With the arrival of the millennium that year, Real Madrid gradually began to build luxury warships, and with Florentino taking over as the president of the club, Real Madrid began to slowly enter the era of "Galacticos".
Perez has developed a new radical transfer policy since 2000, to put it simply, that is, he needs players not only to be extremely well-known but also expensive to be superstars, so Florentino targets a new "Galactic Battleship" every summer.
To raise additional money to fulfill this expensive ambition, Florentino even sold the club's training ground and opted to build a new one at a fraction of the cost.
The first "Galactico" to be purchased in the Florentino era was Luis Figo, who caused great controversy by bringing him under the command of rival Barca, and Figo also joined Real Madrid for a world-record transfer fee of 62 million euros (53.5 million pounds) at that time.
Now, let's take a look back at the 11 superstars who were once Galacticos and their current situation.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > goalkeeper - Casillas</h1>
Casillas is undoubtedly one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and although Florentino is keen to spend money, he was recruited from the academy because of his talent, Casillas won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies in Madrid, and won the world's recognition at the level of international football.
Casillas, 40, finally left Madrid in 2015 before retiring in August 2020 to join Porto after 25 years in the Spanish capital. In December 2020, he was appointed deputy to the CEO of the Real Madrid Foundation, which is a good home.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > defender - Michel Salgado</h1>
In 1999, Michel Salgado was bought by Real Madrid from Celta for €11 million (£9.5 million) and helped Madrid win the Champions League in his first season.
Salgado was a great success at Real Madrid and was their main starter for the next six years until Sergio Ramos was brought in from Sevilla.
The Spaniard spent a total of 10 years in Madrid before leaving Real Madrid at the age of 34 to join Blackburn Rangers for three seasons. Salgado chose to retire after spending his time in England and is currently appointed football director for Cypriot first-division side Paphos F.C.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > defender Hierro</h1>
Fernando Hierro is definitely madrid's undisputed legend and, like Salgado, Hierro spent the final stages of his career in England and played a season at Bolton Before hanging up his boots. Hierro became an assistant coach for Madrid in 2014 and managed Real Oviedo and the Spanish national team in 2018, after which Hierro has not been involved as a game coach and is now an ambassador in La Liga.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > defender - Sergio Ramos</h1>
In the summer of 2005, Sergio Ramos came to the Bernabeu from Sevilla for 27 million euros (23.2 million pounds), a record deal for the Spanish defender at the time.
Ramos was also the only Spanish player Florentino had purchased during his first tenure at the club. The top defender has been with Real Madrid for 16 years and although his position is very important, he was given up this summer due to financial implications.
Ramos then joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer and will be team-mates alongside former rival Lionel Messi.
< H1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > defender - Roberto Carlos</h1>
Roberto Carlos joined Real Madrid in 1996 and became historic
One of the best left-backs since.
Carlos spent 11 years in Madrid and still holds the club record for the most foreign players in La Liga history.
The Brazilian left the club in 2007 to join Fenerbahce before playing for Brazil, Russia and India before retiring in 2015 and is currently a global ambassador for AirAsia.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > midfielders— Zidane</h1>
Zidane became madrid's second Galaxy in 2001, surpassing the club's record transfer fee for Figo the year before, and he joined for €77.5 million (£66.5 million).
Zidane's achievements and fame need not be repeated, and he is a well-deserved midfield master in world football, retiring after losing to Italy in the 2006 World Cup final.
He has since coached Madrid twice, most recently between 2019 and 2021, and then left the club for the second time.
The Frenchman is currently in an independent position, may try to manage elsewhere and has the opportunity to become the manager of the French national team.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > midfielder – Claude Macclella</h1>
Claude Makelele joined Real Madrid from Celta Vigo in 2000, although the club did not want to sell him to Madrid at the time. Joining Real Madrid was a temptation for the Frenchman to give up no matter what, so he refused to train or play before the deal was completed, and as a result of this situation, he was sold by the club for 14 million euros (12 million pounds).
Makelele spent only three seasons in Madrid before heading to Chelsea, but he was popular at the Bernabeu and had a huge impact before joining Paris Saint-Germain to end his illustrious career.
The former midfielder is currently working as a technical mentor at Chelsea.
< H1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > winger david Beckham</h1>
David Beckham joined Madrid from Manchester United for €37 million (£31.75 million) in 2003 after the Briton caused a stir over a falling-out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Beckham spent four seasons in the Spanish capital before becoming an iconic american, revolutionizing Major League Soccer at the Los Angeles Galaxy before spending the rest of his career at AC Milan and retiring from Paris Saint-Germain in 2012.
His current relationship with Major League Soccer is back to square one, and David Beckham is now the owner of the Miami club, which was founded in 2020 and immediately integrated into the league.
David Beckham has been a UNICEF Ambassador since 2005 before creating his own fund.
< H1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > winger – Luis Figo</h1>
Luis Figo was the first player to sign a contract in the Real Madrid Galaxy era, and what could be a better start than signing the best player from an opponent? In any way, such a strategy is indeed a trick.
Figo joined FC Barcelona in 2000 for a record €62 million (£53.25 million), a controversial move that left the Portuguese star hated in the Catalan community.
The star spent five years in Madrid before ending his career at Inter Milan and retiring in 2009 after another four seasons.
Figo ran unsuccessfully for FIFA presidency in 2015, spending his spare time on Network90, a private membership site that runs the professional football industry.
<H1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > forward michael Irving</h1>
Although Irving only played for Real Madrid for one season, it is still undeniable that he was one of the most highly regarded members of the Galaxy at that time, as a wind-chasing teenager, Irving became famous at a young age, and has already proved his worth in the big game, after leaving Madrid, Irving traveled to Newcastle, Manchester United and Stoke, injuries have plagued him for the rest of his career, he hung up his boots in 2013, and now often appears in public as an expert in BT sports coverage.
< H1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > forward - Ronaldo</h1>
"Alien" Ronaldo joined Madrid from Inter Milan in 2002 for 46 million euros (£39.5 million) and his shirt sales broke European records after he announced his arrival.
Like Figo, Ronaldo has played for Barcelona, but because his teammates got too big a fuss two years ago, the reaction of the public when it was his turn was not so hostile, which is really thanks to Figo's efforts and endurance.
Ronaldo left Madrid in 2007 after five seasons with the club and joined former Inter Milan rival AC Milan after his departure, followed by the Brazilian retiring in 2011 after playing for Corinthians, and now spends his time on brand endorsement deals and regularly invests his wealth in new businesses.