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Who will Real Madrid choose to offer a spot on their roster and how will that player align with the team's values?
Who will Real Madrid choose to offer a spot on their roster and how will that player align with the team's values?
THE JEROME CHAZEN CASE SERIES Real Madrid Club de Futbol was a storied football club valued at $3.44 billion in 2014—the most valuable sports team in the world. Rare amongst professional clubs, Real Madrid, at its inception, was established as a not-for-profit organization and was owned by owner-members, called socios, who numbered about 92,000. In the summer of 2014, Real Madrid's management team was paying close attention to the FIFA World Cup. Two star goal scorers, Luis Suarez of Uruguay and James Rodríguez of Colombia, were rumored to be available for purchase from their clubs. Experienced coaches and evaluation staff believed that these players were exceptional and would improve Real Madrid's chances of winning. However, Real Madrid's management had learned that contrary to common perception, winning was not everything to the Real Madrid community. Real Madrid fans wanted to win, but in their unique style with the players that they respected—players who shared their values. With room for just one goal scorer, a key question was whether an offer should be extended to Suarez, to Rodriguez . . . or to neither player. Did the values reflected in their respective performances on (and off) the field align with those of the Real Madrid community?