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Post by Bismarck on Apr 5, 2008 11:37:04 GMT
Despite the 15 points that separate Real Madrid and Mallorca heading into tonight's clash at ONO Estadi, expect fireworks on the pitch between these two bitter rivals. Not only did the hosts eliminate the Whites from this year's Copa del Rey, but also almost pulled off a stunning upset at the Bernabéu. A victory against the Islanders will bring back-to-back La Liga titles three points closer.
Real Madrid landed in Palma de Mallorca on Friday only months after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by the local side. The Whites can take a nine point lead over second place Villarreal with a win over the islanders. Star-studded defense Bernd Schuster was without the services of Pepe last week against Sevilla, but the Portuguese has recovered from a niggled right tibia and is fit for action. Casillas is expected to start in goal as usual, while Sergio Ramos should get the nod alongside Gabriel Heinze, Pepe, and Cannavaro in defense.
Despite bruising his rib cage earlier this week, José María Gutierrez, “Guti”, made the trip and is likely to join Gago in the midfield for the start of tonight's clash. Robben and Sneijder are expected to repeat along the flanks, while Raúl and Higuaín's brilliant performances against Sevilla should earn them room among the starting eleven.
Duel between homegrown Pichichis Mallorca's leading scorer Dani Güiza (17) and Raúl (16) top the national scoring charts and will add the fuel to an already burning fire. Having already been called up by the national team, Güiza hopes to close out the season in fine form and with a ticket to this summer's Euro. Raúl, meanwhile, has been shattering records one game after the next. Last week's goal against Sevilla moved him ahead of Santillana and into second place among Real Madrid's all-time top scorers.
Europe in range Gregorio Manzano's squad sits in ninth place in a very crowded middle section of the league table. The islanders hope to lock up their spot in next year's top flight as soon as possible and are only five points away from a berth in European competition with plenty of football yet to be played.
Moyá will get the start in goal with protection from Héctor, Fernando Navarro, Ramis, and Nunes on the back line. Basinas, Ibagaza, Varela, and Jonás should team up in the midfield, while Güiza and Arango do so in attack.
Leaving the island with three points in hand would be a major step in the right direction for Real Madrid, but in order to do so they have to win in ONO Estadi, which has only witnessed three defeats this season.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 15, 2008 18:45:18 GMT
It has to be said this is the least inspiring run-in to the title in Spain for quite a few years. Real are “living off” their unbelievable run of results in the first half of the championship. They are not playing all that differently, but a lot more results have gone the other way. However, the chasing pack (if you can call it chasing) seem to be doing even worse. Expect a lot of money to be spent on the transfer market this summer as most teams seek to reinvigorate their squads.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 27, 2008 22:57:36 GMT
Nobody wanted to miss the party. The Bernabéu was packed with enthusiastic fans, excited about taking a victory against Athletic Bilbao despite knowing that it wouldn't give the team the League title yet due to Villarreal's victory over Betis. Saviola, Robben and Higuaín scored the three goals of the clash.
The players don't mind when or where they win the title and fought tremendously hard throughout the encounter. Saviola was the new face on Bernd Schuster's line-up and some reshuffling was done in defence due to Fabio Cannavaro's suspension, with Pepe and Heinze teaming up as centre backs flanked by Marcelo and Sergio Ramos.
Real Madrid wanted a victory and to thrill the fans with a good show. Sneijder had the first chance from a long shot on the 10-minute mark. The keeper later deflected a strike by Raúl onto Sneijder's boots. The Dutchman shot, the ball was cleared again by the keeper and Saviola picked it up and scored his third goal of the season (13'). A mere victory wasn't enough for the Whites tonight and they kept putting a siege on Bilbao's goal, especially through Robinho and Saviola; the Brazilian missed a clear chance in the 18th minute and the Argentine tested the goalie's reflexes on many a time.
Athletic also tried to surprise Iker Casillas, who saved the day by impressively clearing Extebarría's powerful shot from outside the box on the 29-minute mark. Both sides had one chance after the other, proving to be extremely focused on the game. At one point, Gabriel Heinze tackled Llorente late inside the box and a penalty was awarded to Bilbao, but Iker Casillas yet again pulled rank and saved Garmendia's shot.
The second half was very similar to the first. Both sides looked for a goal and put on a great show. Gurpegui had a great chance in the 52nd minute, while Real Madrid's most dangerous play was finished with a shot by Sneijder that was cleared for a corner kick (60').
Six minutes later, Guti's shot was cleared by Armando. Schuster then decided to replace Raúl and Robinho with Robben and Higuaín and the move simply couldn't have been better; soon after taking the pitch, the Argentine crossed the ball into the centre of Bilbao's box for Robben to slam it into the back of the net (77'). The crowd went wild and sang the victory chant, only to see how Higuaín netted the team's third strike one minute later, buy controlling the ball beautifully and shooting it right past the near post (78').
The three points taken tonight have put Real Madrid closer to the title than ever before this year. Despite Villarreal's victory in Seville, excitement ruled throughout the encounter at the Bernabéu and the fans celebrated the victory as if the title had been won.
MATCH REPORT 3 - Real Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo; Sneijder (Drenthe, 86’), Gago, Guti, Robinho (Robben, 72’); Saviola & Raúl (Higuaín, 72’). 0 - Athletic: Armando; Iraola, Amorrebieta, Gurpegui, Koikili; Garmendia, Javi Martínez, Susaeta (Murillo, 79’), Gabilondo (Aduriz, 77’); Llorente & Etxeberría. Goals: 1-0, 13'': Saviola. 2-0, 73': Robben. 3-0, 78': Higuaín.
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Post by Bismarck on May 28, 2008 8:28:46 GMT
The galactico era is over, but that's no reason why Real Madrid shouldn't be on the lookout for top-class players. Despite a lack of European success over the last two years, Real remain one of the continent's biggest clubs, and their domestic dominance has only increased this season. With high wages, high attendances, and continental football all but guaranteed every year, relatively few players would turn down the chance to go to the Bernabéu......
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Post by Bismarck on Jun 13, 2008 0:30:12 GMT
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon insists Manchester United have 'no evidence' that the Spanish giants have acted inappropriately in their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA confirmed yesterday they had received an official request from United to investigate the matter with the English club claiming Madrid have carried out a deliberate campaign to unsettle the 23-year-old Portugal winger, currently on duty at Euro 2008. But Calderon is adamant his club have no case to answer. He said today: 'They don't have any evidence because nothing has happened. 'All there is is what the papers say and rumours that the player seems to want to leave. But at the moment a move is impossible because United don't want to sell him. 'It's United's right (to complain) but we haven't done anything and we are not going to do anything. It's a matter between the player and his club.' Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has denied that the Spanish giants are 'obsessed' by Ronaldo. Schuster told the Spanish press that he will not let the issue overshadow his preparations for next season. 'This Cristiano matter does not worry me nor am I obsessed by it,' he told Spanish newspaper Marca. 'While he doesn't play for Madrid all we can do is hope, although it's clear that he would be a great signing and would adapt well to our squad.' FIFA's regulations say one club has to inform another if they are to start negotiations with one of their players, although they do not stipulate any possible sanction. FIFA's regulations do not stipulate any possible sanction against Madrid but they do say one club have to inform another if they are to start negotiations with one of their players. The rules do not specifically state, however, that the club that owns the player have to give consent. Article 18 of FIFA's regulations for the status and transfer of players states: 'A club intending to conclude a contract with a professional must inform the player's current club in writing before entering into negotiations with him. 'A professional shall only be free to conclude a contract with another club if his contract with his present club has expired or is due to expire within six months. Any breach of this provision shall be subject to appropriate sanctions.' United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has already voiced his dislike of Madrid's touting for Ronaldo, claiming their major domestic rivals, Barcelona, refrain from public expressions of admiration for other clubs' players. He is adamant Ronaldo neither wants to, nor will be, leaving Old Trafford this summer. A statement on the club's official website, www.manutd.com, yesterday read: 'On 27 May, Manchester United made clear its intention to report Real Madrid to FIFA if it continued to involve itself in the future of Cristiano Ronaldo. 'Unfortunately, Real Madrid has not kept its own counsel and the club feels it has no alternative but to make a formal complaint to the world governing body, which it has done today.
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 2, 2008 18:53:08 GMT
Real Madrid will rebuild during the 2008/09 off-season with two goals in mind: a third straight league title and a full-fledged assault on the Champions League. The first incorporation of the summer was that of Argentine centre-back Ezequiel Garay, who will play on loan for Racing Santander during the forthcoming season.
The first player to land at Real Madrid's doorstep was Racing Santander centre-back, Ezequiel Garay, who will remain on loan with his former team for one more season.
The first to abandon the Spanish capital was Antonio Cassano. The Italian forward who joined Real Madrid in 2005/06 was transfered to Sampdoria. The club wishes Cassano the best of luck on his new endeavors.
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 4, 2008 13:21:58 GMT
French champions Lyon have denied they ever received a bid from Real Madrid for Hatem Ben Arfa.
The 21-year-old winger joined Marseille this week for an undisclosed fee after a week of wranglings between the two Ligue 1 sides.
Ben Arfa insisted on Wednesday Real Madrid had tried to sign him, and that Lyon had encouraged him to join the Spanish champions for financial reasons.
Lyon though have disputed their former player's claims.
A statement on the club's official website stated: 'Olympique Lyonnais are keen to confirm that we have never had the slightest contact with Real Madrid concerning the transfer of Hatem Ben Arfa, and therefore never 'sent' representatives from the Spanish club to see Ben Arfa.
'OL can confirm that only two clubs showed an interest in signing the player: Marseille and Paris St-Germain.
'President Jean-Michel Aulas informed the player of this in order to find out his choice, which was Marseille.'
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Post by Bismarck on Aug 12, 2008 14:45:11 GMT
Rafael Van der Vaart scored on his Real Madrid debut as the Spanish champions recorded a 2-1 comeback victory against Colombian side Santa Fe at the El Campin Stadium in Bogota on Thursday.
Madrid goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was forced into early action to deny Venezuelan Luis Seijas and Cesar Valoyes before Real were reduced to 10 men when defender Michel Salgado was sent-off after 20 minutes following a strong tackle on Yulian Anchico.
The home side took advantage of their numerical advantage as Argentinian striker Daniel Neculman, who had earlier seen a shot cleared off the line by Mahamadou Diarra, handed the home side a half-time lead after converting Alejandro Bernal's cross.
But following the second half introduction of Holland midfielder Van der Vaart, who signed from Hamburg on Tuesday, Madrid came to life.
Van der Vaart had a goal ruled out for handball 10 minutes after his introduction, but the 25-year-old secured a goalscoring debut as his 74th minute free-kick from the edge of the area pulled Madrid level.
And just 60 second later, Van der Vaart picked out substitute Pepe, who broke into the area and sealed the win for Bernd Schuster's side.
Real next travel to Germany to face Eintracht Frankfurt on August 12 before taking on Valencia in the season opening Supercopa.
People who didnt realize how much of a steal van der vart was for a lousy 10 million dont know diddly-squat or only watch one league. This guy is every bit as insanely good of a football player as his wife is smoking hot. Hamburg HAD to sell him. He had them by the balls bc he never signed a new contract and he would of walked to Real for FREE next summer.
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Post by Bismarck on Aug 26, 2008 16:36:11 GMT
Nine-man Real Madrid earned an unlikely 4-2 comeback victory over Valencia at home to win their eighth Spanish Super Cup at the Bernabeu on Sunday.
King's Cup winners Valencia had taken control of the traditional curtain-raiser to the season with a 3-2 first leg victory at the Mestalla a week ago, and then a first-half strike from David Silva in the second leg.
A red card for new Real signing Rafael van der Vaart just before the break and a second yellow for Dutch compatriot Ruud van Nistelrooy after he had in the levelled from the penalty spot in the 49th minute, left the visitors in control.
But Real rose to the challenge and further goals from Sergio Ramos, Ruben de la Red and Gonzalo Higuain in the last 13 minutes completed a remarkable fightback by the Spanish champions.
After a minute's silence for the victims of the plane crash at Madrid airport last Wednesday, the game got off to a sluggish start with the home side restricted to shots from range as Valencia gave them little space.
The visitors took the lead with their first attempt on goal after an intricate passing move gave Spain midfielder Silva space to fire low into the corner from the edge of the area in the 33rd.
Real lost Van der Vaart to a red card on his home debut after he dived in with his studs up on Juanma Mata, and the Bernabeu howled their frustration at the break.
Bernd Schuster's side forced an equaliser when Raul Albiol blocked Van Nistelrooy's goalbound header with his arm just after the restart, and the Dutch striker blasted his spotkick wide of Timo Hildebrand.
Arjen Robben came to life and unsettled the Valencia backline with his pace but Van Nistelrooy's sending off in the 73rd minute looked to have scuppered Real's chances.
Valencia failed to take charge, however, and Spain defender Ramos was quickest to the ball after Mahamadou Diarra's header came back off the crossbar at a corner in the 77th.
Substitute De la Red caught out Hildebrand from over 25 metres with a long-range shot three minutes from time, and soon after another substitute Argentine Higuain read a poor backpass from Alexis Ruano to make it 4-1.
Unai Emery's side reacted in injury-time when Fernando Morientes stabbed home David Villa's pass, but it was too late to save the game.
Robinho, who has said he wants to leave Real to join Chelsea, cut a forlorn figure on the bench throughout. There were whistles when his name was read out over the stadium PA and the Brazilian never ventured out to warm up.This shows how talented this Real team is. With the conversation that they are weak on forwards with on Ruud and Raul up front. It is complete rubbish because they can score from almost any where on the pitch just ask Valencia. When Sneijder returns from his knee injury Real will return to top form and look to advance in the Champions league after failing to advance for two straight seasons. The depth that this team has in midfield is amazing even if Robinho does depart Real will still be in contention to pull off three consecutive league titles..........
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Post by Bismarck on Sept 25, 2008 2:17:28 GMT
Real Madrid new boy Rafael van der Vaart scored a hat-trick to help the champions thrash promoted Sporting Gijon 7-1 in the Primera Liga on Wednesday.
Sporting were subjected to a 6-1 beating at home to Barcelona on Sunday and were quickly on the back foot at the Bernabeu as Netherlands midfielder Van der Vaart completed his hat-trick in the 46th minute.
A brace from Raul and further goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Arjen Robben completed a miserable four days for the top-flight newcomers.
Real climbed to second in the standings with nine points from four games, one behind leaders Villarreal who beat Racing Santander 2-0 with goals from Joan Capdevila and Joseba Llorente.
Atletico Madrid are third, also with nine points after winning the city derby at Getafe 2-1 with an own goal from defender David Cortes eight minutes from time.
Sevilla's 2-0 home win against Espanyol left them fourth with eight points, one ahead of Barcelona after their 3-2 home win against Real Betis.
Sixth-placed Valencia visit Malaga on Thursday.
Van der Vaart, who joined Real in the close season for around 15 million euros ($22 million) from Hamburg SV, volleyed the opener in the 18th minute and scored his second with a delightful back heel soon after.
After Higuain had made it 3-0, the Dutchman put away his third and compatriot Robben rounded the keeper for the fifth.
Sporting's Kike Mateo prevented a total whitewash in the 53rd, but Raul bagged two more as Real coasted to the final whistle.
Earlier, Barca's Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen came off the bench to hit a late winner as they suffered a scare in the second half against Betis.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o received Lionel Messi's pass, cut around a defender and lashed a fierce drive in off the bar for the opener after 17 minutes and the same partnership worked again for Barca's second goal six minutes later.
The Argentina winger crossed for Eto'o to tap in from close range, but Barca were knocked back after the break when Luciano Monzon drove a free kick through the wall for his side's first goal this season.
Jose Mari's clever lob levelled the match before the home side got back into gear.
Substitute Gudjohnsen went full stretch to hook the winner inside the far post and Barca could have had more as they peppered the visitor's goal at the end.
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 6, 2008 22:40:36 GMT
Real Madrid's nine-match winning streak at the Bernabeu was brought to an end on Sunday night as they were held 2-2 by Espanyol. Madrid had won every competitive match in front of their own fans since losing to Valencia in March, but that run came to an end in an encounter where all four goals came in the first half - and from discarded Spain strikers.
Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia twice put Espanyol ahead only for Raul to level up both times for Madrid, who had also won six successive matches this season prior to this.
A few wayward shots from the hosts summed up a largely uninspiring opening 20 minutes, and the first thing of note that either goalkeeper had to do was for Iker Casillas to pick the ball out of his net after Espanyol had taken a shock lead.
A hopeful long ball forward from the visiting defence was latched onto by the ever-alert Tamudo and, after progressing into the area, he was sent flying by Gabriel Heinze's sliding challenge.
The referee had no doubts about the penalty and Tamudo dusted himself off before sending Casillas the wrong way from the spot - the 30-year-old's first-ever league goal at the Bernabeu.
Espanyol's lead lasted barely two minutes though before Raul, Madrid's long-serving captain, drew the champions level.
Sergio Ramos floated a tempting cross into the Espanyol box and Raul finished it off with a downward header past Carlos Kameni from near the penalty spot.
Raul's strike, his third in the league this season, should have been the signal for in-form Madrid to take control of the game, but they soon found themselves trailing again as Espanyol made it three goals in 10 minutes.
A low cross-shot from Roman Martinez fizzed across the no-man's land between Casillas and his defenders, and Luis Garcia slid in at the far post to net against the club where he started his career.
The slow start to the game was now firmly forgotten, and Espanyol really should have gone 3-1 up in the 40th minute.
Luis Garcia was unlucky to see his clever free-kick hit the near post, and then after picking up the rebound he floated over a cross that the unmarked Moises Hurtado somehow managed to nod wide.
The reaction of the Espanyol players revealed just how good a chance that was, and the visitors were made to pay right on the stroke of half-time as Raul equalised.
The two minutes of injury-time were almost up when a deep free-kick into the Espanyol box was collected by Raul, who showed quick feet to slot a low effort past Kameni, sending Madrid into the changing rooms on level terms.
The second half continued in a similar vein to the first, with Madrid largely dominating territory and possession but with Espanyol looking the more effective going forward.
Madrid started to move up through the gears though, and Kameni was called on to make two superb saves to keep out a deflected effort from team-mate Daniel Jarque and then an instinctive volley from Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Wesley Sneijder had been sent into the action by this stage, making his first appearance since suffering a knee injury during pre-season, but even his return could not inspire Madrid as Espanyol deservedly avoided defeat for the first time in eight league visits here.
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 6, 2008 22:42:18 GMT
Real Madrid are sweating on the injury news for winger Arjen Robben after he broke down during Sunday's league draw with Espanyol.
The Holland international lasted just 25 minutes after appearing as a half-time replacement before he himself had to be substituted with a hamstring problem.
Robben will now undergo further tests over the next few days to determine the extent of the injury and how long he is likely to be out for.
Madrid coach Bernd Schuster believes his side felt Robben's loss during the 2-2 draw against Espanyol, saying: "It's a pity he got injured because I'm sure that with him on the pitch things would have turned out better."
Schuster felt his side's second-half performance against Espanyol should have been enough to win them all three points against the visiting Catalan side.
Madrid were somewhat fortunate to be level at half-time against an impressive Espanyol having twice fallen behind in an opening period where their opponents also struck the woodwork.
The reigning champions looked much better after the break, but there was no way past Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni as the match remained 2-2, much to Schuster's frustration.
"We deserved to win in the second half. We were better and we had enough chances to have taken the victory," said Schuster
"Kameni made some very good saves and we were not accurate enough to score the third goal, but I think that in the second half we deserved more."
Madrid had plenty of efforts during the match, but many of them were from long range and rarely troubled Kameni.
Schuster did not take his players to task over that though, saying: "There's nothing bad about a player trying to score from outside the area, especially with shooters like (Rafael) Van der Vaart, (Gonzalo) Higuain or (Ruben) De La Red.
"It's true that the majority were off target, but that's another matter."
Madrid may not have managed to stretch their winning streak to seven matches on Sunday, but they did welcome back Wesley Sneijder.
Sneijder had been absent since suffering a knee injury during a pre-season match against Arsenal, but he re-appeared in the second half against Espanyol.
"The return of Sneijder is a positive, he has recovered very quickly," Schuster said.
"It's a shame because it wasn't the best game for him to come back in, entering with the score at 2-2 in the second half, looking for the win
"But I think that he was at a good level to help us. It's clear that it's his first day back, but when he improves his fitness with the (Holland) national team, he will be back to how he was before."
Robben ... injured? Say it isn't so.
I loved watching him in his Chelsea days but honestly he's more fragile than porcelain. I thought he would spend less time in the treatment room after leaving the physical EPL and moving to La Liga but I guess I was wrong. Hopefully this injury isn't too serious since he's a great player and a valuable addition to any team...
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 18, 2008 23:11:37 GMT
While Real Madrid launched itself straight for the victory, scoring an early goal already in the 1st minute, Atletico was busy trying to halt the onslaught by the only means they had at hand: Brute force. And that was pretty much the notion of the game during the entire first half, and most of the second. From the total 31 fouls committed throughout the match and the 7 yellow cards, Atletico was responsible for 17 and 5 respectively. Perea was working hard to stop Van Nistlerooy and company from reaching the goal and was doing a pretty damn good job, but ocassional moments of anger and stupidity earned him a well deserved red card. As for Van Nistlerooy's expulsion, well, let's just recall how Maniche (the "victim" of the foul) did a tackle on Van Gol (that's how they call him in Spain) which was equally nasty just minutes before.
The bloodcurdling battle for the midfield raged on during the second half, until Simao finally managed to break through Real's resistant defence with just 1 minute away from extra time. Then however, the locals weren't capable of maintaining the 1-1 draw even for 7 minutes, and after trampling over Drenthe twice in their own area, a penalty was given, Real scored, and justice was served as Real Madrid had 3 goals cancelled in the first half, and focussed more on striking the goal rather than striking a blow on other players. 1-2 victory for Real Madrid in El Calderon, with an unexceptional Atletico that is failing to meet its expectations.
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 22, 2008 10:52:43 GMT
Los Merengues’ 100% start to the Champions League came to an end when they crashed to a 2-1 defeat against eternal enemies, Juventus.
Despite thoroughly dominating the game, Bernd Schuster’s men simply could not carve open the resolute Juve backline and Mijatovic was left understandably frustrated.
“We were superior to them, but the ball just would not go in,” he told reporters after the game.
“Juventus took advantage of our incoherent start in the first fifteen minutes and scored the early goal.
“We improved a lot after that and managed to finish the half strongly. But the error in the start of the second half cost us another goal,” analyzed Mijatovic.
“Now we have to pick ourselves up quickly for the game against Bilbao on Sunday and prepare for Juve’s visit to the Bernabéu,” he concluded.
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 22, 2008 10:56:45 GMT
Mr. Mijatovic, it is really necessary for Real to buy two players in the winter transfer; a powerful striker and a winger.I strongly recommend to go for David Villa, if possible. Otherwise go for Benzeama or Tevez who is available. Also required replacement for Robinho. Kindly do something.
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Post by Bismarck on Oct 29, 2008 12:01:15 GMT
There could be some tension in the Bernabéu dressing room as the Sergio Ramos storm continues to rage, with Raúl allegedly not too pleased with the rightback’s recent outburst.
Sergio Ramos caused a stir on the eve of Real Madrid’s weekend game against Athletic Bilbao last Sunday when he revealed in an interview that he is currently unhappy playing football due to the criticism he has been getting.
The 22 year old felt that he had been unfairly targeted for his recent displays and although he admitted that he is not at his best at present, he blamed the team’s lack of cover on the field to help him on the right side of the flank.
As a result of those declarations, he was promptly benched for the game against Athletic. Although both Bernd Schuster and Predrag Mijatovic have denied it was a form of punishment and stressed that he was merely rested to rotate the squad, the events that unfolded during the match could tell a different story.
The rightback, in almost Robinho-style, was not as vocal and animated as the rest of the bench when Bilbao were awarded the hotly contested penalty – which tied the game at 2-2 – and he was also muted in his celebrations when Los Blanco retook the lead through Gonzalo Higuaín.
Now, Madrid-based daily Marca has revealed television cameras caught club captain, Raúl almost giving Sergio Ramos the cold shoulder when the forward returned to the bench after being substituted.
The still pictures showed Raúl exchanging a half-hearted handshake with Ramos while avoiding any eye contact with the defender. The 31 year old then proceeded to sit next to the 22 year old, but leaving an empty seat in between.
Madrid will take on Real Irún next in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday and Schuster’s team selection then could shed some light on the issue.
Everyone is keep writing that Ramos would fit perfect here or there. The thing is that he wouldn't fit anywhere unless he realises that the team is above his ego...
Little time on the bench would teach him manners (don't forget that he blamed his teammates in an interview) but also that there are other players as well who can do the job...
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Post by Bismarck on Nov 9, 2008 15:59:40 GMT
Gonzalo Higuain struck all four goals as 10-man Real Madrid won an astonishing encounter 4-3 against Malaga at the Bernabeu on Saturday night. Higuain was the star man on a crazy night in the Spanish capital, which saw Madrid trail three times and have Sergio Ramos sent off in the first half before the champions finally prevailed to claim their seventh win of the season. The match was a rollercoaster affair that also produced three penalties, eight yellow cards and enough incident to ensure the encounter will be talked about for a long time to come. Madrid started the clash amid talks of crisis following three defeats in their last five outings, and those alarm bells started to ring a little louder when Malaga took the lead inside six minutes. Eliseu was both the architect and the scorer of the goal, although there was also a degree of fortune thrown in as well. The Portuguese did superbly to skip around the challenges of Marcelo and Gabriel Heinze and although his cross was cut out by Fernando Gago, the Madrid midfielder's attempted clearance struck the post and Eliseu was on hand to take advantage of the lucky break to slot home. Madrid would have been desperate to avoid just such a start, but Bernd Schuster's men showed good fighting spirit to get back on level terms almost immediately. Guti's neat pass put Marcelo through, and when the Brazilian's rasping shot was parried by Francesc Arnau, Higuain was on hand to tap the rebound into the empty net. Madrid then laid siege to the Malaga goal with Dutch trio Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and Royston Drenthe all going close, before the visitors stunned their hosts by re-taking the lead in the 18th minute. Duda sent a low cross in from the left and Nabil Baha got in behind Heinze to power a first-time shot past the helpless Iker Casillas, with the home side left appealing in vain for offside. Malaga, roared on by a sizeable and noisy support, were understandably brimming with confidence at that stage and they looked more like the home side as they caused Madrid more than a few headaches with their fast breaks. That was not enough to keep Malaga ahead until half-time though, as Madrid equalised through Higuain's penalty eight minutes before the interval. Malaga centre-back Welington inexplicably stuck out an arm to block Higuain's attempted scoop through to Guti and, after referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez had deemed the offence to have taken place inside the box, the Argentinian rifled home the resulting penalty. An exciting first half then ended in controversial circumstances with Ramos being shown a straight red card after standing on the chest of Eliseu following a challenge on the Malaga goalscorer near the halfway line. Ramos immediately looked to apologise, but that did not wash with Iturralde Gonzalez who felt the action was deliberate and sent the Spain full-back for an early bath, a decision which further incensed the home crowd who had been becoming increasingly angry with the referee. The difference in numbers was not immediately obvious at the start of the second half with Madrid giving as good as they got. Gago stung the fists of Arnau, while at the other end Miguel Angel and Duda both fired wide when they should have done better. Malaga's decision not to go all-out on attack looked justified when in the 70th minute they took the lead for the third time through Apono's penalty. Duda went crashing in the box under Gago's clumsy challenge and Apono sent the visiting fans wild by smashing his spot-kick in off the underside of the bar. That could have been the end of Madrid, but Higuain, not for the first time, had other ideas. Just moments after Apono had put Malaga ahead, Higuain charged at the heart of the Andalusian side's defence before lashing a low 25-yard effort into the bottom corner to level the scores up at 3-3. That was not the end of the goalscoring though, as Higuain then astonishingly put Madrid ahead seven minutes later having won another penalty. Higuain went crashing as he attempted to squeeze between two Malaga defenders to get on the end of a cross, and although it looked a debatable decision, the Madrid striker took advantage as he slotted home at the second attempt after Arnau had saved his penalty. Incredibly, Madrid almost added a fifth when Van der Vaart got in behind the visiting defence, but although he could not take advantage, it did not prove costly as the champions held out for a remarkable and morale-boosting victory.
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Post by Bismarck on Nov 12, 2008 22:20:16 GMT
Real Madrid have sensationally been eliminated from the Copa del Rey on the away goals rule to third-division Real Union.
The La Liga giants remained favourites to progress to the last 16 of the competition despite slipping to a surprise 3-2 away defeat in the first leg. Veteran forward Raul did all he could do on the night with a hat-trick, but Eneko Romo's last-minute goal was enough to ensure a 4-3 defeat and 6-6 aggregate success on away goals for the minnows.
Paul Abasolo had given the Basque club the initiative 14 minutes in, although Raul equalised before half time after catching out Edouard with a header.
Although Asier Salcedo gave the visitors their second lead on the night shortly after the break Raul was again there to thwart them just two minutes later.
Youth ace Alberto Bueno gave Real Madrid their first lead on the night in the 68th minute and Raul's third looked to have secured passage in the closing stages.
However, there was one final sting in the tail as Romo popped up in the final seconds of the game to dump out the Spanish giants.
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Post by Bismarck on Nov 18, 2008 16:38:04 GMT
Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic has issued a vote of confidence to embattled coach Bernd Schuster
GettyImages
Schuster: Survives for now.
Speculation over the future of Schuster had intensified after a 1-0 defeat to Real Valladolid at the weekend - their third loss in four games - as arch-rivals Barcelona opened up a three-point gap at the top of La Liga.
Mijatovic, whose own relationship with Schuster has been the subject of tittle-tattle among the Spanish press, sought to head the rumours off at the pass as the nine-time European champions struggle for form.
The Serbian former striker rubbished the speculation, saying he was "fully confident" in his coach. "We have one of the best squads in the world and I am convinced that we can finish the year with a title," he said.
"We have only played 11 games in the league and we are close to the top. We have total faith in our coach. We are all very happy with him. In recent games we have done as we have wished. Not only us, but him as well.
"We want to transmit calm and confidence to the fans."
After being beaten home and away by Juventus in the Champions League, last week saw the Primera Liga champions suffering an embarrassing exit from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Segunda B's Real Union and Spanish media claimed Schuster could well be sacked if Madrid lost against Valladolid.
Spanish daily AS claimed that Schuster's decision to give his players two days off after the defeat at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla infuriated club president Ramon Calderon, who reportedly detailed Real chiefs Mijatovic and Miguel Angel Portugal to seek out potential replacements.
Roberto Mancini, Victor Fernandez or Real Madrid youth team coach Michel were all supposed to be in the frame should Schuster be given his cards.
Club captain Raul Gonzalez had insisted that all the club's players are 100 per cent behind their under-fire manager but rumours of unrest have been rife for a number weeks.
"It is a lie to say that we are not behind the coach," said Raul. "Of course we are all with him. There is no problem there."
However, Madrid golden-boy Guti and defender Sergio Ramos have been critical of the abrasive German in recent interviews.
Schuster, who represented Barcelona and Real Madrid as a player, won the Primera Liga title in his first season at Los Blancos last term.
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 13, 2008 16:05:27 GMT
Ramos: Madrid have nothing to fear
New Real Madrid boss Juande Ramos says his side have nothing to fear in Saturday's highly-anticipated derby clash against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Ramos took over from Bernd Schuster after the German coach was sacked on Tuesday.
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Post by stealth1039 on Dec 16, 2008 12:42:47 GMT
Real Madrid are preparing a £25m bid for Aston Villa's England winger Ashley Young. (Daily Star)
Real's former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos also wants Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra and could return to his old club for Didier Zokora, Aaron Lennon and David Bentley. (Daily Star)
Juande must have been impressed with English footballers if he's really after all these players.
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Post by arover on Dec 16, 2008 15:25:28 GMT
Bentley?
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 16, 2008 22:51:39 GMT
Yes,that's and eyebrow raiser...
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Post by gerry09 on Dec 17, 2008 10:09:50 GMT
Just had a bid accepted for Lassana Diarra
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Post by andynufcfan on Dec 17, 2008 21:10:55 GMT
20 million for yet another second rate player by madrid standards why do they buy all of these for?? 5 years ago every player was world class now apart from casillas and cannavaro although his getting on and maybe ramos when he gets older i wouldnt say they have one other.
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 31, 2008 13:47:42 GMT
Wigan Athletic winger Luis Antonio Valencia would jump at the chance to join Real Madrid, according to his agent. However, Diego Herrera also revealed that there has been no official bid for his client, despite the €17 million figure that is rumoured to have been agreed. "It would be a dream for Antonio to move to Real Madrid: a very beautiful opportunity," Herrera said. "But until there is something official I don't want to say anything."
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Post by Bismarck on Dec 31, 2008 13:50:02 GMT
I think he is worth it...they sold Henry for 16million because he was 30yrs old.
Antonio Valencia is 24 and he is a superb player...but on the other hand Madrid already have quality winger's in Arjen Robben, Miguel Palanca,Gonzalo Higuain,Royston Drenthe.
Even Sneijder and VDV can play the wing!
Valecia would get little playing time at Real and be another Micheal Owen.Looking at his age,I do not think it's the right move for him at this time of his career...
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Post by Bismarck on Jan 14, 2009 22:45:00 GMT
Two Real Madrid officials have resigned after newspaper allegations that unauthorised persons were allowed into the club's general assembly last month and votes manipulated, the club said on Wednesday.
The time has come for the fans to start treating Calderon the way he treats his coaches, players, staff, and probably everyone else in his life...trade him in for someone new! He claims his resignation would hurt the club. Hurt the club how, by making Real Madrid, one of the greatest clubs historically, a laughing stock? Well, that's already happened... It's time for a reality check, and firing Schuster, a capable coach, was not the answer. Someone higher up needs to go now, so either Calderon fires Mijatovic, or Calderon gets the boot and takes him along for the ride... Calderon is a disease attached to a once brilliant club. Time for a change!
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Post by stealth1039 on Jan 17, 2009 17:55:20 GMT
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has quit the Spanish champions and it could end the club's interest in Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Telegraph)
Got your wish very quickly Otto!
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 17, 2009 14:48:36 GMT
Wow!! the Ronaldo saga is still alive Stealth...and you never know, we could see Ronaldo sooner or later wearing the white jersey...
Well just look what happened to Henry two years ago before the World Cup, Henry was linked with Barcelona. Actually at one point, a fan in Villareal threw a Barca flag on him. So before and after the World Cup, Henry was linked with Barcelona. but at one point, that speculation died because he signed a new contract with Arsenal. after one year, he transferred to Barcelona...
So the Ronaldo transfer to Real Madrid could happen. Speculations and rumours are keep on coming and they affect the player and the clubs involved...
Still love him at Madrid though!
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