PANAJI: Julio Baptista was part of the famed Real Madrid squads of the 2000s era that had Galacticos or superstars jostling for the world’s attention. The Brazilian forward shared the dressing room with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Raul. It perhaps proved too intimidating when he joined from Sevilla FC, as a season later he was loaned to Arsenal. On his return to Los Blancos, though, he scored the winner against Barcelona in El Clasico and helped his side win the 2007-08 league title.
“I have been fortunate to be part of great teams and they’ve been important moments in my career,” Baptista told TOI during a global media interaction arranged by LaLiga. “There cannot be a comparison between the Galacticos and the current team. I feel that being at Madrid drives players (forward) since the (media) impact is so huge. It’s something that you may not have with other teams.”
