los blancos; a real madrid community

team photo

2008-09-19T22:26:32Z

I don't know how many people check the Real Madrid website every day, but I'm pretty sure most of you check your flists daily. Anyways, just in case you haven't seen these:

Gago tiene lesionado el bíceps femoral del muslo izquierdo

2008-09-18T07:12:19Z

El argentino sufre una lesión muscular en el bicep femoral del muslo izquierdo

Tras el partido disputado entre el Real Madrid y el Bate Borisov bielorruso, los servicios médicos del club han determinado que Fernando Gago sufre una lesión muscular en el bicep femoral del muslo izquierdo. El centrocampista argentino está pendiente de pruebas complementarias para determinar el alcance de sus dolencias.

El centrocampista del Real Madrid Fernando Gago tuvo que ser retirado del terreno de juego en el minuto 35 del encuentro que disputaban los blancos ante el Bate Borisov en Copa de Europa. El argentino sufre una lesión muscular en el bicep femoral del muslo izquierdo siendo sustituido por su compañero Diarra.

El futbolista está pendiente de pruebas complementarias que se van a llevar a cabo en los próximos días para determinar el alcance y los plazos de la lesión.

Realmadrid.com

So, yes, Gago is injured and they don't know how much time he isn't going to play. I leave this to be translated by someone with better english and less asleep than me.

los_blancos @ 2008-09-13T21:00:00

2008-09-13T17:00:42Z

js_graphics js_graphics js_graphics

Oops, we missed London.

2008-09-02T08:41:22Z

Real Madrid have agreed to transfer Robinho to Manchester City. [Actual details.]

Cristiano Ronaldo and Berbatov are in Manchester United, and Robinho is in Manchester City. Baptista went to Rome whilst Huntelaar is still in Ajax. Quaresma was bought by Inter last night. It doesn't seem like Villa will be sold anytime soon by Valencia, so we can rule that one out, too.

It boggles the mind, really. After reassuring everyone that Robinho will be staying, they shock us with selling him off to Manchester City with a load of money — 42 million euros (with a 6 million salary), making it the fourth highest selling or something. Everyone thought that, if Robinho did leave, he'll be heading to Chelsea. And that Real Madrid will be able to replace him with a striker or two, but the only one they've been stalking has been Villa. Real Madrid would have had other names if it wasn't for the Cristiano Ronaldo saga.

Calderon is currently on the flaming side [Moar @ AS]. He claims that this selling "is the best thing for player and the club." He says that Robinho is a great guy, but misguided. "Schuster believed until yesterday that he could recover from this, but that did not happen. Every time I spoke with him was very sad and asking to go outside of Spain, and that he will not return even if it meant to stay clubless. Real Madrid is above any player.". I understand his anger towards the guy. Robinho has been saying stuff like, "my head is in Chelsea" and "I want to be a better player". The latter translates to I can't be a better player if I stayed in Real Madrid, but I will at Manchester City.

Calderon also claims that Schuster is satisfied with the current squad, but are you? I don't think so. Calderon hasn't been treating Schuster all that well, anyway. We saw an annoyed Schuster saying that he's last one to know about any signings and/or targets to sign. Schuster is certainly frustrated with the current number of strikers, and it showed in the last game. He has three main strikers (two seniors, one youngin), and none on the bench. How is the man supposed to win all three trophies with such dire conditions? You tell me.

(I personally don't care, really. I stopped caring when Robinho started poking at Calderon and saying nasty stuff to make Real Madrid sell him off to Chelsea, due to frustration. I wish him all the luck in Manchester. I just hate how this has been handled by the board and Calderon, even though they tried their best to keep him. It wasn't meant to be, I guess.)

los_blancos @ 2008-09-01T13:36:00

2008-09-01T09:33:24Z

michel_gonzalez michel_gonzalez michel_gonzalez

los_blancos @ 2008-08-14T18:08:00

2008-08-14T14:05:21Z

rm_canteranos

san iker shirts

2008-08-13T15:43:56Z

If you're not already a member of ontd_football, you may want to know about our new t-shirt store that was launched last week. So far, we only have one design, but there are definitely more to come.

http://skreened.com/ontdfootball

All the commission from every sale goes to Plan, the charity Iker traveled with to Peru in July. By supporting something that is dear to San Iker's heart, you get a lovely and hilarious shirt in return. Good deal, no?

Our first design is pretty self explanatory. It's our Spanish take on the popular "Jesus is my Homeboy" t-shirts, but features a religious figure of our own ;). Nearly 20 shirts have already been sold, and it has only been a week! We have also gotten a plug from kickette.com!!! So with that stamp of approval, go go go get your shirts!

Match Report: Arsenal v Real Madrid

2008-08-04T22:48:58Z

Pre-season (08/09) Emirates Cup
Arsenal 1 - 0 Real Madrid
Emirates Stadium

GOLES:
1-0, min. 48 Adebayor

Arsenal: Almunia; Diaby (Ramsey, 73'), Sagna, Senderos, Gallas (Djourou, 88'); Nasri (Wilshere, 74'), Van Persie (Eboue, 64'), Denilson, Clichy, Adebayor (Bendtner, 74') & Walcott (Vela, 64').
Real Madrid: Dudek; Salgado, Heinze, Javi García, Torres; Diarra (de la Red, 78'), Guti, Callejón (Sneijder, 46' (Parejo, 60')), Baptista (Robben, 46'); Robinho (Saviola, 60') & Raúl (van Nistelrooy, 46').

Defeated by the bare minimum
A weekend of brilliant football in London drew to a close on Sunday with a thriller. Two of the top teams in Europe head to head with the primary objective of fine tuning their game heading into their respective season openers. Hamburg clinched the second edition of the Emirates Cup with Arsenal's defeat over Real Madrid, who finished second ahead of the hosts and Juventus.

Bernd Schuster continued making changes to his preseason lineup, this time making way for Robinho to take position alongside Raúl. Juanmi Callejón was also given the green light after providing the assist on Saturday's winner against Hamburg.

The first shot of the match was produced by Robinho, who tested Manuel Almunia from a distance (min. 6). Arsenal then seized control and proved to be in better form. Walcott created the greatest danger, forcing Dudek to making several breathtaking saves. Real Madrid's best chance of the first half was a 30-metre flick by Javi García which grazed the post (min. 34). Clichy answered with a volley steared clear by Dudek (min. 38). Raúl had the last go in the first period, but was unable to control Guti's pass (min. 39).

Fatigue from Saturday's match settled in. Sneijder, Robben, and Van Nistelrooy provided fresh legs for Schuster, whose squad found itself behind shortly after the break. Michel Salgado fouled Van Persie inside the box and Adebayor converted the ensuing penalty to put the Gunners ahead (min.48).

Wesley Sneijder was stretchered off after injuring his knee in a tie-up with Diaby. Arsenal continued attacking and proving to be the better team, but Madrid refused to throw in the towel and sought the equaliser. Van Nistelrooy nearly leveled after receiving a good ball by Robben, but Almunia fisted the shot clear of goal (min.68).

Hoping to give playing time to his internationals, Schuster subbed in Rubén de la Red, who made his first appearance since returning to Real Madrid as a Euro champion.

The Emirates Cup was won by Hamburg, who secured the trophy with a 3-0 win over Juventus.
- [RealMadrid.com]

Schuster's post match conference
Following Real Madrid's defeat to Arsenal, the primary topic of conversation during Bernd Schuster's press conference was the injury to Wesley Sneijder.

How does Sneijder feel?
Not too well I don't think. We are very worried about his injury. It's really tough. He is in a lot of pain and we predict the worst.

Do you think the match was anything but 'friendly'?
Looking back on the foul, it doesn't look like the referee called it. What can I say? Losing by way of a penalty can be dealt with, but having a player go down as well is a huge blow.

Did you say any thing to Arsene Wenger?
I would like to say that I didn't see it as a violent match. Arsenal are an English team and they play with intensity. Plays like this one can happen. It's the way the game is played here and we just have to accept it.

To what extent can playing two matches in two days take its toll?
This can happen to anyone. The Emirates Cup is a tournament played by elite teams and they all want to perform well and win. That is why we had to be careful and not risk too much, which is the reason why the internationals didn't play. It's a shame because it's a great tournament, similar to last year's in Moscow. The only difference is that this one didn't have any breaks in it.

Are there any updates on Sneijder's condition?
I would rather have the doctors answer that, but it's not good. He will be out for a while.

Does the matter of transfers get even trickier now?
All we are thinking about is getting home and recovering. What happened is a part of football and many great football players have experienced it.

Did you like Javi García's performance at centre-back?
We are still waiting for Pepe and Cannavaro to return, but we will not have a problem covering that position.

- RealMadrid.com

Calderon:
"This was the worst news we could receive. It's very sad because he might have a torn ligament. The player is very upset and was crying in the dressing room. It's something that can happen to anyone, but he is very upset because it's a serious injury and very painful. He's an important player for us and we hope he makes a speedy recovery."

Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder out three months due to knee injury
MADRID, Spain - Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder's left knee injury will rule him out for three months, a relief to the player and club who had feared a longer absence.

Tests on Monday showed Sneijder did not tear ligaments when he was challenged clumsily by Arsenal's Abou Diaby in a preseason friendly match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

"I am very happy," Sneijder said.

Sneijder should be available to play in the latter games of the Champions League group phase, as Madrid aims for a record 10th European Cup title.

The 24-year-old former Ajax player has been preparing for his second season at Madrid, which opens a Spanish Supercup first leg against Copa del Rey winner Valencia on Aug. 17. Madrid's league title defence begins with a trip to Deportivo La Coruna on Aug. 30 or 31.
- Canadian Press.

"Great news" according to the official website. They are, but still... :(

2008-08-04T17:16:58Z

Sneijder avoids going under the knife

Laura Osorio / Translation by Matthew Goltz

After an MRI on Monday morning, it was determined that Wesley Sneijder only damaged his left Internal Lateral Ligament and that his Anterior Cruciate Ligament remains fully intact. Sneijder is expected to miss three months, during which he will undergo orthopedic treatment and rehabilitation.

Realmadrid.com

Van der Vaart is ours :D

2008-08-04T16:55:19Z

Real Madrid and Hamburg reach an agreement for the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Real Madrid C.F. and Hamburg SV have reached an agreement for the 5-season transfer of Dutch player Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart to the former club. The agreement is subject to the player's medical examination and his signing of a federation contract.

Van der Vaart will be officially presented on Tuesday 5 August at 13:00 CET in the Presidential Balcony of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart

Dutch talent with Spanish roots
Alberto Navarro

Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart was born 11 February 1983 in Heemskerk. He started playing for De Kennemers, a small club in the town of Beverwijk, before moving to the Ajax youth academy. After racing through the ranks, he played his first game for the senior team on 19 April 2000, away at FC Den Bosch, but it was only the following season that he established himself as a regular starter, playing 27 league games and scoring seven times.

Still just 18, on 6 October 2001 he made his national team debut, as a second-half substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra. As Holland had already failed to reach the World Cup, Rafael had to wait two years to play an official tournament for his country.

Injury forced him to miss the run-in to Ajax’s successful Eredivisie campaign and their Dutch Cup triumph against FC Utrecht in the 2001/02 season, but it did not stop him being named Holland’s Talent of the Year. And the following season, after his return to fitness, he scored a vital goal in the Champions League away to Lyon, which propelled Ajax into the knockout stages. Back on the domestic front, meanwhile, Rafael scored an impressive 18 goals in 21 league games in the Eredivisie. In 2003/04, he was once again an influential figure, as Ajax claimed another league title.

By that stage Rafael had firmly established himself as one of the stars of the Ajax team, not to mention one of the most popular players in Holland. His media profile was further increased by his relationship with popular Dutch actress Sylvie Meis. While Rafael was crowned as 2003 European Talent of the Year, Sylvie was voted as Holland’s Most Attractive Woman. In 2005, the couple married and the following year had their first child, a son who they named Damián.

By now his performances were attracting interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. He had previously been strongly linked to AC Milan, but in the summer of 2005 he signed for Bundesliga outfit SV Hamburg. In his first season he was one of the main driving forces behind the team’s qualification for the Champions League, scoring nine goals along the way, despite missing part of the season through injury. He also played a massive part in Hamburg’s impressive away form that season, scoring in each of their first four games on the road; in fact, in the course of his first one and a half seasons with the German club, they did not lose a single match away from home while he was on the pitch.

Rafael was expected to play an important part in Marco van Basten’s team for the 2006 World Cup, but was unlucky enough to suffer another injury during the run-up to the tournament, which restricted his role in Germany.

The 2006/07 season proved to be a difficult one for his club, and despite Rafael’s three goals in the Champions League group stages, they made an early exit from the competition, while languishing for several months in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table. However, the arrival of Rafael’s countryman Huub Stevens as head coach saw Hamburg march up the standings and they finished the season in a respectable 7th place, qualifying for, and indeed winning, the Intertoto Cup.
He responded in the first game of the 2007/08 season by putting in a big performance against Bayer Leverkusen; when his team was awarded a penalty, he stepped up to the plate and coolly slotted home the winner. Rafael has since played a key part in driving a galvanized Hamburg side that has been mounting a strong challenge for Bundesliga title.

Personal info:
Name: Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart
Place of Birth: Heemskerk, Netherlands
Date of Birth: 11/02/1983
Position: Attacking midfielder

Career:
1987-1993: De Kennemers
1993-2005: Ajax
2005-2008: HSV Hamburg

Honors:
Dutch Eredivisie: 2002, 2004
Dutch Cup: 2002
Dutch Super Cup: 2003
European Player of the Year: 2003

I'm very happy about this. Your thoughts?

Realmadrid.com

Injury alert.

2008-08-03T21:35:55Z

The injury to Sneijder against Arsenal was without doubt the worst news for Madrid in his game in the Emirates Cup. The Dutch received in the 58 an entry of a tough Diaby which forced him to leave the pitch on a stretcher. Wesley left the field weeping, scaring Schuster.

The recovery period for Sneijder, according to the Madrid doctor, would be "three months" if he only had broken the internal lateral ligament and "six months" in the event that he has also broken the crossfire. [More @ Marca.]

This is a heavy blow. I knew something was not right the moment he went down, there was no need for such a rough tackle (he was merely running in the middle of the pitch), but this is just depressing. As usual, the official site doesn't say much, except that Schuster is "scared by the injury".

Match Report: Real Madrid v HSV Hamburg

2008-08-02T21:06:24Z

Pre-Season (08/09) Emirates Cup Tournament
Real Madrid 2 - HSV Hamburg
Emirates Stadium

GOLES:
1-0, min. 25. Van Nistelrooy
1-1, min 53. Zidan
2-1, min. 84. Parejo

Real Madrid: Dudek; Salgado (Callejón, 80’), Heinze, Javi García, Torres; Sneijder (Parejo, 66’), Guti (Baptista, 56’), Diarra, Robben (Robinho, 73’); Raúl (Higuaín, 56’) and Van Nistelrooy (Saviola, 56’).

HSV Hamburg: Rost; Atouba (Aogo, 60’), Mathijsen, De Jong, Kompany; Trochowski (Reinhardt,. 45’), Jarolim, Demel (Benjamín, 45’) y Pitroipia (Ben – Hatira), 68’); Guerrero (Torun, 71’) and Olic (Zidan, 45’).

Solid Play and Improved Player Fitness

The inaugural match of the 2008 Emirates Cup between Real Madrid and Hamburg not only served to illustrate the physical fitness of the Madridistas, but to also give members of the squad playing time heading into the Spanish Super Cup against Valencia.

Real Madrid took the pitch with a similar look to that of last year's La Liga champions. The only two changes to the starting eleven included Van Nistelrooy getting the nod for the intitial whistle and Sneijder taking position in Baptista's stead.

Speed and solid play
Real Madrid struck first by way of Van Nistelrooy, who was an active participant throughout the match. Robben also put on a tremendous show of speed and technique along the left wing. The Whites controlled the first quarter hour. Van Nistelrooy had the first opportunity following a combination with Raúl, but was unable to break the German defense (min.2). The same two players created Madrid's second near miss, and along with Robben drove Hamburg's defense to the brink (min. 15’). The first goal was only a matter of minutes in coming, but Hamburg also closed in on Dudek's net by way of Guerrero and Olic.

After receiving a pass from Robben, Guti crossed the ball into the box and Van Nistelrooy broke the back of the net in Emirates Stadium (min. 25). The Whites felt more at ease with the advantage and began attacking with frequency, especially up the right wing with Michel Salgado and the midfield through combinations between Guti, Sneijder, and Robben.

Hamburg also tested the waters when Olic received a good ball from Pitroipa, who had beaten Salgado along the right flank (min. 36). Raúl was responsible for the last scoring opportunity of the half, but Rost managed to get a hand on the lob shot (min. 44).

Several changes and slower pace
Zidan replaced Olic after the break to provide a much needed boost for Hamburg. Eight minutes into the second half, the Egyptian found the corner of the net to equalise (min. 53). Both coaches made several other changes; Bernd Schuster nearly tabbed the entire bench and gave playing time to Saviola, Baptista, Higuaín, Callejón, and Parejo.

Under a downpour of rain, Madrid sought the victory in the wanning minutes of the match. With six minutes before the final whistle, a goal produced by the Madridista academy gave Real Madrid their first three points of the tournament. Juanmi Callejón, who had substituted Salgado, flew down the right wing and found an open Dani Parejo, who hammered home the winner.

Five points (three for the victory and two for the goals) which give Real Madrid a great chance to lay claim to the summer trophy. The Whites looked more fit than last Sunday and are well on their way to resembling last year's La Liga champions.

- Arancha Díaz / Matthew Goltz [RealMadrid.com]

ETA:
Post match interviews:
- Schuster: "We are slowly gaining rhythm"
- van Nistelrooy and Sneijder: "We feel better each day"

Run, run, sleep, run, run, run.

2008-07-30T23:50:14Z

Stuck in beautiful Austria, training hard.

As you all know, the team has been spending their pre-season in Austria (you can follow their whole schedule here, posted by the lovely labelledcaustic.) Tomorrow, though, they'll be flying to England to take part in the Emirates Cup. These training pictures are of the start of training up until today, their last training session in Austria.

First of all, let's start with the Boss pictures. These were taken right before they went there:

~~There was a video about this on RM.com, don't know if it's still available, though.~~ Watch here, on YouTube. Thanks to aeroporto ♥

Arriving there.

Press waiting to hunt Schuster.

Aw, no, they're there to shake hands.

Robben does not want any of this.

So did the Euro boys a few days ago.

'Sup, Ramos?

Look, De la Red!

No, we're not discussing Iker's sense of fashion quite yet.

Nope. Still not over it.

Arriving to the hotel, with Robinho upfront.

Wesley Sneijder doesn't need to check-in, thank you very much.

Shall we start with the babies?

Why, yes, the baby castilla were there!

Here, being lectured about one thing and another.

But all they want to do is take memorial pictures, really.

Boy With Curls is captain now, I think.

God, what are the feeding the poor things?

Codina, you might remember him from that one game last season?

Boy used to captain the babies, but is our third goalkeeper as of last season (Boy With Curls took his place.)

Babies carrying their idol around. They can't have him walking around now, can they? ♥ (Please ignore the kids running around them *snorts*)

The first few days were spent doing this.

This.

Some more.

I don't even know.

And some more of this.

How long did this go for?

And a lot of this.

When they had enough of stretching and splashing about, they went to actual training.

Robinho sees you.

Oh, dear, Gonzalo.

He's fine, he's fine! This was before the friendly, and he seemed good at it, so all is fine.

Boy is lost.

Really, really lost.

lololol. Not killing Ruud.

There aren't that many Robinho pictures, really.

He's either glomping others.

Getting harassed by others.

Or simply being adorable with Iker here.

Cannavaro, though, takes it seriously.

Hell, he'll even let weird looking men video tape him training.

And he started to train with others, which is a good sign of his recovery.

"Can I go now?" "Why, what do you have now?"

"I'm important!"

Smiling sessions, that's what ♥

Yeah, he stood there all day.

Smiling about.

Best training ever, no?

Not much of the Euro boys, either.

As I've mentioned in an earlier entry, Soldado have left.

"Real Madrid will always be in my heart", he said.

He only went to neighbouring Getafe, though. Our unofficial second team, or something.

*sad wave*

Aw, they taught Sneijder The Ways of A Madrid Dork ;_;

Oh, coach, of course I didn't forget about you.

He has a problem, our coach.

"You, there."

"You, far corner."

"Me, sir?" "Other corner, now."

"People who want to get naked, way over there."

The Pointing Syndrome, I shall call it.

Really, is he making them work? At all?

Okay, fine, he does train a bit :p

I'd... rather not ask, no.

Fierce, Schuster!

Interviews/Other:

God, how gorgeous is the area they picked?

Pepe LOVES it, hee.

These are some of AS' front pages featuring Real Madrid players in the past few days:

And to end it with a very recent picture:

For aeroporto ♥
(i lol because i love, dear *runs away forever*)

I'm terribly sorry for the long post *grins* I'll hopefully hold decent regular training posts from now on, or whenever there are large amounts of training pictures out there.

Well, that took a while.

2008-07-30T14:09:51Z

Marca: van der Vaart advances to Madrid for 10 million.

Real Madrid has been stalking the man for more than a season now, and it only happens that Soldado was sold to Getafe the other day. Schuster has been telling the press, for days, that all he needs is Rafael van der Vaart in order to be happy this season. But then, he shocks everyone with saying that he's the last to know in whatever Real Madrid decides to do. Innocent poking at Mijatovic, I hope, or exaggeration from Marca. Either way, he'll be pleased with this.

Real Madrid is playing Hamburg on 2nd of August, and that's when they're sealing the deal for good. If van der Vaart does join Real Madrid in the next few days (and it's likely that he will), that means the whole midfield will consist of our Dutch men (Robben -- Sneijder -- van der Vaart).

iker pics: more from recent interview & training

2008-07-30T06:52:41Z

iker interview

2008-07-29T22:43:11Z

"We know we have to do even better this year"
Iker Casillas press conference

How many times have you seen a picture of yourself lifting the Euro 2008 Cup?
So many... I will never forget it. It's on the internet, in the newspapers... It's even published now that Carlos Sastre's won the Tour de France. It's nice to be part of that picture.

What did your teammates say to you when you returned?
They all congratulated us and said they enjoyed watching Spain play so well. They are very happy for us.

Have you teased Cannavaro about it?
I shouldn't say this, but I have a bit. Nevertheless, as soon as he utters the words "world champion" one has to shut up, but at least I've enjoyed myself a little.

Have you spoken with Raúl?
Yes. He congratulated me and told me he enjoyed watching Spain play. He is very happy for us.

And with Schuster?
He's laughed with us. He is German, but I think he also feels a little Spanish, so he is happy for us too.

Is it hard to return to the team and answer so many questions about Real Madrid?
It actually isn't. I've been on holiday four weeks and I don't know anything about all the stuff people are talking about. I have heard about the possible signing of Cristiano Ronaldo because he makes every single front page, but I know nothing on the situation.

Regardless of who joins the team, the core is already there...
Yes, that's true. We had a good season last year and won the league. We didn't get Real Madrid as far as it deserves in Europe, so we know we have to take it a step further this year. It will be difficult to dominate in the league again this season, but we'll try. We will also work harder to reach the semifinals in the Champions League in order to have a greater chance of playing in the final. We've been losing in the quarterfinals for a long time now and we all think we should reach further.

Do you think you need some new players in order to be stronger in Europe?
I don't know. We'll see as the season unfolds. Every other team has made reinforcements during the summer and we've recovered players who were on loan last year.

Did it feel better to win the Euro with Spain than winning a Champions League?
I have to say it's a very different feeling. Winning a Euro with Spain isn't the same as winning a Champions League with Real Madrid. A Euro takes place every four years and a Champions League every season, and Spain hadn't won an international title in 44 years. The feeling was probably similar to the one felt by the Real Madrid players who won the Club's seventh European Cup. The Euro is one of the most important titles in my career.

What do you think of Cristiano Ronaldo?
As a football fan I believe he is a great player. He's proved it every season at Manchester United and everybody wants him to sign for Real Madrid. But there are great players all over the place: Ibrahimovic at Inter, Gerrard at Liverpool, Lampard at Chelsea... They're all very good, but Cristiano happens to be the talk of the town these days.

The secret to Real Madrid's success is the good vibes on the team, just like on the Spanish squad...
We all have to help out, and winning helps us too because we're all better, prettier and happier. But a true team truly sticks out in rough times. We had both very good and terrible moments last year and the team pulled through by uniting and using all of its weaponry. There was a time when this side had many great and famous players that didn't bring much to the team and we won no titles, but that's behind us now. We will welcome any player that comes to add something.

Rumour has it the Club may wish to sign David Villa. What do you think of that?
I know Villa well. He is a very good friend of mine and anything that's good for him makes me happy. But this matter has nothing to do with me nor the squad. We want to have a team that's strong in three competitions and the Club and the coach should work towards that.

You may be a contender for the Ballon d'Or...
A long time ago, I said I thought it is very hard to win the Ballon d'Or because everything is subjective. Several players deserved it in the past but never won, so I don't even think about it. All I'm interested in is doing a good job for Real Madrid and take the team to the very top, where it deserves to be.

What does it mean to the Spanish squad to have Vicente del Bosque as its new coach?
I don't know. He is a new coach whose methods are different to Aragonés'. This change could be good or bad at this time because it will be hard to achieve winning another title. The group will be the same and Vicente loves football. He will try to keep Spain at the top of the world ranking as long as he can and have the team do a good job in the Confederation Cup.

You were a staunch Aragonés supporter. Did you judge him to be in a weak position?
Our defence of Luis didn't necessarily have to mean his contract would be extended. It's the same as here; we could talk for hours on possible signings, but it's up to the coach and the Club to decide in the end. Aragonés reached an agreement with the FA and we couldn't say more about the whole matter. It's natural for someone to want a good atmosphere to continue. We had a great time in the Euro and the years prior to the competition.

How's Robinho doing?
He's not as chirpy as usual, but I don't see anything wrong with him. A Real Madrid player is always prone to be affected by news and rumours. I've known him for three years and he's a great player. We are all delighted with him. We welcome everyone who's willing to help the team. If not, they can stay home.

Have you noticed a slight 'Ikermania' after the Euro victory?
People remember you more when you win such a championship. I can only thank people for how well they've treated myself and the rest of the team.

Do you think the team needs Cristiano Ronaldo?
I don't know. I can only welcome those who want to help us. We will be happy with whomever subscribes to our unity and brings results. But all this doesn't concern me. It's up to the Club to decide.

Do you think fans may find the lack of signings strange?
It wouldn't be that far out. The team did well last year and faltered against Roma because it sustained injuries. Eight new players were signed last year, so the important thing now is to strive for unity and good results.

You needed to win only two titles: the King's Cup and one with Spain. You've already got the Euro...
But I want many more: the World Cup, the UEFA Cup... I am ambitious. The more I win, the more I want.

Is winning the King's Cup one of your goals?
Of course it is. The team hasn't won the title since 1993 and we have to prove it is an important title for us.

Pre-season 08/09 Schedule

2008-07-29T04:05:44Z

This is in response to some of your comments from the Linz LASK - Real match report. I have to admit I haven't actually watched the match as I haven't the time but I'm sure a lot of you would like to know where/whom they are playing/what they are doing this preseason because it is a crucial time for checking out the squad and how they're doing, how they're playing with each other and potential injuries down the line as well as possible transfers out and in.

So here's the essential calendar for our boys for the pre-season with Portugal, Austria, England, Colombia and Germany as key spots to be outside of Spain.

Stops in Austria, Colombia and Germany

The season may have just ended, but that's not stopping the countdown to the 2008/09 preseason; a rigorous month of work beginning on 21 July which also includes several friendlies on two continents. Also at stake is the first title of the year, the Spanish Super Cup.

On 29 May Real Madrid dropped the curtain on the 2007/08 season. While eight squad members -Casillas and Ramos (Spain); Robben, Van Nistelrooy, and Sneijder (Netherlands); Cannavaro (Italy); Pepe (Portugal), and Metzerder (Germany)- are on Euro 2008 duty with their respective national teams, their Madridista teammates kicked off their well-deserved holiday.

Marcelo, Julio Baptista, and Robinho have joined Brazil for two friendlies against Canada and Venezuela before two World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Paraguay (15 June) and Argentina (18 June).

Gabriel Heinze and Fernando Gago have similar schedules with the Argentine national team, who plays friendlies against Mexico and the United States prior to qualifiers versis Ecuador (15 June) and Brazil (18 June). Two other Madridistas will become Olympians in Beijing: Gonzalo Higuaín with Argentina and Royston Drenthe with the Netherlands. Finally, Mahamadou Diarra is currently on duty with Mali for qualifiers against Congo (1 June), Chad (7 June), and Sudan (14 June).

Team camp in Portugal and training in Austria
On 14 July the squad will regroup for five days of family fun in Portugal's Algarve. This experience to promote and boost personal relationships will then be followed by the first stage of training. For five years running, Real Madrid will return to Irdning, Austria for the most strenuous part of the preseason; ten days (21-31 July) of a strict training regimen during which the internationals will progressively return from vacation after being eliminated from the Euro. Only those who make the final or are participating in the Olympics will miss the beautiful Austrian scenery.

Heavy dose of matches in August
After 11 straight days of training, the team will fly straight to London for the Emirates Cup organized by Arsenal. This year's participants also include Juventus, and Hamburg.

The Whites will be back in the Spanish capital on 4 and 5 August, but the following day are booked on a flight to Colombia to play Independiente Santa Fe on 7 August in Bogota. The team will return home until 10 August, when they again leave Madrid for Germany.

Before the Spanish Super Cup, Madrid are scheduled to visit Eintracht Frankfurt on 12 August at the Commerzbank-Arena in what will be a rematch of the fifth European Cup title won by the Madridistas (Puskas, Gento, Santamaría, Alfredo Di Stéfano). During the last two weeks leading up to the start of La Liga, the Whites have a tie against Valencia for the first title of the season.

The final test of the preseason is none other than the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy played at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 27 August. This year's tribute to the great Real Madrid President will be played against Sporting Club Portugal, who just celebrated their centenary last season.

- Christina Monge / Matthew Goltz [RealMadrid.com] (Should have posted this aeons ago but better late than never.)

Quick news:

28 July 2008: The boys who were in the Euro '08 Final (Iker Casillas, Christoph Metzelder, Sergio Ramos and Ruben de la Red) have joined the rest of the squad in Irdning and have completed their first training session today.
Beijing Olympic Games: The boys who will be absent from Real so they can support their respective countries in the Games are Marcelo (Brasil), Gago (Argentina) and Drenthe (Netherlands).

Mods, may we get a "Pre-season 08/09" tag please? Thanks.

Match Report: Linz LASK v Real Madrid

2008-07-28T15:18:18Z

Pre-Season (08/09) Friendly
Linz Lask 2 - 3 Real Madrid
Linzer Stadion

GOLES:
1-0, 13': Saurer.
1-1, 20': Baptista.
1-2, 44': Raúl.
1-3, 83': Saviola.
2-3, 91': Mijatovic.

Linz LASK: Cavlina, Gansterer, Baur, Kablar, Wisio, Panis, Klein, Salmutter, Saurer, Freudenthaler, Mayrleb.
También jugaron: Zaglmair, Piermayr, Hamdemir, Pichler, Mrio Mijatovic, Poyraz, Rasswalder, Schreiner, Wemmer y Martin Ivos.

Real Madrid: Dudek, Salgado, Javi García, Heinze, Torres, Diarra, Guti, Baptista, Robben, Raúl, Higuaín.
También jugaron: Felipe Ramos, Van Nistelrooij, Saviola, Sneijder, Parejo, Antón y Callejón.

Mission Accomplished
The most important thing for Real Madrid tonight was to keep up with the pace of the game. Not only did they achieve that, but they won and scored three goals. The Whites incessantly looked for a goal that came on the 20-minute mark thanks to Baptista. Lask were a solid side and scored two strikes. The Madridistas' next match will be against Hamburg in London on 1 August.

As any club that's 100 years old deserves, Linz Lask had a fantastic anniversary celebration. The Austrian club -currently leaders of the league after four games- had a music band play around the pitch prior to the clash. Suddenly, twelve gliders landed on the pitch while music was still playing. The crowd went wild and a large group of people danced and did acrobatics. Moments before the game kicked-off, two singers sang both clubs' anthems.

The opening minutes were as expected: slow and with hardly any pace. Real Madrid found their ground in the first ten minutes and Guti soon had his first shot on goal, but the ball hit the right post (8'). Lask were not going to let the Whites scare them and answered back with a chance on goal; Mayrleb put Dudek to the test and scored from a nice header on the 13-minute mark. Real Madrid continued to showcase their style of late, with Robben playing down both wings and Míchel Salgado being very active down the right.

The Madridistas' first goal came seven minutes later. Guti passed the ball to Robben, who crossed into the box for Baptista to head in (20’). The Whites began to feel more comfortable now that the score was drawn. Raúl and Higuaín upped the pace while Guti and Robben served many balls to the attacking front. Higuaín missed from a ball served by the Dutchman into the box in the 34th minute, but ten minutes later captain Raúl headed in yet another cross from Robben (44').

Substitutions
Bernd Schuster made Van Nistelrooy, Saviola and Sneijder come on for Raúl, Higuaín and Baptista, respectively, in the second half. The new tactical system had three strikers with Sneijder behind them acting as playmaker alongside Guti. The Dutchman had the first clear chance of the second 45 minutes with a powerful shot that hit the crossbar.

The pace to the clash nearly came to a standstill, but there were some plays of note, such as one devised by Robben and Van Nistelrooy that ended in a corner kick (50’), and another shot by Sneijder from outside the box that missed the mark by inches (66’).

Everyone played. Youth system players Parejo and Callejón came on for Guti and Robben, respectively, while Chema Antón replaced Heinze.

- Arancha Díaz / Michael J. O'Donnell [RealMadrid.com]

ETA: Match Quotes

Bernd Schuster post-match interview: "I think the team was excited to play again"
Baptista y Saviola: Hablan los goleadores
Robben y Dudek
Cantera: Dani Parejo y Juanmi Callejón.

Transfer speculation/news

2008-07-25T20:00:22Z

A few articles.

July 25 (Reuters) - Sports news in brief from around the world: Soccer - Hamburg SV said they have rejected an offer of 7 million euros from Real Madrid for Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

"The offer wasn't even worth considering," HSV sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said. Van der Vaart, who was eager to transfer to Spain last year, has a contract to 2010. He can, however, leave in 2009 for a fixed 1.5-million euro fee.

Fabio Cannavaro insists that he would be prepared to extend his contract with Real Madrid.

The Italy international has only one more year left to run on his current deal with the Primera Liga champions, sparking rumours that he would head back to his homeland next summer.

However, the 35-year-old World Cup-winning captain maintains that he has no desire to leave Spain and would welcome talks regarding a new deal.

"Of course without any problem," he told El Mundo.

"Before talking to another team we will talk to Real.

"Here before matches there is laughter, music and joy.

"If you smile in Italy you run the risk of being accused of not being ready for the match."

Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be reigniting their interest in EURO 2008 star David Villa, but could have to fight off Real Madrid for the Valencia striker's signature, with it believed they are about to launch a £32million (€40.5m) bid to bring him to the Bernabeu.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is resigned to losing Robbie Keane to Liverpool and knows all about the Spanish International from his time as Sevilla coach.

Villa, who was the top scorer at EURO 2008, has been linked with a move to Spurs earlier in the summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool also linked to the forward.

Real Madrid on the other hand are making alternative plans for if as expected top target Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Manchester United, with it rumoured that the La Liga Champions are considering making an offer for the 26-year-old.

Although Los Che would like to keep hold of their star player, new club owner Vicente Soriano confirmed that the cash-strapped side will not be able to keep hold of all their top players.

Soriano said: "We cannot assure people that we will not have to sell one of our stars."