Articles

Affichage des articles du juin, 2017

Alvaro Arbeloa retires from football

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Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and West Ham defender Alvaro Arbeloa is retiring from football. The 34-year-old Spaniard made three Premier League appearances for the Hammers last season before being released and in an interview with Marca he revealed he was hanging up his boots. “It’s time to say goodbye,” he said. “Physically I was okay to keep playing.” The full-back spent three years with Liverpool before returning to the club for whom he made his senior debut, Real Madrid, in 2009. He won one LaLiga title and the Champions League twice, making over 200 appearances before signing for West Ham last August. Asked what he believes the future has in store for him now he has called time on his playing career, he suggested he would be open to a return to the Bernabeu. “Madrid is the club of my life, I will never call to ask for a job, but I am always available to offer myself,” he said.

Ex-Madrid president says Álvaro Morata's move to Manchester United is a done deal

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Ramón Calderón believes that the transfer will be completed "imminently" and that Real Madrid, United and the player will all end up benefitting from the deal. Former  Real Madrid  president  Ramón Calderón  is sure that  Álvaro Morata 's transfer to  Manchester United  is practically a done deal. Speaking to the  Daily Express, Calderón  said, "Morata isn't happy at Real Madrid, he's not playing and this is an ideal outcome for everyone: the player, Manchester United and Real Madrid."  Mourinho handed Morata his Real Madrid debut in 2010 Zinedine Zidane  insists that he wants  Morata  in his squad for next season but the striker has been given scant playing time in his first season  since returning to the club from   Juventus  last year.  José Mourinho , who handed  Morata  his first team debut for  Real Madrid , wants him as a first choice starter in his team. The  Spa...

Ronaldo's goals in finals for Real Madrid

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The Portuguese forward has scored 13 goals in these decisive matches. Cristiano Ronaldo was again a key player in winning the latest title  after scoring a brace against Juventus  in Cardiff. The Portuguese forward stepped up again at the decisive moment and has now scored 13 goals in finals as a madridista. This season, not only did he score in the Champions League final, he also bagged a hat-trick to beat Kashima Antlers and lift the  Club World Cup .   The first final in which  Cristiano Ronaldo  scored for Real Madrid was in the 2010/11 season. On that occasion, his header was enough to beat Barcelona 1-0 at Mestalla to win the Copa del Rey. His next goals in finals came in the Spanish Super Cup, again against Barcelona. In the 2011/12 season he scored in the second leg at the Camp Nou, while in 2012/13 he scored a goal in both games.   Atlético The red and whites were on the receiving end of Cristiano goals in two finals. First in the Copa del Re...

Chelsea in pole position to sign James Rodríguez

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The sale of the Colombian midfielder would help finance a possible acquisition of Monaco striker Kylian Mbappé. James Rodríguez's future could be in South West London  as interest from Premier league side  Chelsea grows.  There was even talk of the Colombian joining the London based outfit during the winter transfer window following Oscar's departure to  Shanghai SIPG but the midfielder opted to stay put and challenge for a place at the Bernabeu . With Chelsea's participation in the 2017/18  Champions League, Antonio Conte needs to bolster his squad to ensure "The Blues" are competitive on all fronts. Conte's busy summer  Italian manager  Conte  has already decided that striker  Diego Costa  and veteran midfielder Cesc   Fábregas  will have no place in his new season squad and has requested the signature of Real Madrid duo  Alvaro   Morata and James  as replacements.  Th...

Keylor Navas performance in the season 2016-2017

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Real Madrid  have done an incredible season winning the double with La Liga, and the Champions League. This was a very difficult task, because Los Blancos had not won La Liga in the last five years and they are the first team who proclaims for second time in a row Champions League winners. Now it’s the moment to evaluate the performance of the players during the season 2016-2017. Keylor Navas  had a very difficult season, where we saw him with a lot of doubts at the beginning of the year but in a high level at the end. He was the keeper who played La Liga and Champions League because Kiko Casilla was the in charge of defending Real Madrid’s target in La Copa del Rey. During all the year there have been many rumors about the departure of the Costa Rican keeper and the singing of  De Gea ,  Donnarumma  or  Courtois ,  with the target of replacing Keylor between the sticks in the next season. After winning the Champions League...

Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed as the father of twins

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The twins have arrived! In March 2017, The Sun newspaper reported that  Cristiano Ronaldo was expecting twins . Since that time, Ronaldo’s professional life has gone from strength to strength as he has won La Liga and the Champions League. Ronaldo scored two more goals for Portugal v Latvia on Friday night. He looks set to win the Ballon d’Or for a fifth time and is also on the cover of FIFA 18. When the initial story about Ronaldo expecting twins arrived, there was no confirmation of when they would be born, via a surrogate mother. SIC confirm arrival of Eva & Mateo On Saturday evening, Portuguese television network  SIC  have confirmed the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo’s twins, a boy and a girl. They have been named as Eva and Mateo having been born on Thursday in the West Coast of the United States. It is not clear whether Cristiano Ronaldo has met his two new children yet. As it ...

Lucas Vazquez: 'Zinedine Zidane delivered on his promise'

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Lucas Vazquez  has put  Real Madrid 's successful 2016-17 campaign down to the management of  Zinedine Zidane , claiming that the Frenchman 'delivered on his promise' of giving every player a chance to shine. The 25-year-old played a big part in Los Blancos'  double-winning season , culminating in last weekend's victory over Juventus in Cardiff to add the Champions League crown to their La Liga title. Not since 1958 have Real won those two competitions in the same season, and Vazquez believes that manager Zidane deserves huge praise for getting the best out of each and every one of his players through squad rotation. "The fact that I played 50 games is something to be happy about," he told  Marca . "It is an important figure. If I have done well, it is because the coach trusts me and gives me many opportunities. I just try to repay him on the field and hope I can do it for many more games and many more years. "That has been a little ...

James Rodriguez wants to join Man Utd… Reds set to negotiate on price

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The Real Madrid midfielder seems destined to leave the Bernabeu this summer after struggling to get game time. There is plenty of interest in his signature and he is said to have six offers on the table. Real president Florentino Perez is keen to try and move the Colombian in the direction of Paris St-Germain. He thinks they will offer the most money for the playmaker. However, Rodriguez is reluctant to go back to France after spending time at Monaco. Spanish outlet  Don Balon   say Old Trafford is where Rodriguez wants to be next season. Juventus, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan are the other teams to have approached Real about the midfielder. The latter two can’t offer Champions League football and don’t appear to have much chance of doing a deal. Rodriguez is said to want to come to United and the Red Devils will use that knowledge to try and negotiate the best price. Real paid Monaco £60m for his services after he starred at the 2014 World Cup...

Cristiano Ronaldo can't stop scoring

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W hile on international duty,  Cristiano Ronaldo  continued his formidable end of season form by bagging a brace as Portugal beat Latvia 3-0. Goals on 41 and 63 minutes were added to by an Andre Silva which keeps Portugal in second place in World Cup qualification group B. Those goals meant that the Real Madrid star has taken his tally to 16 goals in his last 10 competitive games. In his last 20 matches, the forward has contributed 24 goals and has only failed to find the net in four of his last 15 games. Those statistics make it clear that the decision to rest him at certain points of the season and Zinedine Zidane's rotation policy was a wise decision which is bearing fruit. Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Juventus have all tried in vain to stop him in the Champions League, while he played his part with goals in vital LaLiga away teams against Celta and Malaga as the season reached a conclusion. Without counting the upcoming Confederations Cup, Ro...

Real Madrid can sign Kylian Mbappe and not sell Gareth Bale

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REAL MADRID do not have to sell Gareth Bale in order to sign Monaco teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, according to European football expert Gabriele Marcotti. \ Marcotti was responding to reports in Spain that in order to raise the funds for Mbappe, Bale must be shown the door at the Bernabeu. The French striker would cost Real Madrid over £100million if they were to buy him this summer, which would be a world record transfer fee. However, Real forward Alvaro Morata is heavily linked with a £64million move to  Manchester United , which would put a lot in the kitty for Mbappe. So despite the suggestions Bale is out of favour following his injury problems last season, Marcotti believes there is every chance the Wales star could stay and play with Mbappe. “I don’t understand the logic here,” he said on ESPN FC. “Maybe the people who are reporting this aren’t the same people reporting that they are going to sell Morata. “Even if you believe that Mbappe is going t...

Future Bernabeu

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D uring the summer, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu will begin its transformation into one of the most energy efficient stadiums in the world. The overall process will take three years , with the most work being done during the summers of 2018 and 2019 as Madrid City Council look to make the Bernabeu not only the world's most spectacular, but also the most environmentally friendly stadium. Step one is to reduce noise pollution, which will see work done to the exterior of the stadium and also to the roof. Another new feature of the ground will be the creation of a loading and unloading area in the south-east corner in order to free the club's neighbours of the inconvenience caused by the arrival of trucks each week. All catering, lawn maintenance and mobile television units will be moved underground to a newly redeveloped second below-ground level. The new 'skin' on the stadiums exterior will also act as an energy saver and more than reducing noise ...

Zidane: Real Madrid to extend contract until 2020

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Real Madrid will extend Zinedine Zidane’s contract until 2020 , after the French coach secured a LaLiga and Champions League double for Los Blancos. Zidane to sign Madrid contract until 2020 The contract extension of two years represents a show of confidence in Zidane, who picked up the reins at Madrid in 2016. The Frenchman lifted the Champions League at the end of his first season at the Bernabéu, but  it was his second season, where Madrid won the league and European Cup double, that convinced Florentino Pérez. In addition to extending Zidane’s contract,  Real Madrid will also increase his salary , to bring it closer in line with the best-paid coaches in Europe. Both Zidane and the club were keen to wait until the end of the season to address the question of a new contract, which is indicative of the good relationship between the two. Conscious of Madrid’s demanding end to the season, ‘Zizou’ thought it best to leave negotiations until Ju...

Chinese Club to Bid £175M for Ronaldo

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Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly be the subject of a €200 million (£175.7 million) bid from a Chinese Super League club and will be offered a £1.8 million-a-week deal to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.  According to Spanish outlet  AS  (via MailOnline's Matthew Smith), the unnamed Chinese club will make the offer next week and are prepared to quintuple Ronaldo's current £365,000-a-week wages from Real.  A successful bid of €200 million (£175.7 million) for Ronaldo would make him the most expensive player in history for the second time, with his £80 million move from Manchester United to Real back in 2009 having been record-breaking at the time. Should the four-time Ballon d'Or winner sign up to the vast wage package reportedly on offer, he would also become far and away the best paid player on the planet. It is remarkable that a player in his 30s should spark such rumours, but it is testament to...

How Lionel Messi Really Feels About Cristiano Ronaldo, Their Soccer Rivalry

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Lionel Messi is setting the record straight about Cristiano Ronaldo.  The FC Barcelona and Argentina superstar hailed his Real Madrid and Portugal counterpart Thursday, describing Ronaldo to China’s Tencent as an enduring soccer sensation, according to The Telegraph.  “He is a phenomenal player who has many qualities that year after year he improves and that is why he is one of the best in the world,” Messi said.  He also clarified the nature of their storied rivalry. Rather than representing bitter enemies, Messi and Ronaldo drive each other to higher peaks.  “That thing about our rivalry is something more invented by the press than by us,” he said. “What we want is to do our best every year, to do the best for our teams and what is spoken from outside is not something I give importance to.”  Messi spoke to Tencent just days after Ronaldo led Real Madrid to victory over Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League final. Messi’s kind words likely will ring into...

5 leading contenders to win the 2017 Ballon d’Or

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#5 N’Golo Kante   #4 Lionel Messi #3 Gianluigi Buffon #2 Sergio Ramos #1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Donnarumma offered to Real Madrid?

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Agent Mino Raiola personally offered Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to Real Madrid, claim Mediaset Premium. The 18-year-old only has one more season on his contract and is so far refusing to sign the new deal, which would earn him €4.5m per year. According to Mediaset Premium, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez confirmed that Raiola offered Donnarumma to him in a meeting. However, the Merengues publicly backed their current shot-stopper Keylor Navas, ruling them out of the running for the Italy international. Manchester City have also given up on Donnarumma, having spent £32m on Ederson this week, so Manchester United are realistically the only club who can threaten Milan at this point.

Asensio announces intention to stay at Real Madrid

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Despite reports he is a target for Premier League side Liverpool, Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio says he is not leaving the club. Marco Asensio has announced he intends to stay at Real Madrid to fight for his place, despite speculation Liverpool want to bring him to the Premier League. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season as Madrid claimed the Champions League and LaLiga titles, coming off the bench to score the last goal in his side's 4-1 triumph against Juventus in Cardiff to defend their European crown. Although Asensio only started 11 Liga games for Zinedine Zidane's side, the midfielder became an increasingly important player for the Frenchman in the second half of the season as he rotated his squad to keep star names including Cristiano Ronaldo fit for the run-in. And the Spain international says he plans to reject any advances to remain at Madrid for the new campaign, while he is targeting more medals to add to his collection. "My int...

Zidane wants to Convince James and Morata to Stay

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James Rodríguez and Álvaro Morata  played yesterday a friendly game with their national teams at Murcia, in the South of Spain. Both lead their teams and the striker even scored a great goal from a header in the last minutes of the game. James Rodríguez was very motivated during the game and he cheered his supporters up and try to win the game. It wasn’t a friendly match for the Colombian playmaker, who wanted to show off in front of the Spanish public. After the game, Morata was asked about his future and the Colombian:  “James? Perhaps we are colleagues the next season. Who knows?”. Álvaro Morata  said after the party for the Champions League that he wants to play in the best team of the world, opening a possibility of staying in the club. There were a lot of rumours about his  departure  to Italy, but now there is also a lot of options for him to stay in the Spanish capital. Much more complicated is  James Rodríguez situation . When he was chang...