Ronaldo edges closer to a move & other stuff

Hola,

Let me get done with this fast cause I haven’t had my breakfast yet. I just sipped a cup of coffee and I am super hungry now. So here we go. We don’t have much to brag about today. I guess Valdano and Florentino have been on a holiday at least for the past week or so as we are being linked with the same players again and again and… wait for it… again. Ergo today we have more of genuine stuff than rumors. More of quotes than fantasies and more of sugar than spice. Lets get started with the post damnit!

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. Well that has been the case for a year now. But this time, according to MARCA at least, he is just days away from being presented at the Presidential Balcony at the Bernabeu. Speaking to the press in Portugal, where he is on a holiday, Ronaldo revealed that although negotiations are still ongoing with Madrid, he is eager for his new life to begin at the Bernabeu.

As I’ve already said in every interview. Real Madrid is the club in which I’ve always wanted to play. It will be good to play with Kaka, a player who was the Ballon d’Or, the best in the world, but also with Raul, (Iker) Casillas and Guti. If I’m allowed, now I want to rest, because the negotiations are still not concluded. I want to start pre-season well, that’s what I really want. The truth is that I’m eager to start.

He added that he is still looking out for a house in Madrid and is eager to learn Spanish. He doesn’t know Spanish!?! Ronaldo also confirmed that he had undergone medical tests with Real, saying:

Everything went perfectly.

Ronaldo admitted that it may take him a while to adapt to life in La Liga after so long in England, but that he is confident of a successful switch. He also said that does not yet know what shirt number he will wear at Madrid or when he will be officially presented. I guess Ronaldo doesn’t read MARCA (not even when it is translated into Portuguese). It says that Cristiano will be presented on July 6.

The Spanish U21 team was knocked out of the UEFA U21 European Championship despite winning against Finland by a two goal margin. Amongst others representing the young La Roja squad is our very own Miguel Torres. The player in an interview with Realmadrid.com has said that he would return to pre-season training on time even if it would mean giving up on holidays. When asked whether it was normal for a person to give up on his holidays he replied saying:

I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s what I’m going to do. I haven’t been lucky enough to play in the Under-21 Euro yet, so I must think about my immediate future, which involves returning to Real Madrid in the pre-season. I will rejoin the team on 10 July, like many of my team-mates. I don’t want to miss a single minute.

That probably is because of Alvaro Arbeloa. According to MARCA the representative of Arbeloa is in Madrid. Now that Liverpool have signed Glen Johnson I am sure Arbeloa is looking for other options. Don’t blame him, anyone would prefer warming the Real Madrid bench to warming the Liverpool bench. Money people!

The reason behind Miguel Torres’ reply might also be Maicon. According to reports emanating from Spain, Inter sporting director Marco Branca held talks with Real Madrid executives last week. And Inter President Massimo Moratti brushed aside speculation that those negotiations involved Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s possible transfer to the Bernabeu.

Branca’s trip to Madrid had already been fixed for some time and the reason was Maicon.

But what he also said was:

But Florentino Perez is not that interested in defenders, fortunately for us, because Maicon is one of the best in the world.

Classic Perez isn’t it? Not interested in defenders. Haha! One defender who is linked with us is Juan of the AS Roma fame. The player himself later denied it.

In other news, Real’s first pre-season friendly will be against Shamrock Rovers from West Dublin which, if all goes well, would be the debut of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Talking about Kaka he has suggested that Andrea Pirlo could be joining him at the Bernabeu. But that I am sure he meant it to be a joke.

Another Real Madrid player at the Confederations Cup who has been speaking is Iker Casillas. Amongst other things he spoke about how only the best can play for Real Madrid.

I think it’s fantastic to sign great players because the best should play for Real Madrid. Such an amount of money was paid in the past for men like Zidane, who was an amazing player and a great person. The same goes for Beckham. I don’t know Kaka, but I’m told he is a great guy and that’s important.

Talking about Iker Casillas, Realmadrid.com rubbished the rumor that Man United are trying to sign our Saint.

Sergio Ramos too took time to speak to Cuatro about Spain reaching the semi-finals where they will face the U.S of A.

We are happy with the situation we’re living on the Spanish national team. We are concentrating on the Confederations Cup and we’ll fight to reach the final. We have deep respect for USA, just like for any other team, but we’ll try to play as well as we’ve done so far to be in the final.

With that the post ends. I shall post the preview for the Spain game by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Till then,

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!