January 11, 2013 

Training

• Videos - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
• Galleries - 1 | 2 
• Cristiano Ronaldo had permission to miss today’s training; he is unavailable for the match because of suspension.

Injury update: Fábio Coentrão joined the group for the 2nd consecutive training. Xabi Alonso, who spent Thursday’s training inside, returned to the group today. After October’s foot surgery, Marcelo finally makes a return to the team’s call-up sheet.

Higuaín press conference

• Videos - 1 | 2
• Galleries - 1 | 2 
• rumors - ”I am as relaxed as I was when I first arrived at this club. I have my mind focused on this team. Our aim is to win all three trophies, I am here for the team and I won’t pay attention to rumours. I don’t have to revindicate myself, I have been here for six years and everyone knows me. I just need to take advantage of all the minutes I play.”
• the short squad for Osasuna - ”Every player at the club is important and we cannot just worry about the players we’ll be without. We have players that are good enough to get a result and we’ll try to show that. It’s always difficult to go to Pamplona, apart from last year (when Madrid won 5-1). It’s a tough stadium to go to and Osasuna will make things difficult for us. We need the points, we’re going to try and do our best there.”
• Mourinho vs. Casillas -  ”I’m not going to talk about that because the team is united now. We are all with Mourinho and we need to get behind him and he needs to support us. That’s the only way we’re going to win a trophy.”

Squad list: (20 players)

• Keepers: Casillas, Jesús, Mejías
• Defenders: Albiol, Arbeloa, Carvalho, Coentrão, Marcelo, Varane
• Midfielders: Alonso, Callejón, Di María, Essien, Kaká, Khedira, Modrić, Özil, J. Rodriguéz
• Forwards: Benzema, Higuaín

Benzema bwin interview

• Videos - 1 | 2 | 3
• starting off the new year - “I think we’re doing well. We started out 2013 with two wins, and that’s what’s most important. We have played well, although the games have been difficult, but what’s fundamental is that we have won.”
• his goal last season at Osasuna - “I would say that it is one of the nicest; it wasn’t the most important one, but I would especially emphasize that it was nice. Yes, the truth is it was a lovely goal, and also against a difficult rival and part of the victory. I still remember that goal, it was lovely.”

Arrival in Pamplona  (video) | Coentrão and Marcelo autograph session (video) | Match preview

Miscellaneous news

• Nuri Sahin completed a loan move to Borussia Dortmund today. He’ll be there for 18 months.
• Sergio Ramos called the head of the referee’s association to apologize for his actions in Wednesday’s match.
• Dani Carvajal told Marca he would love to return to Madrid.
• Guti confirmed the birth of his son Enzo earlier today.

The truth is that it’s a pleasure watching Özil play, a genius with the ball, INFINITE QUALITY.

Quotables

Raúl Albiol - 

“Casillas is the best goalkeeper in the world; he’s the best player you could ask for in your team. The other day [against Barcelona], those two goals were really difficult for him. The first one was only a few metres away and the second was an incredible free-kick. He’s the best in the world and he’s saved us many times. I would put Casillas on the list of candidates for the Ballon d’Or. He’s won the Liga and the European Championship this year and I think he was key for Real Madrid. It’s unusual for a goalkeeper to win it but for me he’s on the list.”

Iker Casillas - 

“When you’ve been held up as the best goalkeeper in the world, there will always be disagreement. The higher your rise, the more closely people are watching you. Messi’s goal? I think more about the first, when I could have done more. Or about the one against Ajax. I demand more of myself, and I understand that people have their opinions.”

Mesut Özil - 

“I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. I don’t play football to try and show-off – I play because I love the game.” 

“When you play with Real Madrid, you can’t think about anything else. I don’t know anything about it and I have no reason to leave. I can’t think of a single motive I could have for leaving this team.”

Kaká and Marcelo - 

“We had our chances [against Barcelona], but we failed to convert them”. We did what we had to do to win the game. We played a great game and we’re stronger for it.”

Marcelo: ”We had our chances and we didn’t convert them. We’ve won other games with fewer chances. The team fought hard and had a great game… We have to continue like that. Nothing’s decided yet.”

Kaká: “It can’t be said that the title race is over, of course it can’t. There’s a lot left to play for and we’re going to fight to the end. We had a great game, but we didn’t kill it off.”  

Emilio Butragueño - 

“[Cristiano Ronaldo] is an amazing player. He’s always shown this and his contribution to the team is incredible. Very few players give as much as he does to the team. We’d have to look back at the club’s history to find anyone similar. I greatly admire his commitment. He finished the game injured but he didn’t want to come off. Real Madrid would be different without him.”

Guti -

“The door has closed on my playing days, but I don’t want to cut my ties with football. The course [to be a sporting director] gives you the best insight of what a club is like behind the scenes.”

José and Miguel Siero Leal (Cristiano Ronaldo’s hair stylists) - 

“He told us, as he had on many other occasions that he was looking for something different. We know him well and we had the idea of shaving a symbol that represents both peace and the calm a warrior experiences after battle. He agreed.” 

“He isn’t at all fussy. There’s a personality behind every haircut. And he needs a strong image. It suits him. He’s very ambitious and a perfectionist. We hit on what he was feeling at that time and it was reflected during the match.”

Guti’s Taconazo vs. Deportivo - January 30, 2010

Guti Announces His Retirement

“The decision has been made. I have received offers but I’ve decided to stop. I can now spend more time with my family.” 

“I’m going to train to become a sporting director or a coach and I’d like to train youngsters. I’d really like to coach the Real Madrid youth team. That’s my dream.”

`Ha sido un placer jugar en el Madrid, noches inolvidables y recuerdos q siempre tendré en mi corazón.`

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - El Clásico

Robben’s goal, 21’

[gifs - 1 / 2 / 4 / 5]

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - El Clásico

Raúl’s goal, 13’

[gifs - 1 / 3 / 4 / 5]

Real Madrid Roundup

Injury Reports.

• Cristiano Ronaldo. In Saturday’s game against Atleti, he sustained a Grade I sprain & bruising on his left ankle. Because of this, Cris was unable to practice in the past two trainings. It is reported that he still has discomfort but will probably be ready for Sporting.
• Ricardo Carvalho. He suffered another setback after spraining the internal lateral ligament of the right knee. Carvalho had previously been sidelined with lower back pain for over a month.

News tidbits.

• First training of the week. Kaká & Arbeloa trained at the same intensity as the rest of the group.  [video]
• Closed training Wednesday. Thursday’s will start at 10:30 local time. 
• Likely lineups for Sporting. AS reports that Gonzalo Higuaín will return to the starting XI this weekend. Nuri Sahin is expected to start in place of Xabi Alonso, since Xabi is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow last Saturday. Lass will return as right back because Álvaro Arbeloa is being rested for el Clásico.
• Pending further developments, Sergio Ramos will play as center back in el Clásico for the first time since 2007. [x]
• Thursday afternoon, the RealMadrid Foundation will hold a book presentation of Iker Casillas’ biography: Iker Casillas - the Humility of a Champion. Casillas, Florentino Pérez, & Alfredo di Stéfano will all be in attendance.
• Cristiano Ronaldo Freestyle. CR7 is the focus of a new video game, now available on iOS & soon on Android. [x] 

Read More

coldbloodedenforcers:

dfdsdasgggads

BAMFs

“It would be an honor to come to the Bernabéu & have a tribute before my retirement.”

Photo credit: Rafa Aparicio

[Guti] told TVE’s “La Mañana” that he will retire in Besiktas, and that he will never return to Madrid, even if they call him.  He believed that for both him and Raúl, “it was the time to leave, the cycle had ended and when it ends you have to accept it.”