Italian newspaper Il Sussidiario is reporting AC Milan are willing to make a ‘significant’ offer for Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illaramendi. … [Read more...]
Is Bale’s criticism deserved?
Some say that there’s no bigger transfer in football than a move to Real Madrid. A club with such a rich history, and an even richer owner. Real have broken the transfer fee record five times, and when Gareth Bale joined the club in 2013, he became the most expensive footballer of all time. … [Read more...]
Kings of the Capital?
Felipe VI may occupy the throne in Madrid, but who are the sporting kings of Spain? Fittingly, it has been neighbours in Spain’s royal city offering arguments with the greater weight in recent times. Following a period of Catalan dominance, with Barcelona’s tiki-taka approach masterminded by Pep Guardiola and perfected by Lionel Messi et al, bragging rights have been dragged back to the capital. … [Read more...]
The double standards at Real Madrid
Gareth Bale's statistics are highly impressive for somebody who has to play second fiddle to another player. He already has ten league goals this season. The fact, he's rarely afforded opportunities to take free-kicks and penalties mean his goal tally is automatically impeded. His defensive work rate also leads me to regard him in high esteem. Does Ronaldo ever track back? The answer is no, yet nobody in Madrid seems to mind. Bale covers more blades of grass in one match than Ronaldo does in three, the statistics reinforce this. … [Read more...]
La Liga Title Race: Mid-Season Check-in
With half of the La Liga season completed, the table is shaping up to look exactly what everyone thought it would. Currently Real Madrid (with a game in hand) sits atop of the table, one point ahead of their rivals Barcelona and 4 points ahead of last year’s winners, Atletico Madrid. All three teams are still alive in the Champions League and after next week’s Copa Del Rey matchup between Barca and Atletico, only one team will remain in that competition. Therefore, with 19 more games to be played (20 for Real Madrid) all three teams are more or less on even ground and can control their own … [Read more...]
Man Utd Transfer News: De Gea agent sparks Madrid rumours
David De Gea's agent Jorge Mendes has been quoted in a Spanish newspapers saying that the goalkeeper's situation could change with Real Madrid keen on him. There has been plenty of speculation that Madrid want to negotiate a swap deal involving Gareth Bale, and Mendes has not denied the prospect of this happening. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Mendes said, "I do not know the future, things change every five minutes. We all know that in football nothing is impossible. "David is a Manchester United player and has a contract. You have to respect that." De Gea has one year left to run on his … [Read more...]
Messi stars in our La Liga team of the week
The 2014/2015 season finally hit the halfway mark, with Real Madrid getting the unofficial title of winter champions after they completed a hard-fought but comprehensive win away at Getafe. There were also wins for title contenders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, while European football hopefuls Valencia, Sevilla and Villareal enjoyed a great weekend too. No surprises that this round’s best XI is largely influenced by players from these clubs. … [Read more...]
Ronaldo – redefining what it is to be a winger
There is something called the ‘Commentator’s Curse.” This is where a fan or pundit begins talking about how good a player is, and then oddly enough, the player flops at that particular moment. Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. It’s 2005, Manchester United are playing away from home in blue and red kits. In this case, my brother was going to play the role of the commentator doing the a-fore-mentioned cursing. He began telling to me about a player on United who had a certain spark to his game; he was talking about a certain Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo. At the time though, he was a youngster … [Read more...]
Marco Reus to Real Madrid not happening says agent
Germany international Marco Reus has not agreed to join Real Madrid this January after rumours of a deal spread earlier this month. Reus' agent, Dirk Hebel, and Borussia Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke have denied the speculation claiming that a deal was nearing completion. Spanish media outlet El Confidencial had stated that Reus was set to sign a five-year contract with Real Madrid, and that both parties were satisfied with the agreements. Reus is available to leave Dortmund if a club triggers his release clause - €25m - and reports emerged suggesting Madrid were also happy to pay Reus' … [Read more...]
Valencia vs Real Madrid Preview: End of the Streak?
Tomorrow, the reigning European champions travel to Mestalla for their 16th La Liga match of the season. Needless to say, Real will start 2015 with a very tough set of fixtures as they face Atletico at the Calderon in the Copa del Rey 3 days after the Valencia match and then host Espanyol before the return leg vs Atletico. This match will be particularly hard as Real face a Valencia that is in-form with only 3 losses from their 16 Liga matches this season. A win for Valencia will also bring them 1 point from 3rd placed Atletico so the motivation will be definitely there. Finally, Valencia will … [Read more...]