Some say it doesn't matter and that football is about technique and smart movement.
But majority of our homegrown guys couldn't tell fuck off to a journo, let alone to an opponent in do or die moments of final matches (our guys will avoid fights, they'll be pushed and bullied around and they'll put their heads down and sulk).
Oh, well:
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** A journo asked him: how do you respond that Liverpool played better than Real?
Kroos responded something like: you had 90 minutes to think of two questions and you came with these shitty questions, go away, f off.
You think Perez signed 16 year old Vinicius Jr because he was a "mentality monster", same dude that was crumbling under pressure little less than a year ago? You think he signed a young Benzema because of his mentality?
He signed them because of their ability. That's it. All professional footballers in elite clubs are mentally strong, what mostly differentiates them is ability. We don't have anyone like Vinicius in our team; speed, power, technique, lethal dribbling and finishing. There's no one like Benzema in our team; a complete number 9 in his prime capable of playing anywhere in front and dropping deep in midfield, with more than a decade of experience behind him. There's no one like Modric or Casemiro in our team, our midfielders are either overhyped teenagers, semi-retired veterans, or overhyped dutchman with no set position to play in. In our team there's no one like Mendy in either fullback lanes: fast, physical, tall, ridiculous stamina and recovery ability; instead we've got the midget Jordi Alba that's losing his speed with every passing week. We've got lethargic CBs either young or almost retired, whereas their CBs are fast, young, and hungry. Their backup midfielders are the best youngsters in the world with already seasons of experience behind them, our backups is the permanently jack of all trades Sergi Roberto and again, talentless La Masia players.
The difference isn't some supernatural mentality crap or luck, the difference is recruitment. The difference is Perez's cutthroat recruitment, and Barcelona's recruiment misguided by obsessive romanticism hinged with catalan pride, beautiful football or whatever.