Mumbai: He may have only been at the Santiago Bernabeu for a season, but it was enough for Michael Owen to understand the weight of wearing the Real Madrid jersey. And when you join one of the most decorated football clubs in the world, comparisons with its past greats are inevitable, Owen says.
That’s the moment Madrid’s superstar summer signing Kylian Mbappe is currently living. Having equalled his idol Cristiano Ronaldo ’s tally of 33 goals in his first season with the Madrid giants, the France captain has got his coach Carlo Ancelotti wishing Mbappe can go on to match the Portuguese great’s towering accomplishments at the club.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
“The thing with Real Madrid, of course, is everybody compares you to greats of the past and you almost have to win virtually every trophy just to keep up with the demand and the expectation,” Owen said ahead of the ‘Legends Faceoff’ fixture in Mumbai on Sunday.
“(With) Real Madrid winning the league, winning Champions Leagues in recent years, if Mbappe then turns up and they don’t have a good season, everybody blames him. That is an incredible pressure because they were winning before. I’m sure they will continue to be successful as well, but I think he’s done very well.
“He is one of the most destructive players on the planet. He’s quick, he’s got great touch, he can score great goals, so I always thought it was going to be a great signing.”
The former England international also analysed how football has evolved over the years, particularly the role of the number 9.
“Everybody had two strikers when I played professional football. Now hardly anybody does. Somebody like myself, I guess I don’t know where I would fit in in today’s game. Maybe I’d have to play in one of the wider areas, I don’t know. The profile of the striker has definitely changed,” Owen said.
Many pundits and former players attribute this change to Pep Guardiola, whose breathtaking Barcelona team from 2008–2012 soon became a template which teams across Europe couldn’t resist copying. Owen joined the chorus who feel it has turned football into a monotonous watch.
“Yeah, I do agree. Everybody sees a great manager and their success and feels as if they have to copy that. And certain players, certain teams are not really capable in many ways of it, yet they still play that way and give away goals. It doesn’t suit all players,” he said, also expressing concern over the decreasing number of footballing ‘geniuses’.
“It’s a much more athletic game now. It’s as important to be a good runner than it is to have skill which was never ever the case. Those old maverick players, just genius types of players, they’re slowly disappearing from our game and now it’s about hard, fast stats and running stats. So it is changing but it’s fascinating and it will continue to change again.”
A technically gifted striker with a great eye for goal during his prime, Owen, now 45, scored 16 goals from 45 games in the famous Los Blancos shirt, including one in a 4-2 El Clasico win against Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
“I was fortunate that I played in virtually all of the big derbies in England, but I don’t think anything compares to El Clasico. As a one-off game. I think it’s the biggest.
“Scoring and playing in front of your own crowds and winning a big game was probably my biggest and best memory of playing for Real Madrid,” said Owen who had the opportunity to relive those memories as he featured for the Real Madrid Legends side at DY Patil Stadium.
That’s the moment Madrid’s superstar summer signing Kylian Mbappe is currently living. Having equalled his idol Cristiano Ronaldo ’s tally of 33 goals in his first season with the Madrid giants, the France captain has got his coach Carlo Ancelotti wishing Mbappe can go on to match the Portuguese great’s towering accomplishments at the club.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
“The thing with Real Madrid, of course, is everybody compares you to greats of the past and you almost have to win virtually every trophy just to keep up with the demand and the expectation,” Owen said ahead of the ‘Legends Faceoff’ fixture in Mumbai on Sunday.
“(With) Real Madrid winning the league, winning Champions Leagues in recent years, if Mbappe then turns up and they don’t have a good season, everybody blames him. That is an incredible pressure because they were winning before. I’m sure they will continue to be successful as well, but I think he’s done very well.
“He is one of the most destructive players on the planet. He’s quick, he’s got great touch, he can score great goals, so I always thought it was going to be a great signing.”
Mbappe has been very proactive trying to make things happenpic.twitter.com/W3vAcRzLNq
— Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) April 5, 2025
The former England international also analysed how football has evolved over the years, particularly the role of the number 9.
“Everybody had two strikers when I played professional football. Now hardly anybody does. Somebody like myself, I guess I don’t know where I would fit in in today’s game. Maybe I’d have to play in one of the wider areas, I don’t know. The profile of the striker has definitely changed,” Owen said.
Many pundits and former players attribute this change to Pep Guardiola, whose breathtaking Barcelona team from 2008–2012 soon became a template which teams across Europe couldn’t resist copying. Owen joined the chorus who feel it has turned football into a monotonous watch.
“Yeah, I do agree. Everybody sees a great manager and their success and feels as if they have to copy that. And certain players, certain teams are not really capable in many ways of it, yet they still play that way and give away goals. It doesn’t suit all players,” he said, also expressing concern over the decreasing number of footballing ‘geniuses’.
Michael Owen pic.twitter.com/9EssRpA5hb
— The Extreme Football Enthusiast (@ExtremeFootbal4) April 7, 2025
“It’s a much more athletic game now. It’s as important to be a good runner than it is to have skill which was never ever the case. Those old maverick players, just genius types of players, they’re slowly disappearing from our game and now it’s about hard, fast stats and running stats. So it is changing but it’s fascinating and it will continue to change again.”
A technically gifted striker with a great eye for goal during his prime, Owen, now 45, scored 16 goals from 45 games in the famous Los Blancos shirt, including one in a 4-2 El Clasico win against Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
“I was fortunate that I played in virtually all of the big derbies in England, but I don’t think anything compares to El Clasico. As a one-off game. I think it’s the biggest.
“Scoring and playing in front of your own crowds and winning a big game was probably my biggest and best memory of playing for Real Madrid,” said Owen who had the opportunity to relive those memories as he featured for the Real Madrid Legends side at DY Patil Stadium.
You may also like
Skyroot successfully test fires 3rd stage of Vikram-1 rocket
Liverpool legend rages at Arne Slot experiment - 'I don't understand this one'
Good food, sleep, exercise key for better health: Govt
"Bulldozer attack on Constitution, fundamental rights": Kerala Minister P Rajeev on Waqf Act
Reverse Swing Delights IPL Bowlers After Lifting Of Saliva Ban
