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Tag: Real Madrid

  • Bale can help fill Ronaldo void at Real Madrid – Lopetegui

    Gareth Bale can “help fill the void” left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid, says the Spanish side’s new coach Julen Lopetegui.

    Wales forward Bale had been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu after failing to hold down a regular first-team spot under previous coach Zinedine Zidane last season.

    But Ronaldo’s £99m switch to Juventus means Bale is back in favour.

    “Gareth is happy to play at Real Madrid,” Lopetegui said.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the main players in the recent history of Real Madrid. He expressed a desire to leave and we allowed him to.

    “Gareth Bale is a magnificent player, with so many qualities. He can help fill the void.”

    The 29-year-old joined Real Madrid for £87m in 2013 and has since won the Champions League four times, scoring twice in the 3-1 final victory over Liverpool in May.

    Lopetegui said Bale had “worked extremely well” with France forward Karim Benzema in training, adding: “If this is the squad I have at start of season I will be a happy man.”

    Speaking at a news conference before Real play Manchester United in the International Champions Cup friendly series in Miami on Tuesday, he dismissed talk of a possible move to the Premier League club for Bale.

    “I don’t walk to talk about hypothetical situations,” said the former Spain boss.

    “Gareth is happy to play at Real Madrid. This is a fantastic opportunity for him to show his talent. He is with the team. He is happy and aligned with our goals. It is the start of an exciting path for us.”

  • Neymar rules out Paris Saint-Germain exit

    Paris Saint-Germain winger Neymar has ruled out the possibility of leaving the club this summer despite reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid .

    Speculation regarding Neymar’s future raged throughout his debut season in the French capital, with reports quickly emerging following his world-record move from Barcelona claiming that he was unhappy at PSG and wanted to return to Spain.

    Madrid have been long-term admirers of Neymar, having initially missed out on his signature when he decided to join Barcelona, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from the Bernabeu led to further reports that the European champions could step up their chase for the Brazil international.

    However, Madrid themselves have officially denied their interest and now Neymar has also ruled out the possibility of leaving PSG after only one year.

    “I’m staying. I’m staying in Paris. I have a contract. Most of the speculation is made by the media,” Neymar told reporters.

    “Everyone knows my objective, why I went to Paris. I want to have success with that club and I hope next season could be wonderful.”

    Neymar scored 27 goals and created 16 more in just 28 appearances for PSG last season before his campaign was cut short by injury.

  • Real Madrid unveils £38.7m teenager Vinicius

    Real Madrid have presented Brazil’s 18-year-old Vinicius Junior as their new £38.7m signing at the Bernabeu Stadium.

    The teenager, who can play as a winger or forward, joins from Flamengo after a deal – which is a record for a player under 19 – was agreed a year ago.

    Madrid president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.”

    Vinicius made 37 league appearances for Flamengo, scoring seven goals.

    He played a significant part in the club’s rise to the top of Brazil’s Serie A, contributing six goals and three assists in their opening 11 league and Copa Libertadores matches.

    Voted the best player when Brazil won the Under-17 South American Championship last year, Vinicius originally agreed to join Madrid after playing only 17 minutes of senior football.

    Presented on the pitch alongside his compatriot, Ronaldo, who scored 104 goals in 177 games for Real between 2002 and 2007, he said: “This is the best opportunity a football player could have.

    “I’m honoured to have reached the pinnacle in football, Real Madrid, at only 18 years of age.”

    The fee surpasses the initial £36m paid by Manchester United to Monaco for striker Anthony Martial, who was 19 when he became the world’s most expensive teenager in a September 2015 deal that could be worth up to £58m.

    However, it is well short of the £166m fee that Paris St-Germain have agreed to pay Monaco for 19-year-old French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe, who was on loan with them last season.

  • BREAKING: Juventus, Real Madrid agree on £105m Ronaldo deal

    BREAKING: Juventus, Real Madrid agree on £105m Ronaldo deal

    Juventus and Real Madrid have agreed a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo worth in the region of £105m, according to Sky sources.

    It is believed that progress on the deal means an official announcement could be made as soon as Tuesday.

    Juventus president Andrea Agnelli was at Ronaldo’s hotel in Greece on Tuesday as discussions continued over the move.

    At the same time, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes was believed to be meeting Real Madrid.

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been Real for nine seasons after joining from Manchester United for a then world-record fee of £80m.

    Ronaldo has gone on to become the club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals for Los Merengues.

    As well as the individual records, Ronaldo has also added two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and four Champions Leagues to his trophy collection during his time in Spain.

    Culled from Sky Sports

  • Real Madrid considering £88m Ronaldo bid

    Real Madrid considering £88m Ronaldo bid

    Real Madrid are considering an offer of around 100m euros (£88m) from Juventus for Cristiano Ronaldo.

    The 33-year-old Portugal forward is Real’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals.

    However his age, and Real’s need to reshape a squad that finished 17 points behind La Liga champions Barcelona last season, has encouraged the Italian champions to make their move.

    Ronaldo won his fifth Champions League title with Madrid in May.

    However, following that victory over Liverpool in Kiev, Real boss Zinedine Zidane has left the club and been replaced by former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui.

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future has been the subject of intense debate over the past few years, and his relationship with Real president Florentino Perez has also been questioned.

    Any move would eclipse Juventus’ record transfer fee of 90m euros (£79m), which they paid for Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain in 2016.

    It would also be more than the £80m Real paid Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009.

    BBC

  • Cristiano Ronaldo rejects new Real Madrid contract

    Cristiano Ronaldo has allegedly rejected a big-money offer to stay at Real Madrid.

    The Portugal international has turned down a contract worth £26.7m from Los Blancos, according to Tuttosport.

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future was cast into doubt in May when he hinted that Real’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final would be his final game for the club.

    Ronaldo’s former club, Manchester United, were immediately installed as the favourites to sign him, but the latest reports suggest that they face competition from Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

    The player’s agent Jorge Mendes is said to be plotting his client’s departure from Real.

    Sportsmole/Reuters

  • BREAKING: Zidane steps down as Real Madrid boss

    BREAKING: Zidane steps down as Real Madrid boss

    Zinedine Zidane says he is stepping down as Real Madrid boss, five days after leading them to a third straight Champions League triumph, claiming the club needs “a different voice”.

    The Frenchman told a news conference that “everything changes” and “that’s why I took this decision”.

    He leaves having guided the Spanish club to three successive Champions League titles and one La Liga success since taking over in January 2016.

    “I love this club,” he added.

    “What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology. And that’s why I took this decision.”

    Zidane, 45, took over after Rafael Benitez was sacked and was in charge for 149 games. He steered Real to 104 wins and 29 draws, had 69.8% win rate, and won nine trophies.

    He said in February that he would walk away if he felt “there is nothing more to give”.

    However, the timing of his announcement still came as a shock just days after Real beat Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final.

    “It’s a strange moment to do so, I know, but an important one too,” he added on Thursday. “I had to do this for everyone.”

    Real are looking for their fourth manager in five years.

    Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with Real in the past. The Argentine signed a new five-year contract at Spurs last week.

    Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri could also come into the frame, while Arsene Wenger wants to carry on in management after leaving Arsenal after 22 years in charge.

    The decision on who will next manage Real will be made by club president Florentino Perez.

    He accompanied Zidane at the news conference and said Zidane’s exit was “totally unexpected”.

    “Zidane informed me of his choice yesterday. I thank him for the work he has done,” added Perez.

  • Barcelona overtake UCL winner Madrid to top Europe’s club ranking [Full Analysis]

    Real Madrid might have won a 13th European Cup but they have been overtaken by rivals and La Liga victors Barcelona as the continent’s top club, according to new data.

    In a Euro Club Index compiled by sports data company Gracenote, Liverpool – who were beaten by Real in Saturday’s Champions League final – move up eight places to 11th.

    Premier League champions Manchester City are England’s highest ranked side at number three, with Tottenham in ninth and Manchester United 10th.

    The rankings are produced from results over the past four seasons, but the most recent campaign carries a weight of about two-thirds.

    Chelsea dropped five places to 12 after the defence of their Premier League title ended with them finishing fifth, although they did win the FA Cup.

    Arsenal were sixth in the Premier League and dropped from 11th to 15th – sandwiched between Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk.

    Huddersfield Town were the biggest movers after achieving top-flight safety as they moved up from 232nd to 171st, while Burnley, who will be playing in next season’s Europa League after finishing seventh, rose from 116th to 68th.

    The biggest decline came from Stoke City as their relegation to the Championship saw them go from 83rd to 115th.

    See below, complete table of the latest ranking:

    The Euro Club Index
    Position Team Points Index movement from June 2017
    1 Barcelona 4,333 +1
    2 Real Madrid 4,190 -1
    3 Bayern Munich 4,053 –
    4 Juventus 4,037 +1
    5 Manchester City 3,852 +3
    6 PSG 3,850 –
    7 Atletico Madrid 3,798 -3
    8 Napoli 3,542 +2
    9 Tottenham 3,540 +4
    10 Manchester United 3,528 +6
    11 Liverpool 3,487 +8
    12 Chelsea 3,478 -5
    13 AS Roma 3,429 +1
    14 Sevilla 3,239 +1
    15 Arsenal 3,233 -4
    16 Shakhtar Donetsk 3,219 +2
    17 AS Monaco 3,178 -5
    18 Porto 3,162 +7
    19 Borussia Dortmund 3,100 -10
    20 Valencia 3,082 +25

  • Bale double secures Madrid three consecutive Champions League final victory

    Real Madrid defeat Liverpool 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League final in Kiev on Saturday.

    Madrid won their third straight Champions League thanks to a moment of sublime brilliance from Gareth Bale and Loris Karius’ errors.]
    Gareth Bale came off the bench to score one of the great goals in Champions League history and add to Loris Karius’ personal ordeal by sealing Real Madrid’s third consecutive European title with a 3-1 win over Liverpool.

    Much of the pre-match build-up centred on the anticipated battle between star forwards Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo in Kiev, but the duel was cut short before the half hour when Liverpool’s talisman suffered an apparent shoulder injury.

    The 25-year-old landed awkwardly on his left shoulder after grappling with Sergio Ramos and Ronaldo remained on the periphery throughout.

    Step forward Bale.

    With the game locked at 1-1 in the 64th minute and 122 seconds after replacing Isco – who earlier hit the crossbar – Bale scored and overhead kick of rare brilliance.

    The opening goal six minutes into the second half was as farcical as the winner was fabulous – Karim Benzema the beneficiary of goalkeeping incompetence from Karius, much like he was against Bayern Munich and Sven Ulreich in the semi-finals.

    Sadio Mane found a swift response for Liverpool but Bale, benched frequently on the big occasions this term, had other ideas.

    Karius had no chance on that occasion but seven minutes from time he pushed the Welshman’s speculative drive tamely into his net, confirming Madrid as European champions for the 13th time in their illustrious history.

  • Ronaldo wants Real Madrid to pay his £26.45m fine

    Cristiano Ronaldo has told Real Madrid he wants them to pay his fine to the Spanish tax office, according to The Sun.

    The former Manchester United man was hit with a charge for allegedly defrauding the government of £13m last year.

    And El Confidencial reports that, as things stand, he has struck a deal to pay the tax authorities a total sum of £26.45m (€30m) to avoid spending time in jail.

    It adds that, amid contract negotiations, Ronaldo, 33, has requested Real Madrid pay the fee — but the club have refused.

    It is understood that the amount he will ultimately have to hand over will be relative to his earnings.

    The Portugese current net salary of £340,000-a-week is dwarfed the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar, who he is seeking parity with.

    Both the striker and Spanish tax authorities want the matter sorted soon — ideally before the start of the World Cup.

    Last summer, and during the early part of this season, rumours emanating from Ronaldo’s camp suggested he wanted to leave as he was unhappy.

    And one of the reasons cited was that he felt a lack of protection from the club over his problems with the tax authorities.

    However, he found a new lease of life since 2018 and has been instrumental in Los Blancos’ march to a third-consecutive Champions League final — and is in talks over a new contract.

    Meanwhile, Ronaldo has made it clear to Real the five players he does not want in the team next season, according to reports in Spain.

    Los Blancos are expected to undergo a major squad revamp in the summer, according to Daily Star.

    And club president Florentino Perez is concerned by the ageing problem in his side.

    Their poor showing in La Liga has led many to believe that Zinedine Zidane could be axed at the end of the season too.