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Post by Bismarck on Apr 17, 2008 11:00:02 GMT
Leaders Real Madrid are trying to stave off the euphoria ahead of their trip north to face one of the season's surprise-packages Racing Santander in the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Last weekend's 1-0 win over Real Murcia, combined with further slip ups from their closest challengers Barcelona and Villarreal, left them nine points clear at the top with six games remaining.
During the week, much the of the talk in the Madrid-based media has focused on whether arch-rivals Barca will have to applaud them onto the pitch as champions at the Bernabeu, when the sides meet there three weeks from the end of the season.
'The sooner we can win the title the better,' Real's Portugal defender Pepe said.
'We need to forget about the Barca game because we still have difficult ones to play before then. We must remain calm.'
Racing's impressive season under coach Marcelino has seen them reach the King's Cup semi-final, where they lost to Getafe, and fifth place in the table, where they are only a point off Atletico Madrid and a place in the Champions League.
Barcelona's pursuit of Real has faltered with only one win from their last seven games and they have few chances left to make up the lost ground.
During the week, coach Frank Rijkaard organised an away-day training in the countryside for the squad, including the injured Ronaldinho, in a bid to boost morale for their final run in.
The Champions League semi-finalists have a city derby at home to Espanyol on Saturday which may not be as tough as previous encounters with Ernesto Valverde's side in freefall.
Although eighth and within reach of the European places, Espanyol have lost their last four matches without scoring a goal.
Villarreal are a point back in third and play relegation-threatened Valladolid at the Madrigal on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid, who host Real Betis on Saturday, lead the race for the fourth Champions League place but after drawing last weekend cannot afford to drop more points with Racing and Sevilla breathing down their necks.
Sevilla are three points behind Javier Aguirre's side in sixth, and are at home to Almeria on Sunday.
At the foot of the table, Levante and Real Murcia are fighting losing battles to avoid the drop, and Real Zaragoza are the only one of the bottom three who still have their destiny in their own hands.
Manolo Villanova's side are three points short of 17th-placed Recreativo Huleva, who they host on Sunday in a classic 'six-pointer'.
'It will be an intense game because of what is at stake, but it is more of a final for them than it is for us,' Recre coach Manolo Zambrano said.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 19, 2008 4:25:47 GMT
Leaders Real Madrid are trying to stave off the euphoria ahead of their trip north to face one of the season's surprise-packages Racing Santander in the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Last weekend's 1-0 win over Real Murcia, combined with further slip ups from their closest challengers Barcelona and Villarreal, left them nine points clear at the top with six games remaining.
During the week, much the of the talk in the Madrid-based media has focused on whether arch-rivals Barca will have to applaud them onto the pitch as champions at the Bernabeu, when the sides meet there three weeks from the end of the season.
'The sooner we can win the title the better,' Real's Portugal defender Pepe said.
'We need to forget about the Barca game because we still have difficult ones to play before then. We must remain calm.'
Racing's impressive season under coach Marcelino has seen them reach the King's Cup semi-final, where they lost to Getafe, and fifth place in the table, where they are only a point off Atletico Madrid and a place in the Champions League.
Barcelona's pursuit of Real has faltered with only one win from their last seven games and they have few chances left to make up the lost ground.
During the week, coach Frank Rijkaard organised an away-day training in the countryside for the squad, including the injured Ronaldinho, in a bid to boost morale for their final run in.
The Champions League semi-finalists have a city derby at home to Espanyol on Saturday which may not be as tough as previous encounters with Ernesto Valverde's side in freefall.
Although eighth and within reach of the European places, Espanyol have lost their last four matches without scoring a goal.
Villarreal are a point back in third and play relegation-threatened Valladolid at the Madrigal on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid, who host Real Betis on Saturday, lead the race for the fourth Champions League place but after drawing last weekend cannot afford to drop more points with Racing and Sevilla breathing down their necks.
Sevilla are three points behind Javier Aguirre's side in sixth, and are at home to Almeria on Sunday.
At the foot of the table, Levante and Real Murcia are fighting losing battles to avoid the drop, and Real Zaragoza are the only one of the bottom three who still have their destiny in their own hands.
Manolo Villanova's side are three points short of 17th-placed Recreativo Huleva, who they host on Sunday in a classic 'six-pointer'.
'It will be an intense game because of what is at stake, but it is more of a final for them than it is for us,' Recre coach Manolo Zambrano said.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 19, 2008 4:27:19 GMT
With all the furore surrounding the future of Brazilian star Ronaldinho, it's easy to miss the fact that the Blaugrana have had yet another disappointing season in La Liga.
Empics The Brazilian has been a shadow of his former self this season.
Nine points off current leaders Real Madrid, Barcelona have been shockingly inconsistent in this campaign, especially for a side who have such a wealth of talent at their disposal.
In serious danger of missing out on second spot to an in-form Villarreal side, the next few weeks could decide the future of head coach Frank Rijkaard and many of the players at the club for next season.
Not only do Barcelona have a crucially important pair of fixtures against Manchester United in the Champions League to contend with, they also have the potential turbulence of the El Clásico with Madrid in May. The result may be of little consequence as the title could quite easily be decided by then, but a poor performance against their biggest rivals could precipitate a clear-out of gigantic proportions.
Ronaldinho, the club's marquee player in recent years, has found himself constantly sidelined and the subject of transfer speculation for most of Europe's elite (and Manchester City too). Now the Brazilian seems to have his heart set on a move to Milan, although whether it's Inter or AC remains to be seen; and, for the first time since his arrival in Spain, Barca are happy to let him go.
The money they get for the twice named FIFA World Player of the Year will almost certainly go towards rebuilding the squad, but the Brazilian will not be the only high profile name leaving the Nou Camp.
Gianluca Zambrotta's inability to adapt to the Spanish game could see him return to Italy, with AC Milan and former club Juventus showing interest. The full-back is one of the most talented defenders in the world game on his day, but after failing to settle, a decent chunk of his transfer fee could go towards a deal for the highly-rated Daniel Alves, who Barca are keen to steal away from under the noses of Madrid.
Midfielder Deco may also have played his last game in the famous shirt, as his rapidly expiring contract looks no closer to getting an extension. Blunted by the emergence of Andreas Iniesta, the Portuguese is second choice behind the likes of Xavi and Yaya Toure and has been used sparingly in the current campaign. He'll have no shortage of suitors.
Up front, having got Thierry Henry on the cheap from Arsenal at a mere £16million, Barca wasted little time in making the Frenchman unhappy by playing him out on the left instead of as a central striker. As a result, it would seem that a bid of around a similar figure would pave his way out of the club, with Newcastle ready to bring the once prolific striker back to England.
And the list doesn't end there. A host of players look unlikely to earn new deals at the Nou Camp, with a combination of age, poor form and money playing a part. The forgotten man of the club, Santiago Ezquerro, is certain to leave, while Brazilian midfielder Edmílson has done himself no favours by revealing a rift in the dressing room and is out of contract soon. Oleguer, who formed part of the solid defence of 2005/06, is also out of favour and could move on, along with Lilian Thuram and Sylvinho.
Undoubtedly, a spine of Carlos Puyol, Xavi, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o suggest that Barcelona will still be challenging for honours next season, but in handling what could be a squad-sapping exodus, there will have to be some high-profile replacements coming in.
Johan Cruyff's influence could see Ajax striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar arrive, while Barca director Txiki Beguiristain has already been seen scouting Lyon's young star Karim Benzema, who penned an extra year's extension to his current deal at the Stade de Gerland last month. Both players would make great replacements for Henry and, with youth on their side, could embody a shift in the club's reliance on experienced stars.
Already pointing to the future with the likes of Bojan Krkic and Giovani Dos Santos, Barca have also been linked with Valencia winger David Silva. With Los Che failing so miserably in the league, the 22-year-old could be part of a migration of his own and with Barca in need of a left-footed wideman, could fit the bill perfectly.
To firm up the defence, Racing Santander's Argentine Ezequiel Garay seemed on the verge of sealing a move to the Nou Camp before the Catalans pulled out and could still be set on a move. Creating a stir around Europe with his dead-ball skills and towering defensive performances, Real Madrid and Man Utd are now rumoured to be interested in the 21-year-old. Certainly, the defender has outgrown his current surroundings and Barca would do well to replace the likes of Thuram and Oleguer with younger blood.
GettyImages Rijkaard: The Dutchman could be on his way out of the Nou Camp.
What is clear is that something has to change and, with Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez linked with the club, the biggest loss of all could come in the form of Rijkaard. Viewed as a scapegoat for the team's inconsistent performances over the past year, Rijkaard has come under continual fire for his treatment of key players and his position is not safe by any means.
With speculation over the future of Avram Grant at Chelsea, Rijkaard could end up at Stamford Bridge next season, which would be a step in the right direction for many of the Barca fans who have booed their boss' decisions in recent games.
For Rijkaard himself, a move out of the Barca hotseat wouldn't be the worst move for his career. There is a feeling that he is stagnating in his current role and taking his attacking football philosophy to England could enhance a reputation which would take a blow after another trophyless season.
Even Champions League success this campaign may not save him. With the winds of change ready to blow through the club over the summer, the Catalan hierarchy may feel it's time to cut the cord. They have shown ruthlessness with a declining Ronaldinho and Rijkaard seems likely to follow a host of other names out of the club.
If the board back up their decision by loosening the purse strings as well, a new, youthful, vibrant Barcelona side could be a worrying proposition for the rest of Europe next season. Another year left trailing in the wake of Real Madrid just doesn't bear thinking about for the Catalans.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 20, 2008 17:45:16 GMT
Espanyol hold Barca to bore draw at the Nou Camp (Adds late game in paras 11-12) By Mark Elkington MADRID, April 19 (Reuters) - Barcelona failed again to put pressure on leaders Real Madrid after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by city rivals Espanyol in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
The Champions League semi-finalists have only managed one win in their last eight league matches and put in a toothless display in a passion-free derby with their struggling neighbours.
Barca stay second with 61 points, eight short of Real who can extend their lead at the top to 11 with a win at fifth-placed Racing Santander on Sunday.
'When our luck changes and the ball goes in, then the dynamic we are in will change. We aren't giving up on the title,' Barca coach Frank Rijkaard said.
Barcelona lacked pace and a cutting edge in the Nou Camp until Rijkaard brought on Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for the second half.
Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was quickly in the thick of the action saving from the Argentine and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o.
But for all the home side's dominance of possession Espanyol were able to hang on to earn their first point in five matches, while Barca were whistled off at the end.
Villarreal, third with 59 points, can move above Barca if they defeat visitors Valladolid on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid's hold on fourth place was weakened as they lost 3-1 at home to Real Betis to remain on 54 points.
Juande, Xisco and Capi plundered the goals from Atletico's shaky defence, and Sergio Aguero's first-half equaliser was to little avail.
Sixth-placed Sevilla, on 51 points, failed to make the most of Atletico's slip up as they were hammered 4-1 by promoted Almeria at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
An exciting game saw Sevilla's Daniel Alves score an own goal, both sides miss penalties, and Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo notch a brace with a stylish backheel flick for his second.
At the foot of the table, two goals by Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira helped Real Zaragoza to a 3-0 home win over Recreativo Huelva that hauled them out of the bottom three at the expense of their visitors.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 20, 2008 17:48:06 GMT
Thierry Henry will not be returning to the Premier League and will instead be at Barcelona next season, insists the Catalan club's vice-president Ferran Soriano.
Reports have linked the Frenchman with a return to London after just one season in La Liga.
Barca manager Frank Rijkaard has also been linked with a move to the Premier League with Chelsea and Soriano refused to categorically state the Dutchman would be at the Nou Camp next season.
When asked about a possible return to England for Henry, Soriano, speaking on Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme said: 'I don't think so. 'I spoke with him at length a week ago and he is happy in Barcelona.
'We were a bit disappointed because the team we have is the team to win all competitions and we are not doing very well in the domestic championship. But apart from that he is fine and I'm sure he is not coming back to the UK.'
Asked if Henry misses the Premier League, Soriano said: 'Not at all.'
Then quizzed whether he will remain with Barca next season, he said: 'Yes.'
Rijkaard has been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge with manager Avram Grant's position as manager under the spotlight.
The 45-year-old joined Barcelona in 2003 where he worked with Henk Ten Cate, now at Chelsea.
Soriano refused to confirm Rijkaard would be in charge next year and revealed there would be a review at the end of the season following a disappointing La Liga campaign.
They do, though, have a final chance of silverware in the Champions League and face Manchester United in the semi-final.
'You can never say 100% (he will stay) because at the end of the season we're going to review the performances of the players and coach,' Soriano added.
'I think he has no plan to leave Barcelona and go to Chelsea.
'We've decided not to talk about this until the end of the season because we are concentrated and very focused.
'The two matches against Manchester United are very important for them and for us. And we don't want to talk about anyone else.'
He continued: 'We've been with him for five years and he has been doing an extremely good job. It can be difficult to manage such a big team with such a number of stars.
'It's not easy to manage Ronaldinho, Messi, Henry and Eto'o and the like so we like the way he works, his personal style and the way he represents the club.
'Obviously the fact we are not getting the results in the domestic league is the fault of everybody including us and including him but we are very happy with Frank Rijkaard.'
Soriano also revealed the club are completely focused on winning the Champions League ahead of their double header against United.
'It's one of the best matches you can watch this year or in the last year so everybody is waiting for it.
'Every competition is different and the players are very concentrated on the Champions League so the Champions League is going to be our thing.'
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Post by arover on Apr 21, 2008 11:44:52 GMT
| Home | Away Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS 1 Real Madrid 33 14 0 2 41 15 9 3 5 27 15 38 72 2 Villarreal 33 10 5 2 29 15 9 0 7 25 25 14 62 3 Barcelona 33 13 2 2 38 9 4 8 4 24 22 31 61 4 Atletico Madrid 33 10 2 5 41 26 6 4 6 17 17 15 54 5 Racing Santander 33 9 3 4 20 13 6 5 6 17 20 4 53 6 Sevilla 33 11 1 5 40 19 5 2 9 24 29 16 51 7 Almeria 33 9 4 4 17 11 4 5 7 19 25 0 48 8 Athletic Bilbao 33 7 7 3 21 12 5 3 8 15 21 3 46 9 Deportivo La Coruna 33 7 3 6 21 21 6 4 7 22 22 0 46 10 Espanyol 33 8 2 6 19 17 5 5 7 21 27 -4 46 11 Mallorca 33 6 6 4 27 18 4 8 5 29 29 9 44 12 Real Betis 33 7 3 6 26 22 5 5 7 16 23 -3 44 13 Getafe 33 6 5 5 18 18 5 3 9 20 24 -4 41 14 Osasuna 33 7 4 6 22 18 4 3 9 11 17 -2 40 15 Valladolid 33 5 8 4 18 18 5 1 10 21 35 -14 39 16 Valencia 33 4 3 9 17 30 7 3 7 19 24 -18 39 17 Real Zaragoza 33 8 6 3 33 22 1 4 11 11 32 -10 37 18 Recreativo Huelva 33 5 6 5 21 22 4 4 9 14 32 -19 37 19 Murcia 33 6 3 7 17 19 1 5 11 12 34 -24 29 20 Levante 33 5 3 9 20 28 2 1 13 9 33 -32 25
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 21, 2008 18:35:42 GMT
April 20, 2008
Athletic Bilbao 5-1 Valencia Racing Santander 0-2 Real Madrid Osasuna 0-1 Deportivo La Coruña Murcia 1-4 Mallorca Villarreal 2-0 Valladolid Levante 3-1 Getafe
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Post by Mark Cunningham on Apr 21, 2008 20:05:24 GMT
Barcelona are poo at the moment.
Glad to see that Madrid are retaining their title, always admired them.
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 27, 2008 22:55:34 GMT
Real Madrid crushed Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the Bernabeu on Sunday to edge closer to the Spanish title but Villarreal's 1-0 victory at Real Betis put their celebrations on hold for at least another week.
Real's victory means that with four games left to play they remain 10 points clear of Villarreal at the top of the table on 75 points and will claim their 31st league title if they win next week's match at Osasuna.
Third-placed Barcelona, who are four points behind Villarreal after their 2-0 loss at Deportivo Coruna on Saturday, can now only hope to dispute second place with Villarreal.
Argentine striker Javier Saviola paved the way for Real's victory when he took advantage of a rare appearance in the starting line-up to poke home after Bilbao keeper Armando had spilled a shot from Robinho in the 13th minute.
Keeper Iker Casillas halted a Bilbao comeback when he produced a great one-handed stop to save a Joseba Garmendia penalty given after Real defender Gabriel Heinze had bundled into Fernando Llorente in the area late in the first half.
Real dominated after the break and gained a deserved second when Arjen Robben steered home from close range after a superb pass from Gonzalo Higuain and the Argentine wrapped up the win with a classy curling strike of his own two minutes later.
Villarreal clinched their win over a revived Real Betis side thanks to a breathtaking goal from midfielder Marcos Senna.
The Spain international fired the ball into the top corner from a metre inside the Betis half after spotting keeper Casto off his line in the 16th minute.
Atletico Madrid remain in fourth spot, six points behind Barca, after drawing 1-1 at Getafe, while Racing Santander lost ground in the hunt for the final Champions League place after slumping to a 3-1 defeat at Real Mallorca.
Cash-strapped Levante were relegated from the top flight when they slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Recreativo Huelva.
The Valencia-based side's 23rd defeat of the season left them five points behind Real Murcia at the bottom of the table and 15 points behind Osasuna, who occupy the last place above the drop zone.
The game had been in doubt up until Saturday because players had threatened strike action over payments owed to them by the cash-strapped club, but it went ahead after they received guarantees they would be paid.
Real Zaragoza dropped into the relegation places after drawing 1-1 at Espanyol and are two points behind Osasuna and Recreativo in the standings.
There was better news for Levante's city rivals Valencia who got off to a winning start under new coach Voro and moved four points clear of the relegation zone after a 3-0 victory at home to 10-man Osasuna.
Striker David Villa netted a controversial penalty in the first half which resulted in the sending off of Osasuna keeper Ricardo and then provided the assist for Juan Mata to score the second after the break.
Winger Joaquin wrapped up with a third that earned Valencia their first points after four straight defeats under previous boss Ronald Koeman who was sacked at the start of the week.
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Post by arover on Apr 28, 2008 14:12:35 GMT
| Home | Away Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS 1 Real Madrid 34 15 0 2 44 15 9 3 5 27 15 41 75 2 Villarreal 34 10 5 2 29 15 10 0 7 26 25 15 65 3 Barcelona 34 13 2 2 38 9 4 8 5 24 24 29 61 4 Atletico Madrid 34 10 2 5 41 26 6 5 6 18 18 15 55 5 Racing Santander 34 9 3 4 20 13 6 5 7 18 23 2 53 6 Sevilla 34 11 1 5 40 19 5 3 9 24 29 16 52 7 Deportivo La Coruna 34 8 3 6 23 21 6 4 7 22 22 2 49 8 Almeria 34 9 4 4 17 11 4 5 8 19 26 -1 48 9 Mallorca 34 7 6 4 30 19 4 8 5 29 29 11 47 10 Espanyol 34 8 3 6 20 18 5 5 7 21 27 -4 47 11 Athletic Bilbao 34 7 7 3 21 12 5 3 9 15 24 0 46 12 Real Betis 34 7 3 7 26 23 5 5 7 16 23 -4 44 13 Getafe 34 6 6 5 19 19 5 3 9 20 24 -4 42 14 Valladolid 34 6 8 4 19 18 5 1 10 21 35 -13 42 15 Valencia 34 5 3 9 20 30 7 3 7 19 24 -15 42 16 Osasuna 34 7 4 6 22 18 4 3 10 11 20 -5 40 17 Recreativo Huelva 34 6 6 5 23 22 4 4 9 14 32 -17 40 18 Real Zaragoza 34 8 6 3 33 22 1 5 11 12 33 -10 38 19 Murcia 34 6 4 7 17 19 1 5 11 12 34 -24 30 20 Levante 34 5 3 9 20 28 2 1 14 9 35 -34 25
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Post by Bismarck on Apr 28, 2008 15:17:23 GMT
It's in the bag.....
Real Madrid need just two points from their remaining four matches to seal their 31st La Liga title after comfortably beating Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the Bernabeu on Sunday evening. Barcelona are in big danger of losing out on second place to Villarreal. The Catalans obviously had their minds on Tuesday’s return match with Manchester United and were easily beaten by Deportivo, while Villarreal won at Betis to move four points above Barça. At the bottom of the table Levante became the first team to be mathematically relegated after losing to Recreativo.
Guti returned to Madrid’s midfield and there was a rare start up front for Javier Saviola who had only started three league games before this weekend. Saviola responded with his third goal of the season after just 13 minutes, nipping in to score when Athletic keeper Armando failed to hold Robinho’s shot. Athletic had a great chance to equalize in the 37th minute whewn Gabriel Heinze was judged to have fouled Llorente in the area. However, Iker Casillas once again saved the day by stopping Garmendi’s penalty.
Madrid controlled the game better in the second half and two goals in three minutes from Robben and Higuain put the result beyond doubt. Madrid will be crowned Champions if they win next week at Osasuna or if Villarreal fail to win at home to Getafe. Madrid’s following home game will then be a big party and their opponents that day are none other than arch enemy Barcelona.
Barça rested Messi, Eto’o, Xavi, Abidal and Valdes for the Champions League and they were also without Iniesta and Milito who were suspended for their match at Deportivo. The contrast with their performance against Manchester United was enormous as Depor dominated from start to finish. Juan Manuel Pinto made a nervous debut in goal for Barça while players such as Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry gave very poor displays. Whatever the opposite of a fan club is, Henry has a growing one among Barça fans. Marquez was at fault with both Depor goals which came in the second half from Rodriguez and Pablo Amo. Click here for a full report on Deportivo-Barcelona.
A goal from Marcos Senna after 15 minutes was enough to earn Villarreal a 0-1 win at Betis which meant that Real Madrid were not proclaimed Champions this week. The win also puts Villarreal in with a tremendous chance of snatching second place from Barça which would mean automatic classification for next season’s Champions League.
Atletico Madrid stayed in fourth place after grabbing a 1-1 draw at Getafe. Albin put the locals in front after 13 minutes before Kun Agüero equalized befoe half time with his 16th goal of the season. Getafe nearly won it near the end but Leo Franco saved De La Red’s 84th minute penalty and both sides had to settle for a point. Getafe could still face relegation if they do not pick up points in the remaining games.
Racing Santander’s dreams of the Champions League next season suffered a blow when they lost 3-1 at Mallorca. Nunes put Mallorca in front at the start of the second half and Trejo made it 2-0 in the 82nd minute. Duscher pulled one back for Racing from the penalty spot to give Racing hope but Güiza put the result beyond doubt a minute from the end with his 22nd goal of the season. The three points mean that Mallorca are now almost certainly safe from relegation.
Definitely relegated, however, are Levante whose fate was sealed with a 2-0 defeat at Recreativo in the Nuevo Colombino. Martin and Camuñas scored first half goals to give the Andalucian team a much needed victory which takes them out of the bottom three.
Zaragoza slip into the relegation zone despite gaining a 1-1 draw at Espanyol. The result means Espanyol are now unlikely to make a Uefa Cup place next season. Riera scored Espanyol’s first goal in five matches to put the locals in front but Oliveira equalized with six minutes to go to earn Zaragoza a point which may not be enough to save them.
Valencia responded well to the sacking of Ronald Koeman last week and soundly beat Osasuna 3-0 at Mestalla to ease their relegation worries. The referee helped in a big way by awarding a penalty and sending off Osasuna keeper Ricardo in the 19th minute. David Villa scored from the penalty and second half goals from Mata and Joaquin sealed an important win for the home team. Meanwhile Osasuna find themselved back in great danger of going down.
Jonathon Sesma scored a vital 92nd minute goal to give Valladolid a 1-0 victory over Almeria. The win takes Valladolid a step closer to safety while Almeria’s possibilities of getting into next season’s Uefa Cup were seriously diminished. Man of the match was Valladolid’s goalkeeper Asenjo who kept his team in the game with some fine saves.
Finally Murcia and Sevilla drew 0-0 in an uninspiring game that did neither side much good. Sevilla see their European chances under threat while Murcia really needed a victory to maintain any hope of survival.
Top Six: Real Madrid 75, Villarreal 65, Barcelona 61, Atletico Madrid 55, Racing Santander 53, Sevilla 52.
Bottom Six: Valencia 42, Recreativo 40, Osasuna 40, Zaragoza 38, Murcia 30, Levante 25.
Top Scorers: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla) 23, Güiza (Mallorca) 22, Raul (Real Madrid)17, Agüero (Atletico Madrid) 16, Nihat (Villarreal) 15.
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Post by Bismarck on May 3, 2008 19:58:37 GMT
The champagne was put on ice at the Bernabeu after Villarreal beat Real Betis last week, but this weekend the destination of the league title is in Real Madrid's hands.
Real will pocket their 31st Spanish championship if Villarreal fail to beat Getafe on Sunday or they win their match at Osasuna.
Real's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder is confident the team will not have to wait any longer to celebrate the title.
'I want to win the league against Osasuna and I'm sure we are going to do it,' he said earlier this week. 'Villarreal aren't going to slip up but neither are we and so we will be champions this weekend.'
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Post by Bismarck on May 6, 2008 17:12:40 GMT
Congratulations to Real Madrid for winning their 31st Spanish league title. It’s been a funny old season in Spain so perhaps it was appropriate that Madrid should come from behind and score twice in the last five minutes when they were down to ten men to win 1-2 at Osasuna. Villarreal are looking good for second place after a 2-0 victory over Getafe, while Barcelona who seem to be in a serious crisis surprised everyone by walloping Valencia 6-0. Some might be more surprised by the fact that Thierry Henry played well and scored twice!
Real Madrid have received a lot of criticism this season but nobody can doubt their fighting spirit. Led by the Spanish contingent of Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Guti and aboveall Raul, Madrid have managed to overcome the injury problems suffered by so many of their foreign stars. To win the league with three matches to spare dispels any doubt about who is the best team this season. On Wednesday Barcelona will be the first team obliged to applaud Madrid onto the pitch which will be a moment for the Bernabeu faithful to cherish.
Madrid never have it easy when they visit Pamplona, and Osasuna desperately need the points in their battle against relegation. Things got more complicated for Madrid when Cannavaro was sent off at the start of the second half, but this team seems to react well to adversity. Sneijder came close to putting Madrid in front when he hit the bar after 56 minutes, then with just eight minutes remaining Osasuna were awarded a penalty for a hand ball from Heinze. When Puñal scored it looked as if Madrid would have to wait a few more days to celebrate the title, but then in the 87th minute Robben headed home Higuain’s cross to equalize, and two minutes later Higuain scored a dramatic winner to set off the fireworks in Madrid. Osasuna slip uncomfortably into the bottom three.
Villarreal have played some excellent football this season and deserve to be in second place, four points above Barcelona, after a 2-0 win at home to Getafe. Santi Cazorla has had a great season and once again he was the main creative influence behind the win. Will any of the big teams sign him up this summer? Villarreal play as a team but their other outstanding player this season has been Turkish striker Nihat. In the 37th minute a great pass from Cazorla found Rossi who set up Nihat for the first goal. Six minutes later Cazorla and Pires combined well before Nihat finished with his 17th goal of the season. The second half was then a fine display by Villarreal of how to hold on to a lead without any problems. They will surprise a few teams when the return to the Champions League next season.
Barcelona went into their game with Valencia with all sorts of questions being asked about president Laporta, coach Rijkaard and many of the star players. The crowd were ready for a big protest but three goals in the first fifteen minutes from Messi, Xavi and Henry helped to change the mood. Valencia were supposed to be over their problems having sacked Ronald Koeman two weeks ago, but their performance did not seem like that of a team that is still in serious danger of relegation. Barça hadn’t scored a goal since the 12th of April and made up for lost time with three more in the second half. Henry showed he can still do it by scoring a typical curler into the far post, and then substitute Bojan Krkic needed only 25 minutes to score twice taking his tally to ten league goals this season. Not bad for a seventeen year old. There was bad news for Barça on Monday morning when it was confirmed that Gabi Milito will need a knee operation and will be out of action for six months.
Atletico Madrid increased their chances of playing in next season’s Champions League with an easy 3-0 victory over Recreativo. Seventeen-year-old Nacho Camacho scored the first and third goals of the win while inbetween Kun Agüero scored his 17th of the season. Recreativo move down a place and are now only just above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Argentinian central defender Roberto Fabiano Ayala doesn’t score many goals, but on Saturday night he scored what may be the easiest and also the most important goal of his career. Zaragoza are in desperate need of points to avoid the drop and in their game with Deportivo neither side could break the deadlock until in the last minute of injury time Matuzalem sent a free kick into the area that Deportivo goalkeeper Aouate came for but missed, Sergio Garcia kept the ball in and passed to Ayala who had the simple task of poking the ball into the empty net. The 1-0 victory takes Zaragoza out of the bottom three, while Deportivo suffered a setback in their push for a Uefa Cup place.
Murcia needed a miracle to avoid the drop but when Aquino and Ivan Alonso scored to put them 0-2 up at Racing Santander it looked like it might be possible. However, an own goal from De Coz put Racing back in the game and then goals from Jorge Lopez and Munitis gave Racing a 3-2 victory which keeps them challenging for fourth place. Murcia are now officially relegated and the late sendings off of Mejia and Pignol only added to their misery.
Sevilla are still on course for a place in Europe next season after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Valladolid. Renato got both the goals in the first half which leaves Valladolid still in danger of going down.
Mallorca won 1-2 at Athletic Bilbao to give them an outside chance of nicking a Uefa Cup place. The excellent Dani Güiza scored both Mallorca’s goals which takes him above Luis Fabiano in the top scorers battle. Llorente got Athletic’s only goal.
Levante and Espanyol fought out an ill tempered 1-1 draw at Levante. Levante went down to ten men after 45 minutes when Berson saw his second yellow cards but things evened up on the hour when Espanyol’s Torrejon was sent off. Juanma gave Levante the lead with thirteen minutes remaining, but then in the 89th minutre Alvaro gave away a penalty and was sent off, and Luis Garcia equalized for Espanyol from the spot.
Finally, Almeria drew 1-1 at home to Betis. Odonkor put Betis ahead just before the break but at the start of the second half Pulido equalized for Almeria. The point is more valuable for Betis who are now more or less safe in 12th place in the table.
Top Six: Real Madrid 78, Villarreal 68, Barcelona 64, Atletico Madrid 58, Racing Santander 56, Sevilla 55.
Bottom Eight: Getafe 42, Valladolid 42, Valencia 42, Zaragoza 41, Recreativo 40, Osasuna 40, Murcia 30, Levante 26.
Top Scorers: Güiza (Mallorca) 24, Luis Fabiano (Sevilla) 23, Raul (Real Madrid)17, Agüero (Atletico Madrid) 17, Nihat (Villarreal) 17.
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Post by Bismarck on May 9, 2008 17:59:46 GMT
Real Madrid celebrated their 31st Liga in style by thumping rivals Barcelona 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. This will have to go down as the most one-sided clasico since Ronaldinho destroyed Madrid’s defence in November 2005. How times have changed since then. Ronaldinho is only in the news now for his off the field antics, while Madrid have formed a solid compact unit that has won La Liga at a canter.
The Barcelona players suffered the shame of having to applaud their rivals onto the pitch, but by the end of the night this humiliation was nothing compared to what they experienced over 90 minutes. from the beginning Diarra, Sneijder and Gago ruled the midfield and even Leo Messi was kept completely out of the game as Barça’s midfield players struggled to connect with the forwards.
Raul put Madrid in front in the 13th minute after Guti had exchanged passes with Sneijder, Marquez challenged Guti but the ball broke free to Raul who whipped in a low shot past Valdes. Barça appealed for a foul by Guti on Marquez but the referee Perez Burrull was having none of it. If Barça had complaints about the first goal, they were incensed by the second. The ref blew a foul after a blatant dive by Sergio Ramos in front of Abidal. Barça were so disturbed by the decision that they forgot to mark Arjen Robben who was free to head home Guti’s free kick.
Frank Rijkaard then decided to put on the young Mexican, Giovani Dos Santos, in place of Gudjohnsen and Barça switched to a 4-2-4 system which only helped Madrid to dominate more easily. Guti and Robben had efforts saved by Valdes before half time. At the break Sylvinho came on for Rafa Marquez and Eric Abidal switched to centre back, but Madrid were now threatening to run riot.Diarra forced another save from Valdes in the 53rd minute and soon after Sylvinho made a last ditch intervention to prevent Marcelo from scoring. Sylvinho was injured making the tackle and had to be replaced by Edmilson.
In the 60th minute Ramos had a shot cleared off the line by Xavi after Valdes failed to hold a corner, but shortly after Diarra made a great run down the left before setting up Higuain who had just come on for Robben, and with his first touch he beat Valdes to make it 3-0. Marcelo nearly made it four soon after but this time Valdes came to the rescue with a fine save.
Messi made his first decent run in the 71st minute but Bojan wasted the chance created. Schuster then decided to reward Raul by taking him off to a standing ovation and Van Nistlerooy came on in his place. Withion a minute Puyol was penalized for handball in the area, although it seemed a clear case of self defence, and Van Nistlerooy stepped forward to make it 4-0 from the spot.
As the Bernabeu chanted for five, Leo Messi came alive with two fantastic runs that brought fine save from Iker Casillas, then in the 87th minute Messi threaded a pass through to Henry who finally beat Casillas for a consolation goal. In injury time Xavi chose his moment to tell Perez Burrull exactly what he thought of his decision making and was duly sent off. It was a shame the ref was so bad because Madrid thoroughly deserved the win and with a little more luck could easily have won the game 6-0 or 7-0. The day after the game Barça’s president Joan Laporta confirmed that Pep Guardiola will take over from Frank Rijkaard as first team coach for next season.
Meanwhile, Villarreal guaranteed themselves second place and automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League with a 0-2 win at Recreativo, Nihat and Guille Franco scoring the goals. Atletico Madrid made a big step towards the Champions League when goals from Agüero and Forlan gave them a 0-2 victory at Espanyol. While Sevilla kept up their challenge with a 0-3 win at Racing Santander with two goals from Fazio and a third from Renato.
At the other end of the table things are looking bad for Osasuna after they lost 2-1 at Mallorca. Güiza scored again for Mallorca before Portillo gave Osasuna some hope, but Valero scored Mallorca’s winner in injury time. Osasuna are level on points with Recreativo, and one point above them is Zaragoza who went down 1-0 at Valencia through a goal from David Silva. Valladolid are still in danger after their 1-1 draw at Betis, Mark Gonzalez put the home team in front but Victor equalized for Valladolid.
Valencia and Getafe are almost safe now after their victories. Getafe came from 0-2 down to beat Almeria 4-2, Crusat and Paunovic scored first for Almeria before Albin, Del Moral, twice, and Granero turned the game around for Getafe.
In the other games this week the already relegated Murcia lost 1-2 at home to Atletic Bilbao, and bottom club Levante went down 1-0 at Deportivo. Levante’s players made a protest for having not been paid in months, and when Deportivo kicked off the Levante players all stood together at the centre circle and did not move. Depor’s forward Sergio took the ball towards the empty goal before deliberately shooting wide to loud applause from the crowd.
Top Six: Real Madrid 81, Villarreal 71, Barcelona 64, Atletico Madrid 61, Sevilla 58, Racing 56.
Bottom Six: Valladolid 43, Zaragoza 41, Recreativo 40, Osasuna 40, Murcia 30, Levante 26.
Top Scorers: Güiza 25, Luis Fabiano 23, Raul 18, Agüero 18, Nihat 18.
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Post by Bismarck on May 10, 2008 10:00:55 GMT
Barcelona need to make wholesale changes after this season, but I’m not convinced a novice like Guardiola is the man to do it. They now run the risk of a streak of trophyless titles longer than the last one (scoff,scoff)
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normanbitesyerlegs
Reserves Player
[M:0]
We're the best behaved supporters in the land (when we win)
Posts: 213
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Post by normanbitesyerlegs on May 10, 2008 16:24:43 GMT
Huge risk on Guardiola's part!
He's a legend there and rightly so but his legacy will be wavering on whether he can get Barca back to winning the leagues and quickly!
I don't think the heads at Barca will accept another trophyless season!
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Post by Lukiebakercafc on May 10, 2008 20:58:13 GMT
You didn't mention Man Utd in that post Norm - you might want to rewrite it.
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Post by Bismarck on May 11, 2008 23:20:33 GMT
May 11, 2008
Osasuna 2-1 Murcia Real Betis 0-2 Sevilla FC Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Racing Santander Villarreal 2-0 Espanyol Valladolid 0-0 Getafe Levante 1-5 Valencia Atlético Madrid 1-0 Deportivo La Coruña Real Zaragoza 2-2 Real Madrid Barcelona 2-3 Mallorca Almeria 0-2 Recreativo Huelva
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Post by Bismarck on May 22, 2008 18:16:13 GMT
After a fairly tame campaign in general, the last day proved to be fairly dramatic, not least because of the possibility, up to the eleventh hour, that relegated Levante would not turn up for their fixture at Real Madrid - a symbolic pairing if ever there was one.................
The champions, stuffed full of euphoria and keen to enjoy the end-of-season party, were told on Thursday that Levante, the cannon-fodder for the final day, were definitely going on strike this time, having twice called off industrial action in previous weeks. This is due, as you'll now know, to the fact that the squad is owed some 16 million euros, with some of the players not having been paid for almost two years. Whilst Real Madrid count the lolly and talk of tempting Cristiano Ronaldo from England for bucketfuls of cash and 200 grand a week, Levante's Armando Lozano admitted to the press that he has been baled out for the last year due to his girlfriend's money, his parents and his mates..............
Mustapha Riga, one of the better players this year, became so frustrated last weekend by the home fans' reaction to his possible departure in the summer that he gave the old up-and-at-'em gesture, which resulted in the threat of a fine from the club authorities this past week. Riga, with an ironic smirk, commented 'Oh well - I suppose that according to the rules it's a fair cop, but I reckon it's a bit rich fining me when they haven't actually paid me for two years.' Good one............
Levante will play in Segunda 'A' next season, but the contrast between the have and the have-nots has been illustrated in absurd fashion by this saga. Real Madrid's president initially offered to pay the Levante players to turn up by promising them a share of the gate, but was eventually advised against that by his lawyers. He then got his delegates onto the phone to try to persuade Tottenham to fly over on a cheapie and play a friendly - anything not to spoil a party to which 80,000 people were scheduled to attend. Schuster then put the boot in, saying on Friday that the strike was unfair on Real Madrid, because although he sympathised with Levante's plight (he was once their manager) he thought that they could have made their point in the previous games, as opposed to ruining Madrid's celebrations - and you have to admit that he had a point. In the end, with interventions from the players' union and Raúl himself, Levante agreed to turn up and be thrashed 5-2 by the team staring down at them from the very top. ............
Real Madrid thus finished the season on a record number of points (85) since the league changed the system to three points and returned the top flight to 20 teams. Villarreal, a splendid second on 77, finished with a point more than Real Madrid managed last season when they also won the league. Villarreal were applauded off the pitch at Deportivo, another side who have enjoyed an excellent second half to the campaign, after looking doomed around Christmas time. Barcelona ended the season with a 3-5 win at relegated Murcia, a game where some of their virtues were in evidence, but where most of their frailties were more obvious. They'll need a new 'keeper for next season at the very least, since Pinto is no better than Valdes, in truth. Frank Rijkaard at least went out on a victorious note, but Pep Guardiola is going to have a busy summer....................
Racing de Santander, after their unexpectedly successful season finally confirmed their UEFA place in the 86th minute of their final game - which was just as well since Mallorca were beating Zaragoza at that moment and were thus threatening their place. In the end, Mallorca had to settle for 7th, but like Racing have been something of a revelation this term, with Güiza ending as the league's top scorer with 26, pipping Sevilla's Fabiano who managed 24. At least Güiza gets to travel to Austria this summer, along with the full-back Fernando Navarro.................
Mallorca's win condemned Zaragoza to the drop, an extraordinary turn of events after last season's excellent 6th place finish. On the same day, Numancia, from the wilds of Soria, celebrated a return to the top flight berth that they last occupied in 2005, and next season will be their fourth attempt at the highest level, in their 63-year existence. The other two places will be from three sides currently fighting it out - all of them ex-First Division members; Sporting de Gijon, Málaga and Real Sociedad, the latter attempting to bounce straight back after last year's relegation. Málaga didn't do themselves any favours by losing their third home game on the trot by the extraordinary score of 4-6 to Hercules, from Alicante....................
Espanyol lost at home again, finishing the season on a miserable note, after such a splendid first half. Their manager Ernesto Valverde may be heading for an unemployed summer. Another manager on the move, rather more voluntarily, will be Getafe's Michael Laudrup, who waved bye bye to the fans during a 1-1 draw at home to Betis, closing a strange season that saw the club perform heroically in Europe and reach the Kings' Cup Final, but still be threatened with relegation until last week. Laudrup is yet to reveal his next destination, but the rumours put him in charge of Sevilla next season - a side whose troubled season finally ended on a reasonable high, with a 4-1 tonking of Athletic Bilbao and a UEFA spot. With Alvés allegedly on his way to the Camp Nou, Kanouté probably returning to England and Fabiano most likely on his way to the Bernabéu, the manager who takes over will not be short of funds, at the very least.................
If he has any sense he won't be going to Valencia, who seem to have their hearts set now on Unai Emery, Almeria's new star manager. Racing's Marcelino seemed to be destined for the hottest of seats, but now looks like he might stay at Santander. Valencia plastered over some of the cracks by finishing on 51 points in the end, nine clear of the relegation zone. But in midweek they upset the fans yet again by refusing to pose on the Town Hall balcony with the King's Cup, despite having been implored by the Mayoress to do so. Baraja and Marchena, the two captains, put a seal on a nasty old season by refusing - a gesture, one assumes, designed to send a message out to Valencia's notoriously hard-to-please fans. But it wasn't exactly sensible, and further illustrates the depths to which the club has sunk. They'll be hoping that the summer's nice and long. At the very least the fans applauded Santi Cañizares off the pitch, in what may well be the complex goalkeeper's last game before retirement...........
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Post by Bismarck on Jun 13, 2008 0:28:28 GMT
The agent of Barcelona playmaker Deco has denied speculation his client is poised to link-up with Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea.
The Brazil-born duo have enjoyed a good working relationship with the national team, although that is due to end following Euro 2008 with Scolari set to take charge of Chelsea on July 1.
Deco is out of favour at Barcelona but, according to his agent Acaz Fellegger, that does not mean he is poised to move to Stamford Bridge.
'Deco is still under contract with Barcelona, even though everyone knows that he will leave the club,' Fellegger said.
'Deco was also linked with Internazionale, and now with Chelsea, but it is all speculation. There is nothing in it.'
Deco, 30, said earlier this week he would like to work with Scolari at club level.
'He is a coach with whom I have a great trust and a relationship that is impossible to better,' he said.
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Post by gerry09 on Jul 2, 2008 14:53:22 GMT
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 2, 2008 18:50:19 GMT
Poo.........
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Post by gerry09 on Jul 3, 2008 8:29:47 GMT
You not a fan?
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 3, 2008 10:12:46 GMT
No Gerry....I follow Real Madrid...
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Post by gerry09 on Jul 3, 2008 10:27:15 GMT
Ah I didnt realise, always been a Barca follower myself especially after their fans last season at Celtic Park and in the pubs beforehand, it was fantastic.
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 3, 2008 10:41:55 GMT
Followed Madrid for the last 15 years or so mate.....keep and eye on Juve in Serie A and Dortmund in the Bund....
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 23, 2008 1:07:47 GMT
Sir Alex Ferguson has told Cristiano Ronaldo that joining Real Madrid would be 'the worst thing he could do'.
The Manchester United manager feels the 23-year-old winger needs to stay at Old Trafford if he is to grow as a player.
However, Ronaldo has refused to commit himself to the club and Real Madrid continue to court him, even though they were reported to FIFA by United.
Ferguson remains clearly unhappy about the situation and for the second time on the South African tour found himself fielding questions about a player who scored 42 goals last season.
He said: 'I have a responsibility for all my players and their futures are a big concern for a coach.
'If you were asking advice and it was your son, you'd give him the best advice possible on his career.
'I honestly believe that could be the worst thing he could do; going to Real Madrid.
'He's 23 years old and he's at a fantastic football club. It's the best for him.'
Ronaldo signed a long-term deal last season in which United won the Champions League and retained their Premier League title.
He is currently sidelined for three months after an ankle operation following the European Championships.
Ferguson reiterated that he expects Ronaldo to
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 23, 2008 1:08:35 GMT
Lionel Messi has arrived in Scotland with his Barcelona team-mates despite his Olympic call-up for Argentina.
Barcelona are reluctant to let the 21-year-old join up with his international team-mates, who are due to meet in Tokyo on Tuesday.
However, FIFA may still step in to force Barcelona to release Messi for the under-23 tournament in Beijing, which could stop the forward playing in Barca's Champions League qualifier.
New signings Alexander Hleb, Gerard Pique and Daniel Alves are also with the Catalan side and Spain's Euro 2008 heroes such as Xavi will follow on Wednesday.
Barcelona face Hibernian at Murrayfield on Thursday and Dundee United two days later, but assistant manager Tito Vilanova has warned fans not to expect them to be firing on all cylinders.
Barcelona are in their second week of pre-season under new boss Pep Guardiola, and will work on their attacking formation at their St Andrews base after concentrating on defence at home last week.
'Things have changed over the years,' Vilanova said.
'Years ago people didn't see the first team's pre-season games. Now everything's on TV right from the word go.
'Sometimes people expect to see the level you only reach in October or November, when the team has played with the new players, the new system and the new methods, and done the new training sessions.
'That's impossible because some players are still missing in the first week. People need to see us over time and see how we do then.'
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Post by Bismarck on Jul 23, 2008 1:10:59 GMT
Real Madrid forward Robinho has committed his future to the Spanish club in the midst of reported interest from Chelsea.
Speculation has been rife that the Brazilian is on his way to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Chelsea favourites for his signature.
His agent, Wagner Ribeiro, claimed last Tuesday that the Blues were winning the race, with Robinho attracted by the idea of linking up with their new boss, fellow Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.
This morning Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon admitted the Londoners were interested in Robinho and that talks had been held with the Spaniards about the player.
However, Robinho today declared he was happy to stay in the Spanish capital and only thinking about Real.
'I want to stay at Real Madrid for a long time,' the 24-year-old told Spanish newspaper Marca.
'I'm very happy and I want to continue. My head is calm, I want to have a good pre-season with Real Madrid and continue here.'
Reports in Spain suggest Madrid are unwilling to part with Robinho unless they can strike a deal with Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Brazilian has also been in talks with Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, during which it is believed a new contract was discussed.
Yet neither the club nor the player have revealed the motive for these talks, with Robinho only revealing: 'It's between us.'
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redordead
Reserves Player
[M:0]
Always been a red always will.
Posts: 264
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Post by redordead on Jul 23, 2008 19:28:06 GMT
He'll be lining up alongside Ronaldo next season then, hopefully.
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