Why Martin Ødegaard Fell Short at Real Madrid

At just 15 years old, Martin Ødegaard was already a full Norwegian international, dazzling scouts across Europe and turning heads at elite clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal. But it was Real Madrid who ultimately secured the "wonderkid" in January 2015, unveiling him in a whirlwind of press flashbulbs and Galactico-level hype.

Yet, six years later, Ødegaard left Madrid having made just 11 first-team appearances, with no goals or assists. It wasn't until his £30 million move to Arsenal in 2021 that the midfielder finally began fulfilling his immense potential.

So what happened in Madrid — and why is he now thriving in north London?

Ødegaard was already a phenomenon before turning 16. At Stromsgodset, he became the youngest player and youngest goalscorer in Norwegian top-flight history. Coaches marveled at his:

• ⚽ Unmatched ball control
   
• 🔮 Exceptional vision
   
• 🧠 Tactical intelligence far beyond his years
   

Stian Lund, the club's academy director, recalls Ødegaard’s obsessive drive:

“He came in every day after school to train on his own. He never took shortcuts. It was like watching a full-time professional.”
 

When Ødegaard debuted for Stromsgodset at 15, he doubled the goal involvement rate of any other player in pre-season — a stat that made scouts sit up and take notice.

Over 30 top clubs showed interest, and Ødegaard visited the likes of:

• Manchester City
   
• Liverpool
   
• Bayern Munich
   
• Borussia Dortmund
   

Eventually, European champions Real Madrid secured his signature. At the unveiling, Ødegaard said Real offered the best path for development. But behind the scenes, cracks were forming.

At Madrid, Ødegaard was a teenager surrounded by Champions League winners. The club’s midfield trio — Modrić, Kroos, and Casemiro — left little room for experimentation.

Instead of consistent opportunities, he was sent on four loan spells:

• Heerenveen
   
• Vitesse
   
• Real Sociedad
   
• Arsenal (loan)
   

Despite flashes of brilliance, Ødegaard never had the tactical freedom or managerial trust needed to grow. He played just 489 minutes for Real Madrid’s first team.

When Ødegaard joined Arsenal on loan in 2021, he found what he was missing: belief, structure, and responsibility.

Under Mikel Arteta, Ødegaard was:

• 🧠 Given a central creative role
   
• 🧢 Named club captain
   
• ⚽ Trusted to dictate the rhythm and lead the press
   

His technical skill, composure under pressure, and work rate made him the heartbeat of Arsenal’s midfield.

By 2023, Ødegaard had become one of the Premier League’s most productive midfielders, notching up goals, assists, and key passes at elite levels.

Ødegaard’s journey will come full circle when Arsenal face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, marking his first competitive meeting with the Spanish giants since leaving them.

From Real Madrid castaway to Arsenal captain leading a Premier League title charge — Ødegaard’s redemption arc is nothing short of remarkable.
 

In a move sending shockwaves through global markets, former President Donald Trump has imposed 20% tariffs on a wide range of EU exports to the United States, triggering an immediate and furious response from European leaders.

• 🇩🇪 Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the move "fundamentally wrong."
   
• 🇪🇸 Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez labeled it a "unilateral attack."
   
• 🇫🇷 French President Emmanuel Macron went further, describing the tariffs as "brutal and unfounded," warning they could have a "massive impact" on the European economy.
   

Macron quickly convened an emergency summit with France’s key exporters — especially from industries hardest hit: wine, champagne, and aerospace.

“Why should European companies invest billions in America while being penalized like this?” Macron asked.
 

Trump’s new tariff list touches on Europe’s best-known exports:

• 🇫🇷 French cognac, wine, champagne
   
• 🇩🇪 German automobiles
   
• 🇮🇹 Italian luxury goods
   
• 🧪 EU chemicals, equipment & machinery — also heavily exposed
   

Some surprising sectors are in danger, too:

• 🥃 French brandy (cognac), popular in U.S. hip-hop culture
   
• 🫒 Spanish olive oil and gas turbines
   

Data from CaixaBank and Eurostat reveals:

• 🇮🇪 Ireland is one of the most dependent EU countries on U.S. trade (mainly in pharmaceuticals and tech)
   
• 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇸🇰 Slovakia also highly vulnerable in goods exports
   
• 🇨🇾 Cyprus, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇲🇹 Malta are particularly exposed in services
   

The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has pledged to respond decisively. “We hold many cards,” she said — highlighting the EU’s $18 trillion economy and the world’s largest single market of 450 million consumers.

🔁 Possible EU countermeasures include:

• Tariffs on U.S. tech and digital giants like Apple, Meta, Amazon, and X (formerly Twitter)
   
• Restrictions on U.S. service exports (where America enjoys a surplus)
   
• Reviewing quotas on U.S. agricultural imports
   

But there’s hesitation. The EU fears a tit-for-tat escalation could:

• 🔥 Spark a full-blown transatlantic trade war
   
• ⚡ Jeopardize energy imports, especially U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), now crucial since EU cut ties with Russian gas
   
• 💣 Undermine fragile cooperation on Ukraine, NATO, and defense spending
   

The EU’s $200 billion trade surplus in goods with the U.S. remains a major sticking point for Trump. While Europe imports more U.S. services, Trump continues to demand "fairness."

Brussels might consider:

• ✅ Buying more U.S. LNG or military equipment
   
• ✅ Easing some agricultural quotas
   
• ❌ But won’t budge on its digital regulation laws — a major red line for EU governments
   

However, boosting imports from the U.S. may clash with EU goals of supporting its own defense and manufacturing sectors. Any concessions come with political risk.

European officials fear the tariffs could do more than damage individual industries — they could destabilize the entire global trading system.

📉 If countries hit by U.S. tariffs — especially China — begin redirecting cheap exports into Europe, the EU could face market flooding, leading to even more protectionism and possible trade conflicts with China.

⚠️ The Trump-China tariff war is also intensifying, with over 50% tariffs now placed on Chinese goods.

With external trade under threat, the European Commission is also focusing inward. Officials say EU member states must finally eliminate internal market barriers, such as inconsistent tax regimes and regulatory red tape.

The IMF estimates those inefficiencies are equivalent to a:

• 📦 45% tariff on EU manufacturing
   
• 📲 110% tariff on EU services
   

That’s more damaging than even the Trump tariffs.

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is scheduled to speak with U.S. counterparts soon. Brussels hopes diplomacy works before the tariffs fully take effect.

The EU’s strategy: Talk tough, threaten smart retaliation, hope for a Trump U-turn.

The EU’s worst fears about a Trump-led trade war became reality this week, as the former US president slapped a blanket 20% tariff on European Union goods — blindsiding leaders across the continent.

While EU officials had been quietly preparing for “Trump 2.0,” the sweeping nature of the tariffs still delivered a sharp economic jolt.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou called the move "a catastrophe for the economic world." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, traveling in Central Asia, warned of "dire consequences for millions" if the dispute escalates.

From German automakers and French wine exporters to Italian luxury brands and Spanish machinery firms, no sector is untouched. Italy’s winemakers, for example, have already halted shipments, awaiting clarity on how to navigate the crisis.

“Everything is paralyzed,” said Stefano Leone of Marchesi Antinori, a historic Tuscan winery. “We’re hoping some form of negotiation leads to a concrete outcome.”
 

🇮🇹 Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, initially hesitant about retaliation, rushed to convene an emergency summit with ministers and industry leaders. Italy alone exports €10bn worth of goods to the U.S. annually — from agri-food to fine wines.

🇪🇸 In Spain, PM Pedro Sánchez dismissed Trump’s claims of “EU protectionism,” saying EU tariffs on US goods average just 3%, not the 39% Trump has suggested. He unveiled a €14.1 billion support package for Spanish exporters.

🇩🇪 Germany, which has one of the EU’s largest trade exposures to the U.S., denounced the tariffs as an “unprecedented attack on free trade.”

Countries with significant exports to the U.S. — such as Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and Slovakia — are bracing for serious economic pain:

• Slovakia faces a potential 2.5% GDP contraction due to its dependence on industrial exports.
   
• Poland anticipates a 0.4% GDP hit this year.
   
• France revised down its 2025 growth forecast to 0.7%, with the wine and spirits industry warning of €1 billion in losses.
   

Even small producers are affected. In Sicily, Rocco Mangiaracina sent his first olive oil shipment to the U.S. just last week — now, he says, "we're directly hit by the tariffs."

Despite the pressure, the EU is opting for a measured but firm response.

🧾 Phase 1 (Mid-April):
A €26 billion tariff package on U.S. goods — in response to earlier 25% U.S. tariffs on EU steel and aluminum. This includes food, textiles, and agricultural goods.

🧾 Phase 2 (End of April):
An expanded list is in the works — with potential tech industry targets including Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Elon Musk's X. This could involve:

• Tariffs on U.S. digital services
   
• Limits on U.S. firms bidding for public contracts in Europe
   
• Activation of the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) — dubbed the "big bazooka"
   

“We hold a lot of cards,” von der Leyen said. “But we prefer dialogue first.”
 

With Trump fuming over the EU’s $200 billion goods trade surplus, Brussels is considering potential olive branches:

• 🚢 Increase purchases of U.S. LNG or military equipment
   
• 🌾 Relax quotas on U.S. agricultural products
   
• 📉 Possibly reduce import restrictions — but not at the cost of EU digital sovereignty
   

The U.S., in turn, enjoys a €109 billion services surplus with the EU — something Brussels could leverage in its countermeasures.

Across Europe, businesses and investors are rattled. Shares in Adidas dropped 12% after the announcement. Exporters fear U.S. consumers may turn to cheaper imitations — especially for iconic products like French cognac or Italian olive oil.

Meanwhile, EU officials warn of spillover effects:

• 🌍 China could flood Europe with cheap goods blocked by Trump’s tariffs
   
• 💣 Escalation could trigger multi-front trade disputes, harming global supply chains
   
• 🇳🇴 Even non-EU nations like Norway are concerned. PM Jonas Gahr Støre said the U.S. decision would impact Norwegian jobs and exports
   

While most EU leaders denounce the tariffs, Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto blamed Brussels, accusing the EU of “Trump-phobia.” Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán is seen as one of Trump’s strongest allies in Europe.