Precisely what is "it," you may ask? Why are customers purchasing products like the Real Madrid away shirt 2013 2014 feverishly from the Soccer Box online store? And why has the team's gear recently hit a new level of demand?
Real Madrid Shoots for New UEFA Record
The answers to all of the above questions are contained completely in the Real Madrid football club's current UEFA Champions League tournament performance. The team, of course, is no stranger to Champions League domination. On the contrary, the Real Madrid soccer jersey has been seen at the top of the Champions League podium on more occasions than any other football club in history, as the team has won the tournament nine times.
But while Real Madrid is the default ruler of the UEFA Champions League thanks to its sheer number of victories, the team has not necessarily seen any of those victories recently. In fact, it's been over a decade since Real Madrid scored its ninth win in the tournament.
Since then, a 10th title has eluded Real Madrid. Not only has the team failed to win a Champions League trophy, but it has also been unable to reach the finals as well. For the past three years, in 2011, 2012, and 2013, Real Madrid has repeatedly fallen in the semifinals and been kept out of reach of the trophy.
This year, however, that streak of bad luck finally seems to be broken. In the two legs of this year's Champions League semifinals, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 (at home) and 4-0 away.
Since Bayern Munich was the defending Champions League champion, those two wins were particularly rousing. Fans at the second match wore their Real Madrid away shirt with pride and vigor, pushing their team to one of the biggest wins of the entire tournament.
Now, Real Madrid will proceed to the Champions League finals, which is scheduled for late May and, which will pit Real Madrid against local rivals, Atletico Madrid.
10 Titles
Undoubtedly, Real Madrid has a ton of momentum on its side. Not only are fans buying the team's home kit, or wearing the Real Madrid away shirt 2013 2014 everywhere they go, but casual football viewers all around the globe are following the Champions League and wondering if this could be the year that Real Madrid finally gets its 10th title.
For fans of the team, this moment has been a long time coming. The bulk of the team's Champions League victories came in the 1950s and 1960s, after which a dearth of title victories for over three decades had fans wondering if their team's golden age was over.
A Champions League victory in 1998 broke Real Madrid's dry spell, and victories every two years for a bit after that (in 2000 and 2002) convinced the football community that the team would hit an unprecedented milestone of 10 titles before the first decade of the new millennium was out.
Things didn't quite work out that way, though, with other teams taking home the glory in the ensuing 11 years. Real Madrid got close to winning, but never close enough. The team's last runner-up position was scored in 1981, meaning that, no matter what happens, 2014 will be Real Madrid's highest placement in the Champions League since 2002.
Fans aren't ready to settle for second place though. Now that Real Madrid is this close to that coveted and elusive 10th win, everyone and their mother is rooting for the team to go all the way.
If you want to cheer Real Madrid toward unforeseen Champions League glory (or even if you simply want to get your hands on a potential collector's item), then head to Soccer Box today and grab a 2014 Real Madrid soccer jersey!
