Ironically, it will have hurt Real Madrid chiefs more that they hadn't sold Fernando Morientes in the spring of 2004. At least that way, they wouldn't have still been contributing to the wage of the clinical poacher as he scored two goals for on-loan French club Monaco to knock his employers out of the Champions League. In this day and age of ironing out contract technicalities, it is almost unheard of for a parent club to allow their loanee to play against them in any official capacity, so when the 28 year old Spaniard lined out against the Bernabeu giants, there had clearly been an oversight. Desperate to add to their nine European Cups and claim 'La Decima', the Madridistas would have to wait another decade for their thirst to be quenched, but 2004 had surely represented their best chance. With the European heavyweights of AC Milan, Manchester United and Arsenal having already been knocked out, the Champions League latter stages seemed to be made up of European novices in the form of Deportivo la Coruna, FC Porto, and of course, Morientes' new French side. Having thumped four goals past Monaco in the first leg, there was an mistakeable air of arrogance emanating from the Bernabeu, despite the two away goals that had been pocketed, including Morientes' last word. Still, there was to be no doubt - this was a team of Galacticos against perennial novices, so far out of their depth they might catch a nosebleed. Their star man wasn't even deemed worthy of a place amongst the Real Madrid substitutes, so what would it matter if he was afforded the right to play? Second leg - 3-1 to Monaco. Fernando Morientes' strike, sandwiching winger Ludovic Giuly's superb brace, was enough to see off the Bernabeu giants and send the French club storming through to the semi-finals on away goals. Now where were those contract officiators?
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
