético Madrid, piling the pressure onto Xavi’s side, who appear to have more questions surrounding them since the World Cup break.
On Saturday, Ancelotti’s side also learned their opponents for the last 16 of the Copa, which will see them quickly return to La Cerámica. Then they will fly to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of their second trophy of the season – the Supercopa de España. They face Valencia and then the winner of Barcelona-Betis should they progress.
January concludes with a tricky run of games against the Basque giants Athletic Club and Real Sociedad before a home game against Valencia. They travel to Anfield on February 21st as they resume the defence of their European crown, before February sees them globetrotting again for the Club World Cup in Morocco.
The odds on a spectacular sextete are long, given the nature of competing on multiple fronts and the comparative strength of the Champions League in particular, not to mention the random variance of knockout football. However, if Real Madrid have taught us anything over the years, it is not to rule them out, especially when they are not all that convincing.
Last season, they achieved the league and European Cup double for just the fourth time. But even more staggeringly, they have not won the domestic double of Liga and Copa since 1988/89.
In summary, Real Madrid can win the remaining five trophies available to them this season, but the odds, and history, are heavily stacked against them. Achieving it, or even going close, would be a momentous feat, even alongside the storied history of the club. Whatever happens, it should be a fun ride.