Turn Off Windows
Losing the Dutch Flavor
I am not talking about turning off Operating Systems or anything related to it. The geeks can move away from this page. I am though talking about the transfer window that will be turned off in a few hours from now and about Real Madrid’s contribution to the usual deadline day drama.
In what seems like a good move for the player but not so good for the club, Royston Drenthe has joined Hercules Alicante on a season long loan deal leaving only one recognized left-back in Real Madrid’s first team. With Marcos Alonso already sold to Bolton earlier during the window, Alvaro Arbeloa becomes the only backup we have for both the full back positions.
Though Skysports.com says that the Dutch player was free to leave Real after being told he did not feature in Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans I doubt if that was the case as all that little Roy needed was playing time and on-field experience as his fitness and his capability was never in doubt. But his taste in music? Well, let’s us leave it at that.
Also, the 23-year-old is thought to have rejected a move to Monaco while Fulham were also linked with the former Feyenoord man, who joined Real after being named player of the Under-21 European Championship in 2007. It is to be noted that Drenthe made just 10 appearances for Real throughout last season.
The official word:
Real Madrid C.F. and Hercules C.F. have reached an agreement regarding the loaning of Royston Drenthe to the latter club. The Dutch player will remain at Hercules until the end of the 2010/11 season.
The other contribution that Real have made to the deadline day is with the possible sale of Rafael van der Vaart.
Tottenham Hotspur, along with several Rafael/Sylvie van der Vaart fans, hope to discover tomorrow morning whether their dramatic last-minute bid to buy the Dutch midfielder in an £8m deal will be approved by the Premier League.
Good ol’ Arry, Sp*rs’ man-in-charge, was unable to confirm if the requisite paperwork had reached Gloucester Place before the 6 p.m. deadline as officials are still working to establish if the Van der Vaart deal made it in time after a late deluge of documentation for various deals had arrived right on the time limit.
So Rafa has finally decided that he has had enough with Real, has he? If the move does go through Real would apparently be losing about £10m as Redknapp revealed that Bayern had almost signed him for £18m earlier in the day when the deal collapsed due to reasons not known and all of a sudden the midfielder was available for just £8m enabling the North London club to go for the player. Redknapp said:
I thought he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about £18m and suddenly he become an awful lot cheaper and the chairman came to me and said, ‘Look, he’s available for around about £8m.’
I felt we’d already got a good squad; it wasn’t a case of really being desperate to get anyone in. It was only when he rung me around at about four o’clock and told me there was an opportunity here and did I want to do something? I said, ‘I don’t really want to spend your money but if you feel you want to have a go then, well, let’s push on and give it a crack and see if we can pull it off.
He also admitted that it was quite a coup, getting such a quality player at such a low price. And we all know how true that is.
He’s a quality player, a Dutch international, a great footballer. For that sort of money we felt he was a top player and he’ll improve us, for sure, so we made the effort but whether we can pull it off or not, I’m not sure now. It could happen; I wouldn’t like to say one way or another but we are hopeful it’ll go through. It was a last-minute job.
And it would be one helluva job once the FA confirms the legitimacy of the move. But how big a loss would it be for Real? Well, one he is a top quality player, a hard worker, someone who defied logic when he displaced Kaka from Real’s line up last season. And two, he has the much needed experience of playing in Spain and in La Liga which most of our squad does not have. On the contrary, he will not play much as there are more than enough players who can play in his position on our team. And also the fact that we have 26 players on the squad means that it has to be trimmed and since we could not find any potential suitors for the ones we wanted to see out, we had to go for this option. So since the pros and cons are canceling each other out I think it is better if we don’t speak about it.
Real are now officially oranje-less.
Well at least, we are Pepe-less no more. The Portuguese international who was injured during pre-season is now back in training. The central defender missed most of last season with the ACL and is yet to play a competitive fixture for Real in 2010. He is finally back to full training after spending the last few weeks training alone.
His arrival, marked the departure of the internationals from the Valdebebas. The likes of Casillas, Ramos, Alonso and Arbeloa would be leaving to join Spain who face Liechenstein before playing Argentina at Buenos Aires. Higuain and Di Maria have been called up to for the Albiceleste. Ozil and Khedira will join the German National Team whereas Benzema would be making his comeback with France under the governance of Laurent Blanc. Carvalho would join Portugal but will not be joined by both Pepe and Ronaldo. Marcelo who was supposed to join the Brazilian national team to train in Barcelona will stay in Madrid as he too is nursing an injury. And last but not the least Sergio Canales will join Spain’s U-21 side to face The Netherlands and Poland in what would be crucial games for the juniors.
Para Siempre Blanco!!
Hala Madrid!!
Mourinho press conference
Jose Mourinho highlighted the solid work his team did against Mallorca.
Mourinho: "We had enough chances on goal to win the game"
The match:
A positive aspect of our game was that we practically had no problems in defence. We did well there. Another positive aspect were the many chances on goal we had in the second half, which is always tougher on a psychological level. We had enough chances to win the game.
The final score:
The score is what’s most negative. We didn’t play well in the first half, but we improved considerably after half-time and even had five or six chances to score. This team is still under construction and therefore far from reaching its true potential, which means defending, conceding no goals and scoring from the few chances we get is very important. We failed in the latter, but we didn’t suffer.
Reason:
We need many hours to work, but we won’t have much room to improve before our next game because I will only have four first team players available to me this week. We will face Osasuna two days after the arrival of our internationals, and two days after that we’ll face Ajax. After that game we will be in the same situation we are in today because we don’t have any real time in which to work.
Goal:
Right now, I want the team to defend well and score one goal. I want us to take three points in our next game. I was disappointed by not scoring from the chances we got tonight. I will never criticise a player who misses his chance. We all win, draw and lose together. The important thing is we deserved to win.
Barcelona:
We play a game every weekend and we’ll face Barcelona twice a year; maybe three or four if we coincide in other championships. I will only talk about our games against them those two times, not every day. I wish to congratulate them if they won tonight, but we continue to focus on our job. This is a team under construction and I don’t think we are in any sort of dramatic situation.
RCD Mallorca vs Real Madrid | Preview
Mesut Ozil, one of the six, who could make their debut tonight
Finally it is here. The 2010-11 season of the Spanish Primera División has kicked off and Real Madrid start their campaign later tonight at the ONO Estadi against Real Club Deportivo Mallorca in what would be the first official match of Real Madrid under the reign of manager Jose Mourinho.
Real start their journey towards their 33rd League title with six new additions to the squad and under a new manager. Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon, Sami Khedira, Ricardo Carvalho and Mesut Ozil have all been drafted in during the transfer window with the legendary Raul and Guti exiting the club they had played all their life for new challenges away from Spain. Manuel Pellegrini who took us to our best finish ever in the league last season failed to win a single trophy and was sacked as the treble winning Jose Mourinho was signed as Real’s new manager from FC Internazionale Milano.
Mourinho’s Real have had a pretty solid preseason which saw them lift three trophies in Munich, Hercules and at home in the 32nd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy against Penarol. The tour of United States of America too was successful as Real won both their games there against Club America and Los Angeles Galaxy respectively. Their only draw came against Standard Liege at Liege where they drew 1-1.
The club has pinned a lot of hopes on Jose Mourinho, known worldwide as ‘The Special One’ to bring to the Santiago Bernabeu the major trophies, something which we haven’t won in two years. Like the manager himself admitted earlier in the week in a press conference, the club has indeed spent a lot bringing in a lot of youngsters to replace the old ones a few who were even deemed irreplaceable. We fans likewise too have a lot of hope and I personally am seeing Mourinho as the only one who can bring back to Real the glory days that we are all used to and end the barren spell of not winning Europe’s finest competition, something which we have won more than any other club in the world.
With such high hopes on his shoulders, Jose seems to be as calm as he always is and seems to be doing a good job till now. But all that wouldn’t matter when we face up against Michael Laudrup’s Mallorca.
Mallorca are about to start their 14th consecutive season in the First Division. Having been dumped by UEFA from participating in this season’s Europa League, despite finishing fifth in La Liga, Mallorca begin their campaign with the sole goal being to avoid relegation. Mallorca too like Real have made several changes to their squad. Key players like Aritz Aduriz, Borja Valero, Mario Suarez, Julio Alvarez and Mattioni have been replaced by Jonathan de Guzman, Cendros, Brazilians Joao Victor and Edson Ramos, and Fernando Cavenaghi. Emilio Nsue too has returned to the team this summer following his loan spell at Real Sociedad last year.
More than the trouble posed by Mallorca themselves, Real have other worries. As many as seven first team players are out injured including a few who are facing a long spell out. Pepe, Kaka, Garay, Albiol, Gago, Diarra (who would probably be leaving us soon) are all unavailable due to injury. Kaka, Garay and Gago are ones out with long term injuries. Drenthe has been excluded from the squad list whereas Castilla’s Mateos has been included.
SQUAD LIST :
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan
Defenders: Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Mateos
Midfielders: Khedira, Lass, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Canales, Pedro Leon, Di Maria, Van der Vaart, Ozil
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain
Mallorca have only one injury woe as center-back Ivan Ramis will miss the match against due to an injury and it is still uncertain if Fernando Cavenaghi will make his debut against the Whites.
The last time both sides clashed in Mallorca was on 5 May 2010, resulting in a 4-1 victory for the Madridistas with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his only hat-trick till date and a solitary goal from Gonzalo Higuain. Pipita, speaking about the match ahead of the game to bwin.com, stressed on how important it is to win the first game, saying:
It is going to be a very important and exciting game. It is vital to start the season with a victory. We will have to fight their tactics with our own style. What we want is to win at Son Moix. We have a team capable earning the three points.
His partner up front, Karim Benzema, too spoke to AS about his hopes and aspirations for the season in an interview with AS.
Real would be hoping the two strikers really get going this season as they need it if they have any hopes of winning titles. The other attacking prospects too would be keenly observed as Mourinho begins a new era at Real. We might not play as beautifully as Barcelona does but we surely would get to know how we win games. That said, now I feel we do have all the qualities that a team needs to play good attractive football as well as the match winners that every team needs to win those games which decide the fate of the title.
I am not hoping for the treble nor am I expecting Real to play attractive football. All that I am expecting from this season is for us to show some sign of improvement and stability and justify the changes made during the season break.
Prediction: RCD Mallorca 0-2 Real Madrid
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Mourinho press conference
Jose Mourinho addressed the media the day prior to coaching his first match in La Liga.
Mourinho: "Real Madrid is Real Madrid and it won't be easy for anyone to defeat us"
Mallorca clash:
It will be important to win in Mallorca, but it won’t be a title-deciding match. The game will be special to all of us and to Mallorca. Facing Real Madrid adds motivation. It will be a strange match because our internationals will join their national teams when it’s over. We’ll play against Osasuna 15 days later. A victory would help us remain calm. Three points are always important because you never know how crucial they may be at the end of the season.
Mallorca:
Mallorca have kept the core of last season’s squad, which managed to finish fifth in the league. Laudrup seems to be a good coach and it will be difficult to win, but Real Madrid is Real Madrid and it won’t be easy for anyone to defeat us.
Canales:
Canales will play as attacking midfielder. He’s had a chance to work with the team longer this summer. He arrived straight after his holidays and after playing in the Under-19 Euro. He has taken part in three or four preseason games. Canales is doing a good job and playing him will help me convey a message to the squad: status within the team does not guarantee playing time. Canales has no prestige, he didn’t cost much and he is very young. This is a positive message to send. It means anyone can make the starting lineup. Xabi Alonso, Cristiano, Higuain an seven other footballers will also play as starters.
I don’t want to turn Canales into some sort of phenomenon because he isn’t one. I don’t want to turn him into Guti because he doesn’t have his track record. Canales is a young player with great potential who has ambition and is willing to learn and improve.
Xabi Alonso press conference
Xabi Alonso discussed the team’s intentions for their first official match on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso: "We want to win and make people happy. The squad has been working very hard in order to be confident and earn a victory"
The team’s condition:
The team is still evolving. The internationals rejoined the squad throughout the preseason following the World Cup. The coach needs time for the players to act out his new ideas on the pitch. We have to continue working, but we will improve with time. Winning is the only thing that counts at Real Madrid. The schedule is very tight and we will play almost every Tuesday or Wednesday.
Intentions:
We want to win and make people happy. The squad has been working very hard in order to be confident and win the game against Mallorca. It is very important to being the season with a victory and avoid mistakes. We will have time to talk about the Champions League draw and the teams we are facing, but now we are only focused on the match against Real Mallorca.
Mourinho:
Every coach has his own methods, but Mourinho has a very special way of working; standing united accomplishes positive results. Mourinho is very straightforward with his ideas and he also plays his ‘own game’ off the pitch.
Role in the team:
I have to balance out the midfield: I have to keep the ball rolling fast and control the game. It is not very different from what I have been doing in the past. Canales is very natural, he is a good guy and he has adapted to the team very well. He really wants to learn and he also has great potential and foresight. He is very young and lucky to play at Real Madrid. He has a very promising future.
And we meet again…
Real Madrid will face AC Milan yet again in this year’s edition of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages after it was decided at Monaco gala earlier today. The other two teams in the group would be AJ Auxerre from France and AFC Ajax from The Netherlands of course. Real have thus been pitted into what can be called the Group of Death considering the result of the rest of the draw.
Ironical or not ironical, it had to be FC Internazionale Milano’s Brazilian defender Maicon who picked the lot containing Real Madrid. The Right Back who won the Champions League with the Nerazzuri last season under Real’s current coach, Jose Mourinho had been linked with us throughout the summer but the move collapsed due to more than one reason. The player was awarded UEFA’s Club Defender of the Year award for his stellar performances for Inter last season.
Real’s Champions League campaign under Mourinho begins at home against Ajax on the 15th of next month and ends again at home against Auxerre in the first week of December with the Milan games falling right in between just like last season.
Our record against our opponents is nothing to be proud of either. Milan beat us 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu last season, drawing 1-1 in the return fixture at San Siro, but much has changed since then, with both sides going into the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League campaign led by new coaches. The two teams will of course be wary of each other, yet Ajax and Auxerre will pose just as big a concern, with the Amsterdam side having won their last four games against us and lost just once.
Speaking after the draw, sporting director Emilio Butragueño said that the third and fourth teams in our group will be complicated, but that he believes that the will pull through. He said:
Our bad luck came from the third and fourth pots. The fact that we drew Milan doesn’t worry me as we knew we were going to get a difficult or very difficult team from the top seeds. What I don’t like at all in there is Auxerre: they were the trickiest team from pot four.
And it is not a surprise that he picked the French team as the trickiest of the four. Ajax and Milan are threats, no doubts, but the mere fact that Real have to play in France itself makes the group tough for them considering their poor history on French soil.
On the other hand, Milan definitely would be our toughest rivals in the group considering the fact that they are not the same ‘old’ side that they were last season, but have made a few good signings during the summer and are probably on the verge of taking back Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Spain back to Italy. Their new manager, Massimiliano Allegri, well known in Italy, is an unknown commodity in the Champions league. Speaking to the press after the clash, he admitted that this was definitely at least one of the Groups of Death, saying:
Our group is the toughest one, along with Inter’s. We are both up against strong opponents. Playing against Real Madrid is something special for us and inspiring for sure. San Siro and the Santiago Bernabéu will be full for those games and we’ll witness an extraordinary show in both stadiums.
This would be the ideal opportunity for Real to break their Champions League jinx and prove their critics wrong. Like every other season this Champions League campaign too begins with a lot of hope and belief along with the dream that this will be the year in which we will lift the tenth. But then again, its again a new manager and a new team and the settling allowance factor starts creeping in with the only difference is that this new manager is better known as The Special One and is well known for producing when needed.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Marcelo press conference
Marcelo wants to give his best every day in order to make the starting eleven. The Brazilian discussed Mourinho’s working methods in a press conference.
Marcelo: "Every time we train we also fight for a spot in the lineup"
Training:
Every time we train we also fight for a spot in the lineup and the energy we put in the workouts is very helpful to the team.
Mourinho:
Mourinho is very honest and we feel very close to him. He has made us stronger.
Di Maria:
I don’t need to stress how great a player Di Maria is. He still has to improve, but I can see him becoming an important player for Real Madrid. He is a good guy on and off the pitch. It’s difficult to defend against him because he is a very fast player.
Mourinho to uefa.com
José Mourinho tells UEFA.com why Real Madrid CF's recent UEFA Champions League disappointments make his job harder while stressing the hunger for success in his squad.
Ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Champions League draw in Monaco, José Mourinho sat down with UEFA.com to discuss the challenges he faces at home and in Europe with his new club, Real Madrid CF.
The Portuguese coach, who guided FC Internazionale Milano to the trophy last season to emulate his previous success with FC Porto, has wasted no time in revamping the Madrid squad, signing the likes of Mesut Özil and Ricardo Carvalho even as stalwarts Raúl González and Guti departed. He explained why Madrid’s recent struggles in the UEFA Champions League have made their task all the harder but underlined the hunger in his squad, saying the players “are not in a comfort zone”.
UEFA.com: Would you have liked to have still had Raúl in the squad?
José Mourinho: Yes I would because he’s a symbol of Madrid, a symbol of a great professional, a symbol of a Madrid winner and a historic club figure. However, at the same time, I think he is a player who deserves the freedom the club gave him to decide on the direction he wanted to take in his life. He is an intelligent man who wants to play every game and he understood that with Gonzalo Higuaín and Karim Benzema – two 22-year old forwards – that the space around him had changed; he took a brave decision.
UEFA.com: Could Sergio Canales be the new Guti?
Mourinho: I don’t like to compare. Guti created history in Madrid, providing unforgettable moments for everyone who loves football. It’s true that [Canales] has some of Guti’s attributes on the field, he thinks in the same way. Perhaps Canales is more of a battler, more aggressive but he is a player who has a lot of things Guti has.
UEFA.com: Will the fact that Madrid haven’t got past the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League for the past six seasons weigh heavily on the club?
Mourinho: I’m not thinking about that. The big problem with Madrid is that the club are not among the top seeds, they have lost this status. My tradition as a coach has always been like this as when I arrived at Porto, Chelsea and Inter, they were not top seeds. I have never been fortunate enough to arrive at a club considered top seeds. Because of this, things are more difficult because first you have opponents who are number one seeds in the group, making it difficult to finish top, and if you don’t, it means a stronger opponent in the next round.
UEFA.com: What have been your impressions of the team since your arrival?
Mourinho:The thing that has struck me most is that the players want to win. Despite what many people think, these players are not in a comfort zone
just because they are playing for Real Madrid. It’s completely the opposite – the players want to win and to improve. It’s a team I like to work with. It’s not a perfect team, nor is it a team that has just been put together, but it is a pleasure working with the players here.
Real Madrid 2-0 Peñarol
The Whites defeat Peñarol and stay undefeated in the preseason
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium was packed with fans anxious to see the 2010/11 Real Madrid in action against Uruguayan side Peñarol in the 32nd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy.
Xabi Alonso hit the post with a powerful shot early in the game (2′) and Higuain scored a goal on the 7-minute mark that was disallowed. Peñarol focused on defending more intensely to stop the Madridista onslaught and soon had a breather as Real Madrid dropped the intensity of the game. The Uruguayan’s even reached Casillas’ box on occasion. Nevertheless, Mourinho’s men kept control of the ball and moved fast. More local chances came from a corner taken by Khedira and a cross/shot from Ronaldo. The Whites lacked pause in attack and Peñarol used this to drop the pace of the game even more until half-time.
Mourinho changed the lineup in the second half but kept the initial 4-2-3-1 system. Benzema, Gago, Pedro Leon and Arbeloa came on and, in just two minutes, the French striker and Ronaldo had a double chance to score. Cristiano tried again in the 49th minute, but Sosa cleared his shot. Gago was injured on the 59-minute mark and Mourinho replaced him with Di Maria, positioning Canales further back with Xabi Alonso. A few minutes later, the coach replaced Canales with Granero amidst a standing ovation for the former player.
Di Maria proved to be decisive, as he scored a master strike; the Argentine ran towards the area with the ball, dribbled past a centre back and defeated the goalkeeper with a beautiful shot (68′).
Peñarol became slightly more offensive and timidly tried to net an equalizer, but Real Madrid were solid in defence and thwarted all their chances. In injury time, Van der Vaart was tackled inside the box and scored from a penalty, sealing a victory that ends Real Madrid’s preseason with a clean sheet in defeats.
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Lass (Arbeloa 47′), Sergio Ramos, Ricardo Carvalho (Mateos 77′), Marcelo (Juanfran 73′), Xabi Alonso, Khedira (Gago 47′ (Di María 56′)), Özil (Pedro León 47′), Canales (Granero 60′), Cristiano Ronaldo (Van der Vaart 85′), Higuaín (Benzema 47′);
Penarol: Sebastián Sosa, Guillermo Rodríguez, Matias Aguirregaray (Alejandro González 89′), Gerardo Alcoba (Emiliano Albín), Ríos, Marcelo Sosa, Estoyanoff (Heber Collazo 80′), Domingo (Matías Corujo 72′), Pacheco, Alejandro Martinuccio (Diego Alonso 87′);
Goals:
1-0, min.69: Di Maria;
2-0, min.93′: Van der Vaart (Pen);
Booked: Ricardo Carvalho, Pedro Leon
Played at: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Real Madrid vs Peñarol | Preview
Mourinho's Real Madrid makes debut at the Bernabeu
Jose Mourinho’s Rreal Madrid stands undefeated in the preseason and will make its home debut at 22:15 CET tonight against Peñarol in the 32nd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. The match will serve to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Intercontinental Cup final between both sides.
The match will be of interest for many reasons, mainly the debut of Mourinho and the team’s new players (Canales, Di Maria, Ozil, Khedira, Carvalho) at the Bernabeu. The coach has called up all his men for the game, as well as the academy’s Mateos and Juanfran.
One of the debutant, Angel Di Maria spoke to AS ahead of the clash and described how eager he was to thrill the Madridistas assembling later tonight. The Argentine also said he is optimistic regarding the coming season.
I hope I can thrill the Bernabeu in my debut. I want to prove I’m here for a reason. It must be amazing to play there. The pressure of playing for Real Madrid doesn’t scare me. I just think about what I am and what I have to do upon stepping onto the pitch. It is a beautiful thing to play with all these stars. It doesn’t scare me at all.
The agile left winger scored his first goal for the Whites against Hercules a couple of days back. Di Maria expressed his delight on having done that and went on to say that the pressure of performing does not affect him.
I wish I could end up playing like Di Stefano. Our last names shere the same first word… I hope things go well for me here. Scoring against Hercules helped me relax a bit and to have more confidence. I try to prove I want to be here on a daily basis. Mourinho asks me to do my very best in the training sessions and on the pitch. We will be in top form by the time the league starts.
One of the main attractions is the opponent. Peñarol faced Real Madrid in the first edition of the Intercontinental Cup back in 1960, losing to the Madridistas. The team also has many players who have played in the Spanish league, such as captain Antonio Pacheco (Espanyol, Albacete, Alaves), Marcelo Sosa (Atletico, Osasuna), Fabian Estoyanoff (Valencia, Deportivo) and Diego Alonso (Valencia, Atletico, Racing, Malaga).
Jose Mourinho has included 23 players in his squad list. Cristiano Ronaldo, Casillas, Ramos and Xabi Alonso have made the cut. Youth teamers Mateos and Juanfran have also been included. Pepe, Kaka, Diarra, Albiol and Garay will miss the matcn due to injuries.
SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan.
Defenders: Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Drenthe, Mateos.
Midfielders: Khedira, Lass, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Canales, Gago, Pedro Leon, Van der Vaart, Di Maria, Ozil, Juanfran.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain.
Mourinho press conference
Jose Mourinho addressed the media the day prior to the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy.
"Benzema and Higuain have potential that is hard to find in other players their age in Europe"
Preseason:
I can’t expect more from the preseason. I haven’t had much time to work with my men because they joined the team gradually throughout the summer, but I’m happy with the attitude showcased by players who wish to work and improve. Good results will come easier the more we work. I don’t expect the team to be in top form tomorrow, nor against Mallorca. I expect positive reactions to the friendlies we’ve played so far.
Higuain and Benzema:
Higuain and Benzema would be the perfect striker together. Since this is impossible, they both have to improve, but they nevertheless have ten years ahead of them and also potential that is hard to find in other players their age in Europe.
Summer signings:
I agree with the Club. It’s made important financial efforts and the current squad has great quality. We’ll need luck in order to avoid problems during the season. I am grateful to the Club for making such a great effort to sign quality players.
Hercules 1-3 Real Madrid | Post-match comments
Marcelo, Granero and Di Maria agree: "The team improves with every game"
Marcelo, Di Maria and Granero shared their views on the match against Hercules with the media. Youth teamers Juanfran, Joselu and Mateos were thrilled with coming on in the second half of the match against Hercules.
Di Maria:
I’m happy because I scored my first goal with the Real Madrid shirt. We played well. Real Madrid always wants to win. We did well in the first half and we turned the score around in the last 45 minutes. Mourinho is happy and satisfied with our work. We have to carry on like this.
Marcelo:
The preseason games show Mourinho’s influence on the team. The team improves with every match.
Granero
We are doing a good job. We increasingly feel better and we are anxious for La Liga to start.
Hercules 1-3 Real Madrid
The Whites make a comeback and remain undefeated
The Spanish debut of Mourinho’s Real Madrid couldn’t have been better. The Whites defeated Hercules 3-1 in Alicante, remaining undefeated in the preseason. Mesut Ozil made his debut with the team and Benzema netted two strikes. Di Maria also scored.
Ozil was very creative and came up with his team’s most dangerous efforts. His complicity with Canales was perfect and he created the best chance Real Madrid had at the start of the match. The German controlled the ball, looked up and saw Di Maria running towards the goal. He served him the ball and the Argentine came close to scoring the opening strike, but the ball hit one of the posts (26’).
Marcelo and Di Maria connected three minutes later, passing the ball back and forth between them until the Brazilian’s pass on the goal-line to Higuain was cleared by Rodriguez. Real Madrid looked dangerous, but Hercules hit them first following a fortunate effort in which Rodriguez failed to hit the ball following a cross, but it nevertheless ended in the back of Adan’s net.
Mourinho made six changes to the lineup after half-time, bringing on Dudek, Carvalho, Benzema, Granero, Drenthe and Pedro Leon for Adan, Arbeloa, Higuain, Juanan, Marcelo and Canales, respectively. Tactics didn’t change save for the use of Gago in the centre of defence.
The Madridistas continued to dominate the match. Benzema missed the target after receiving a beautiful cross from Granero. Five minutes later, the Frenchman scored his team’s first goal from a volley thanks to a wonderful assist from Khedira.
Granero nearly netted a second strike when he was assisted by Van der Vaart with a heel pass, but Alba managed to clear the ball. Benzema then missed a shot from outside the box (74’). Third time lucky, as they say, and Di Maria eventually tallied a second for the Whites after receiving a long pass from Leon and dribbling past the goalkeeper (76’). Benzema’s excellent performance was rewarded yet againt with another strike with ten minutes to go.
Pedro Leon was sent off on the 82-minute mark, but there was no time left for Hercules to capitalise on such an advantage and Real Madrid ended up winning the Ciudad de Alicante Trophy.
Lineups:
Hércules: Calatayud (Unai Alba 51′), Sergio Rodríguez, Juanra (Cortés 52′), Pamarot (Sarr 79′), Peña (Pulhac 63′), Tiago Gomes (Farinós 93′), Fritzler, Rufete ( Kiko 52′), Sendoa (Thomert 49′), Tote (Del Olmo 91′ (Abel Aguilar 51′)), Portillo (Eldin 88′);
Real Madrid: Adán (Dudek 46′), Arbeloa (Benzema 46′), Juanan (Ricardo Carvalho 46′), Marcelo (Drenthe 46′), Lass, Gago (Joselu 85′), Khedira (Van der Vaart 59′), Di María (Juanfran 78′), Özil (Mateos 59′), Canales (Granero 46′), Higuaín (Pedro León 46′);
Goals:
1-0, min.40: Sendoa;
1-1, min.55: Benzema;
1-2,min.75: Di María;
1-3,min.81: Benzema;
Sent off: Pedro León (min.82)
Hercules vs Real Madrid | Preview
Mourinho's Real Madrid makes Spanish debut
Real Madrid are currently undefeated in the preseason. Their match against Hercules tonight at 22:00 CET will surely anticipate what the team may encounter in La Liga during the 2010/11 campaign.
Mesut Ozil could make his debut with the team, as he was included on the squad list by Jose Mourinho. Karim Benzema has recovered from his injury and also made the cut. On the other hand, Casillas, Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the match.
Hercules’s coach and players have stressed how incredibly motivated they are to face Real Madrid in the Ciudad de Alicante Trophy, especially now that they are back in the First Division 14 years after they were last relegated.
Their most dangerous men are former Real Madrid players Portillo and Tote, Farinos, Rufete and goalkeeper Calatayud. They have been joined this summer by former Getafe player Cortes, Zaragoza’s Abel Aguilar, Paraguayan international Nelson Valdez and Senegal defender Mohamed Sarr, who previously played for Standard Liege.
SQUAD LIST:
GOALKEEPERS: Dudek, Adan
DEFENDERS: Carvalho, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Drenthe, Mateos, Juanan
MIDFIELDERS: Ozil, Khedira, Lass, Granero, Canales, Gago, Pedro León, Van der Vaart, Di Maria, Juanfran
FORWARDS: Benzema, Higuain, Joselu
Arbeloa press conference
Alvaro Arbeloa addressed the media following this morning’s training session and talked about his views on the team.
"Real Madrid has changed and we want to win every title"
Position in the team:
I have more chances to make the starting lineup now that the team has three injured defenders, but no one likes to play because other team-mates are injured. I want them to recover as soon as possible so that all of us are ready.
Strikers:
We have two true strikers and also men like Cristiano and Di Maria, who can play in any midfield or attacking position. The signings depend on the coach and the Club. We obviously hear talk of many great players but we aren’t concerned about that.
Right, left or center:
I don’t see myself playing in any specific position. Marcelo and Drenthe are also left backs. Any position would be good for me because what I want is to help the team in order to accomplish our objectives. We need to fight for a spot so we can play games. I am just a part of the squad and I don’t consider myself being inferior or superior to the rest of the players.
Of buying, selling and injuries
Last pick
Real Madrid is done with the transfer market. Real’s DG, Jorge Valdano, revealed yesterday that Mesut Özil is the final summer recruit for the club, therefore putting an end to our transfer transactions. Speaking at the official unveiling of Özil, Valdano clearly stated that the club’s movement in the summer transfer market is now closed. He said:
We have now closed the signings for this coming season. We have made a great effort to rejuvenate the team and we are very pleased to complete this objective.
However, Valdano admitted that they will have to sell players between now and the time when the transfer window closes, saying that they “must streamline the workforce and this will be done in the coming days”. When asked whether Real would want to add another striker to the squad as there were only two specialized strikers in the 26-man squad, Valdano said that the second striker position would be filled in by the likes of Canales, Ronaldo and the former Bremen man Özil and that Mourinho himself had not asked for one.
Jose Mourinho has worked with players from the quarry during the pre-season and is very comfortable with them. He is also very pleased with the completion of the signing of Özil.
At no time had he asked the club for a striker. With the arrival of Özil, we have a player who can play in different positions.
But he insisted that none of the Spanish players will be sold because of the restriction imposed on clubs by the federation. He said:
We have 26 players right now, so we need to lighten the squad and it will happen in the coming days. This position does not affect the Spanish players currently on our books.
Adán press conference
Antonio Adan is facing with great motivation one of the most important challenges in his career. The goalkeeper addressed the media following this morning’s training session.
"Mourinho has the ability to make every single player in the squad feel special and worthy"
Mourinho:
Mourinho has already proven he is an excellent coach. When a team wins it is because it has something special. What’s special here is Mourinho’s winning character, which is transmitted to the players. His closeness has also surprised us. He has the ability to make every single player in the squad feel special and worthy. This motivation is shown in the training sessions. He counts on the academy players and he was present in all of the presentations that have concerned the academy teams this preseason.
Training:
The coach wants us to do our best during the entire ninety minutes. We work very intensively to make things difficult for Mourinho.
Ozil:
Ozil joins Real Madrid after proving his worth in the World Cup. He has great potential and great room for improvement.
Özil to Realmadrid.com
Mesut Ozil had his first interview with the Club’s official media following his first training session as a Real Madrid player.
"I am anxious to prove my worth with Real Madrid"
How was your first training with Real Madrid like?
It was great. I met the entire team and the coach. I am very happy to be here. It seems they have a lot of fun. The weather is also nice, which makes training even more pleasant.
Tell us what you did on your first day as a Real Madrid player.
I left from Dusseldorf airport very early and I arrived in Madrid at 11:00. I didn’t have much time to rest, but I’m glad I’ve already attended my first session. This team and the Club are the best. Everything I’ve seen so far is positive and it makes me even happier to have made the decision to come here. I’ve simply had a good experience.
Other European clubs also wanted to sign you. Why did you choose Real Madrid?
I think Real Madrid are the best team in the world and they have some of the world’s best players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and many more. I am delighted to be here with them. I am also proud to have a coach like Jose Mourinho want me on this team. That’s the real reason I’m here. He is one of the best coaches in the world. It is a privilege to be able to work with him. I am anxious to start.
You talked to Mourinho before you came here and you had a chance to speak to him during your first training session. Did you also talk to your new team-mates?
I spoke with Mourinho about what he wants me to do on this team. He wanted me here and that’s why I came. I’ve been in touch with Sami Khedira through SMS, but he is the only player I know here. I met the rest on my first day at work.
What did Khedira tell you?
He told me he wanted me to come here. He also said the Club is fantastic and that the weather is very nice here in Madrid. He mentioned that all the players are very nice and that he was having a great time. Now that I’m here I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I am very happy to be here and I had a great time with my new team-mates during training.
You are already a world class player at just 21 years of age. Tell us what sort of player you are…
It’s hard to answer that. I’d say I’m very fast with the ball. I have good touch on ball and I’d also say I’m strong from a technical point of view. I like teamwork. Everyone who knows how I play and has seen me perform knows I can do much. I am very happy to be able to prove my worth as a Real Madrid player. I want people to be entertained as they watch me play.
Özil press conference
Mesut Ozil gave his first press conference as a Real Madrid player accompanied by Director General Jorge Valdano.
Mesut Ozil: "I am proud to be here"
Feeling:
Nothing had been decided before yesterday and I can honestly say I am glad this has had a happy ending.
Goals:
I only aspire to make progress at Real Madrid. This is a great challenge for me. I’ve always concentrated hard and I like to work hard. I stepped on fifth gear and reached the club for which I wanted to play.
Why Real Madrid:
Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I discussed several options with my advisors, but I wanted to come here because I wanted to work with Mourinho, the best coach in the world. I spoke with him and he convinced me to come. What we said will remain between us, but he is the greatest reason for which I’m here today.
Standard Liege 1-1 Real Madrid | Post-match comments
Mourinho: "We couldn't afford not to sign a player like Ozil"
Jose Mourinho addressed the media after the match in Liege and said he is happy with the signing of Ozil.
I am very happy with the signing of Ozil. Aside from what the coach thinks the team may need, the Club has worked very hard and made great efforts to come up with a team in the best possible conditions. Real Madrid has invested a sum sufficient to get its coach to respect the entity and its sports, management and financial departments.
Ozil is creative and more offensive than Gago or Lass. He is similar to Canales. I hope tactical work and the natural disposition German players have to work hard allow us to use him in one of the more defensive positions of our midfield.
I cannot bring Ozil’s and Canales’ progress to a standstill. I hope the latter continues to have the same mentality he’s showcased so far. Everyone says wonders about him and I like him very much. He will enjoy many minutes of playing time on this team if he doesn’t change.
The most important thing for Van der Vaart tonight was to do things well and to show his coach he is ready to play for this team. Rafael did well and he has the Club’s and my respect for everything he did last year. It isn’t a problem to have Rafael and Ozil on the pitch at the same time. They could offer solutions to the team together.
Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos and goal scorer Rafael van der Vaart shared their views on the game and the signing of Ozil with the media.
Albiol:
Ozil is a great signging. He proved his worth in the World Cup, performing at a very high level. We are still in the preseason and tonight’s game was useful to correct mistakes and to get into shape for our first league clash against Mallorca.
Ramos:
Everything that may add to the team is good. We are very happy with Ozil’s singing and we will help him adapt as soon as possible. We would have liked to win tonight, but Liege have been working out longer than us. We tried to the end but failed to win.
Van der Vaart:
I will work hard for a spot on the team. I think my goal was very nice. I wish to stay at Real Madrid. The Club always wants to have great players and Ozil is a quality footballer.
Standard Liege 1-1 Real Madrid
Still undefeated in the preseason
Real Madrid remain undefeated in their 2010/11 preseason after drawing 1-1 against Standard Liege. Van der Vaart scored the opener, but Benteke netted the equaliser for the locals when 15 minutes were left in the game.
Mourinho’s Real Madrid played a serious and solid game in defence, elaborated their game intelligently in midfield and were dangerous when close to their opponent’s goal.
Higuain was tackled on the edge of the box in the 12th minute following a long pass from Lass, and Van der Vaart served the free-kick, sending the ball to the back of the net after hitting the near post. The Whites continued to dominate as they took the lead and came close to scoring again through the Dutch midfielder before half-time had he not run into a Belgian defender as he attempted to finish off a phenomenal pass from Benzema near the goal-line (28′).
The locals only put Casillas to the test from set pieces in the first half, but Defour’s attempts were all in vain. His first free-kick failed to find someone to finish it off and went past the box (2′) and the second ended in a disallowed offside goal by Mangala (26’).
Arbeloa, Lass, Van der Vaart, Gago and Ramos were the only players who stayed on for Real Madrid after half-time. Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage in the team’s first venture in attack during the second half, but the local keeper managed to clear his shot on target (54’). Carvalho had another chance two minutes later with a powerful shot that was again cleared by Blazic.
Benteke netted he equaliser for Liege on the 76-minute mark. Mourinho’s men had more chances on goal till the end of the match, but they were unsuccessful. Di Maria nearly scored following a hasty move by the goalkeeper, but a defender cleared his shot (88’). Overall, the Madridistas gave a solid performance and continue to make great progress with ten days to go to the start of La Liga.
Lineups:
Standard Liege: Van Hout (Blazic 48′), Víctor Ramosm, Felipe, Opare (Angeli 93′), Pocognoli (Pamic 92′), Mangala, Witsel, Defour (Goreux 62′), Bokanga (Carcela-González 82′), Grozav (Danilo 48′), Pieroni (Benteke 48′);
Real Madrid: Casillas (Dudek 48′), Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Albiol (Ricardo Carvalho 48′), Drenthe (Marcelo 48′), Lass (Canales 64′), Gago (Xabi Alonso 63′), Granero (Cristiano Ronaldo 48′), Van der Vaart (Pedro León 64′), Higuaín (Khedira 48′), Benzema (Di María 48′);
Goals:
0-1, min. 13: Van der Vaart
1-1, min. 79: Benteke
Venue: Stade de Sclessin
Standard Liege vs Real Madrid | Preview
The Whites face a Belgian side that has won once and drawn twice in Jupiter league action
Real Madrid face Standard Liege in their fourth test of the preseason. With three wins under the belt, one by way of a penalty shooutout, the Whites square off against one of the all-time classic teams of Belgian football.
Hoping to add onto their preseason success against teams with more football played at their feet, Real Madrid head to Belgium on Tuesday to play Standard Liege in an attempt to remain undefeated this summer.
It won’t be an easy task, however, as Stade de Sclessin is expecting a packed house in support of their home side that has yet to lose in three Jupiter League matches. Standard, who drew against Zulte -Waregem SV (1-1), defeated K. Lierse SK (1-4) on the road and most recently drew again versus Lokeren (3-3), have scored eight goals and midfielder Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez sits atop the scoring chart along with Genk Jelle Vossen (four goals apiece).
Jose Mourinho will change things up with respect to last Friday’s friendly against Bayern Munich. This time round, the Portuguese coach will rely on two men, Higuain and Benzema, in attack. Casillas will get the nod in goal, Arbeloa, Albiol, Ramos and Drenthe will start on the back line and Gago, Lass, Granero and Van der Vaart will be in the midfield for kick-off.
While Castilla’s Juanan makes his first trip with the first team, Kaka, Pepe, Diarra and Garay are unavailable due to injury and Adan has stayed in the Spanish capital to a coaching decision.
Old friends will come face-to-face as Jose Mourinho and Ricardo Carvalho square off against Sergio Conceiçao, assistant coach to Dominique D’onofrio. The former Portuguese winger played under the Madridista boss and alongside Real Madrid’s newest signing at Porto, and along with the two won the club’s second European Cup.
SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Albiol, Drenthe, Juanan
Midfielders: Khedira, Lass, Granero, Xabi Alonso, Canales, Gago, Pedro Leon, Van der Vaart, Di Maria, Juanfran
Forwards: Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain
Profile: Mesut Özil
A young, talented midfielder with a bright future
Mesut Ozil (15-10-88, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany) lands at Real Madrid after a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The midfielder earned a permanent spot on Germany’s senior side by the age of 21 after winning the 2009 Under-21 European Championship. His unique touch, unmatched individual technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make the German midfielder one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football.
A constant work in progress, Mesut Ozil has quickly earned a reputation as an elegant and versatile midfielder. His knack for the final pass, his free-flowing movement on every third of the pitch and his exquisite left foot earned Ozil a spot in Shalke 04′s academy in 2005. It only took one season for the midfielder to earn his promotion to the first team and he made his Bundesliga debut at the age of 17.
During the winter transfer window 0f 2008, Ozil completed a switch to Werder Bremen, where he played over 60 matches and scored 13 goals. With Werder, the midfielder went on to win the 2009 DFB Cup and the 2009 DFL Supercup. On an individual level, Ozil was rewarded for his outstanding Bundesliga play by being named the best player of the first leg of the 2009 season.
Ozil is paving the way for the German national team’s new generation of players. Although of Turkish decent, his entire life has been committed to Germany. He played for the Under-17 side and moved his way up to the Under-21 side, which won the 2009 European Championship. Ozil provided two assists and scored a goal in the final against England.
His debut with the senior side dates back to 12 August 2009, when Germany defeated Azerbaijan. Ozil continued to impress in World Cup qualifiers and by the end of the 2010 World Cup was among the ten finalists for the Golden Boot.
Career:
- Schalke 04 (2006-2008)
- Werder Bremen (2008-2010)
Titles & Accolades:
- DFB Cup: 2009
- DFL Supercup: 2009
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2009
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009
Just another Madridista
Real Madrid 2-0 Peñarol | Post-match comments
Mourinho: "To stand undefeated at the end of the preseason is very good indeed"
Jose Mourinho was satisfied with his team’s performance, but regretted Fernando Gago’s injury.
(more…)
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August 25, 2010 | Categories: Post-match Comments, Santiago Bernabéu Trophy | Tags: Ángel di María, CA Peñarol, David Mateos, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, José Mourinho, Juan Francisco Torres 'Juanfran', Marcelo Vieira | Leave A Comment »