Posted by klaudio on 08:51
Real Madrid recently became the all-time top scoring side in the first leg of La Liga with 67 strikes and are well on their way to breaking the 107 goal record established by Toshack's Real in the the 1989/90 season. But it's also worth noting that Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo are more efficient at scoring than strikers in the other top four European leagues, netting goals every 65 and 75 minutes, respectively. The Argentine has so far scored 14 goals and Ronaldo an unprecedented 24 strikes.
Higuain tops the ranking after becoming the third top scorer in La Liga this season. He's tallied 14 strikes in 19 games, 11 of which he scored coming from the bench. Ronaldo tops the national ranking with 24 strikes. He has played in all 20 league games this season, starting in 19.
Higuain and Ronaldo need considerably less time than strikers in the other top four European leagues to score.
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Posted by klaudio on 10:57
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho dismissed relevance to seven points
with Real Madrid counts on his main rival in the struggle for the
league, Barcelona, and was critical of some media.
"Seven
points? Can tell much to the press, but I do not. Those who tried to
cause divisions and create conflict are the same as now write that
Madrid will be the club champion and has no trace options," said coach was quoted on Monday by news agency Lusa.
Mourinho made in reference to reports in the Spanish press that point
to deterioration in the terms of the coach with some of his players,
allegedly contrary to the approach of the Portuguese in their duels
against Barca.
In this sense, the coach felt that the media
echoed these differences "are the same as the first draw or defeat the
team" will say that Madrid is "in crisis and then try to undermine the
balance of the club."
"However, I am calm and ready for anything to do evil and good," he said.
Mourinho was speaking yesterday after attending the play "The Siege of
Leningrad", which is represented these days in the Fine Arts in Madrid
and with which the Portuguese actress Eunice Muñoz celebrates his 70
year career as Lusa Agency said.
Real Madrid managed to
increase their advantage this weekend over the Catalans after winning at
home against Zaragoza (3-1), while his opponent goalless draw against
Villarreal.
The white club and left behind their elimination
from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Barcelona just last Wednesday (1-2
and 2-2 at the Bernabeu in the back).
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Posted by klaudio on 09:39
The Brazilian feels that La Liga contains the world's two best coaches, but Mourinho's adaptability gives him an edge over the Camp Nou boss
Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos has voiced his belief that Jose Mourinho is a better coach than Pep Guardiola, his Barcelona counterpart.
Mourinho has emerged on the winning side just once against Barcelona since moving to the Spanish capital but the Brazilian wing-back, currently playing for Anzhi Makhachkala, believes in the Merengue trainer's strength of character and adaptability.
"Mourinho is still number one - for his character, his style of play, because every team that he has directed has won," he told Marca.
"We'll see if Guardiola can win if he goes to Chelsea or Inter, then we can say who is best."
Despite his belief of Mourinho's superiority, the 38-year-old believes that Guardiola is an excellent coach nonetheless.
"Pep is a modern coach, he's intelligent, brave, likes football and always has the players on his side. He knows a lot about football, but Mourinho's success in all countries where he has been confirms him as the best. Spain has the two best coaches in the world," he concluded.
Following Barcelona's draw with Villarreal over the weekend, Madrid hold a seven-point lead in the title race.
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Posted by klaudio on 05:03
The Portguese scored in his side's 3-1 win over Real Zaragoza to pull clear of Lionel Messi, who had a frustrating weekend
Cristiano Ronaldo's strike five minutes into the second half of Real Madrid's win over Zaragoza was enough for the Portuguese to overtake Trans Narva's goal-hero Aleksandrs Cekulajevs in the race for the golden boot.
Ronaldo's arch-rival Lionel Messi endured a more frustrating weekend, as his Barcelona side limped to a goalless draw against Villarreal.
Robin van Persie's two penalties in Arsenal's FA Cup win over Aston Villa do not count in the race, so the Dutchman remains six points behind the Argentine in fourth.
Seydou Doumbia's continued involvement at the African Cup of Nations has allowed Burak Yilmaz, who netted in Trabzonspor's victories over Eskisehirspor and Ankaragucu, to move into fifth place.
Mario Gomez and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar both scored one goal each, ensuring the Bayern Munich striker remains ahead of his Schalke counterpart.
Demba Ba, another striker on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, has slipped behind Huntelaar, level on points with Olivier Giroud, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lukas Podolski, who were all on the score-sheet for their clubs over the weekend.
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Posted by klaudio on 04:53
The former Brazil international, who has struggled for form and fitness since arriving in Spain, remains determined to prove his worth at the Santiago Bernabeu
Kaka has revealed that he was assured by both Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and coach Jose Mourinho during the winter break that he has a long-term future at the club.
The attacking midfielder has struggled for both form and fitness since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu from AC Milan in 2009, yet the has shown flashes of his old brilliance in recent outings and he was on target in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Zaragoza.
Kaka has admitted, though, that he had been perturbed by speculation in recent weeks that he would be offloaded during the January transfer window.
"I discussed it with Florentino and Mourinho," the 29-year-old is quoted as saying by AS. "We talked and I was assured it was not going to happen.
"Speculation has always come. Not for the first time they [the press] said I was going, but I always say that my desire is to stay and succeed here. It's what I want.
"I keep working and eventually people will see the truth."
Meanwhile, Kaka admitted that he is relishing the fact that he is now being afforded the opportunity to play in the same starting line-up as Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil, given the two had previously been competing for the one position.
"It is very easy to communicate with him because he is very intelligent and a pleasure to watch on the field," the Brazilian enthused.
"He has also returned to play with great confidence and it is important for the team to make the most of that."
Kaka, who has been capped 82 times by his country, has played just a total of 55 times for los Blancos in Liga since joining from Milan.
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Posted by klaudio on 02:59
The Brazilian star scored in the victory against the Aragonese outfit on Saturday, and went on to express his contentment with his current situation in the capital after the match
Real Madrid midfielder Kaka says he is happy with how things are currently panning out, following his side's 3-1 win over Primera Division rivals Zaragoza on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has been in and out of the XI at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, triggering speculation over his future at the club, but after a fine goalscoring display against the Liga strugglers, he spoke of his satisfaction at being back in contention."I feel good, I'm playing well and I am happy," he said. "The Bernabeu helps us a lot and we can create an impact."However, Kaka admits Madrid's performance against Zaragoza was not perfect by any stretch of imagination, but hopes he and his fellow team-mates enjoy a productive week on the training ground to rectify their inefficiencies."We can not always leave a trace, and we sometimes concede goals both at home and away - these are the things that require improvement," he continued."We have a week to work in training and prepare many things for the game against Getafe."
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Posted by klaudio on 08:58
The return leg of La Liga starts today for Real Madrid with a match against Zaragoza at the Bernabeu (20:00 CET). The Whites have a five-point cushion over runners-up Barcelona and are accustomed to showering their latest opponents in the championship with goals at their stadium.
Mourinho's side has earned the most victories (16) and scored the most goals (67) in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo has played a key role in this by tallying an unprecedented 23 strikes in the first leg of the league.
The Madridistas are the only team that's scored in every home game this season in the Spanish First Division. They won 6-0 against Zaragoza at La Romareda in Week 2. Tonight's clash will be extra special for Gonzalo Higuain, who played his first game with Real Madrid just over five years ago against Zaragoza in the Spanish capital.
Jose Mourinho has included 21 men on his squad list. Castilla goalkeeper Jesus has made the cut, while the injured Khedira and Di Maria will miss the clash.
Zaragoza are currently at the tail of the table with only 12 points. They haven't won any of their last 12 games, scoring only one goal in the last three. Mateos, Antonio Tomas and Fernando Meira will miss tonight's game.
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Posted by klaudio on 11:34
The Portuguese coach's spokesperson has hit out at the Brazilian defender, comparing him to a donkey, and feels referees are always in favour of the Catalan outfit
Eladio Parames, the spokesman of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, has hit out at Barcelona defender Dani Alves in the wake of last Wednesday's 2-2 Copa del Rey quarter-final draw at Camp Nou - with the Catalans winning 4-3 on aggregate.
Parames also voiced his dismay with the standard of refereeing in Spain, and stated his belief that Barcelona have the backing of the match officials if they are struggling in a game.
"What's changed since he [Dani Alves] came to Spain. He's undergone surgery on his ears, they've become smaller. And he's wearing glasses like an intellectual. However, a donkey with small ears and glasses is not all of a sudden a doctor, he's still a donkey," Parames said on Twitter.
"I've already said it before. When Barcelona play well, they're winning. If their opponents play better than them, the referee will help them to win."
Parames than went on to reveal what Jose Mourinho said to referee Teixeira Vitienes in the parking area after Wednesday's game.
"You have no respect for professionals. You're going to smoke a cigar now and have a good laugh, you b*****d," Mourinho said, according to his spokesman.
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Posted by klaudio on 04:07
The striker has tallied 23 goals, which would have earned him the Pichichi Trophy in 26 previous editions of the championship
Cristiano Ronaldo has made history in La Liga again by becoming the all-time top scorer in the first leg of the championship. He won the Pichichi Trophy with a record 41 strikes last season and is well on his way to breaking that record this year thanks to the 23 goals he tallied in the fitrst half of the competition this year, improving on the 22 banked by him last season and by Barcelona's Cesar in the 1950/51 campaign. These amazing numbers would have earned him the Pichichi in 26 previous editions of La Liga.
Ronaldo's goal scoring exploits are truly impressive. Twelve of his 23 strikes were tallied at the Bernabeu and 11 on the road. This shows he is capable of scoring at any venue and against any opponent.
No other Real Madrid player has scored 23 goals in the first 19 games of La Liga. Puskas tallied 22 in the 1960/61 season and Ronaldo equalled that record in the 2010/11 campaign. Hugo Sanchez tallied 20 in the 1989/90 edition of the championship.
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Posted by klaudio on 09:55
The Portugal international believes Madrid turned in a great display at Camp Nou and insists that both the players and the fans have reason to rejoice
Pepe reckons Real Madrid were the stronger side in the 2-2 Copa del Rey draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.
The Santiago Bernabeu club drew level through Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema after going behind to goals from Pedro and Dani Alves, but they could not beat Jose Pinto a third time.
The result means that Jose Mourinho's side are unable to defend their Copa del Rey title after their 2-1 defeat in the first leg, but Pepe believes that the Madrid faithful should be happy with the display.
"We showed the true 'Madridista' spirit, the spirit of a great group," he said after the game. "Today, we were very superior to Barca. We are proud of what we did and of what we have. The fans are also proud."
Pepe escaped punishment for his stamp on Lionel Messi in the first leg, but he did not wish the comment on his controversial action in last week's match.
"I will only talk about football," the Portuguese continued. "But I hope that this week everything that happened during this match will be debated."
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Posted by klaudio on 09:52
The Spaniard chose not to reflect on the decision which saw him sent off for a raised arm on Sergio Busquets, instead preferring to congratulate his side for their positive display
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has opted to remain silent about his red card in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg on Wednesday.
The stopper was shown a second yellow after being adjudged to have raised his arm to Sergio Busquets during the latter stages of the match, but in a Twitter post, he had no words for referee Fernando Teixeira, but spoke of his delight at his team's courageous performance.
CARTOON OF THE DAY
Ramos sees red: The defender is now the owner of an unwanted record for Madrid
"[I am] super proud of my team. There are things you can not fight [in reference to his red card]. Today, football has valued Real Madrid. [A] very superior [outfit]," Ramos wrote.
"As for the referee, [I am] without comment. There are images and professionals to analyse what happened. Hala Madrid!"
Ramos concluded his tweet by assuring Madrid supporters that the team will give their all for the rest of the season, with the Primera Division and Champions League now firmly in their sights.
"Thanks to Real Madrid for their support, and I know that this team never gives up. We know which way [to go]," he said.
Real Madrid resume Liga affairs on Sunday with the visit of Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Posted by klaudio on 17:51
Granero: "We deserved to win because we did a very good job"
Pepe and Esteban Granero highlighted the pride and excellent work showcased by Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. The team proved they wanted to win the tie from the very first minute.
Pepe
"We had a great sense of sacrifice and feel proud because we proved we are a united group of players and played better than Barcelona. I defend my team and we'll make Madridistas proud. The fans must feel proud of the players. We'll fight to earn that."
Granero
"We should be satisfied. We should have won because we were better. I think we were unlucky, but we did a very good job."
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Posted by klaudio on 16:46
"We are very happy with our performance tonight"
Alvaro Arbeloa played the entire match against Barcelona tonight and analysed the encounter in the mixed zone.
"We're happy with our performance tonight. We didn't win because we weren't lucky with our chances. We could have easily won because we were better. We played better and had more chances to score than Barcelona."
"We've managed to get rid of our psychological anxiety and fear to lose against Barcelona. It's hard to be strengthened after being eliminated, but we realise we can defeat them and we're looking forward ot our next meeting."
"We would like referees to be fairer. The ref hurt us in small details. Some fouls and bookings we saw hurt us, and you can't end the match when a foul has been made in midfield."
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Posted by klaudio on 16:44
"We failed to score from four or five of our chances"
Jose Mourinho praised his men for their performance in the return leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals at the Camp Nou.
"You sometimes score a goal without trying much for one and we happened to fail to score from four or five of our chances. We looked for more depth in attack through Karim and Callejon, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing inside."
"It was easy to talk to my mken during half-time. I had few things to change. Half-times are short when your team isn't playing well; those ten minutes don't seem enough. I only needed one minute today because my team played very well in the first half. I told them to keep it up."
"I've played here with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Playing here isn't new to me; I've done it before. We were excited and motivated to try to win. We knew it would be hard because we were behind on the aggregate score. I've heard someone in the dressing room saying it is impossible to win here."
"Maybe Pep Guardiola congratulated us after winning last year's final because it was a clean match without any havoc. If you like I'll congratulate him for winning last week's match. I have no problem doing so. They deserved to win that game."
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Posted by klaudio on 16:23
http://youtu.be/qDVU1YXT32s
Casillas – 6
Pepe – 7
Ramos – 7
Coentrao – 7
Arbeloa – 7
Kaka – 5.5
Ozil – 8 ( Man of the match )
Alonso – 6.5
Diarra – 5
Ronaldo – 7.5
Higuain – 5
Substitutes:
Granero – 6.5
Callejon – 6
Benzema – 7.5
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Posted by klaudio on 07:58
Real Madrid's defence of their 2011 Copa del Rey title will continue as they try to turn the adverse 2-1 aggregate around in the quarterfinals at the Camp Nou. Jose Mourinho will not be able to count on the injured Di Maria and Khedira. His team has earned 11 straight wins on the road and scores 2.5 goals per away match. This Real Madrid is the most solid team on the road in the club's history and they will try to exploit this statistic to reach the next round.
"We will fight to the death to win the tie and make supporters proud of Real Madrid," said Iker Casillas yesterday. Coming from the captain, there can be no better declaration of intent given his career at Real Madrid and his deep feeling for the club. This team never surrenders and will use that spirit to try to turn the tie around in order to continue defending the title they won against Barça last season.
The Whites will have the motivation of topping the league table with a five-point cushion over Barcelona and will look to maintain the best away record any Real Madrid side has ever had. A two goal victory would at least make the tie go into extra time; winning with more than two goals would give the Madridistas a ticket to the semis.
Jose Mourinho has included all his men on his squad list for the match save for the injured Di Maria and Khedira. Barcelona have recovered Pedro for the clash. They recently defeated Malaga 4-1 in La Liga at La Rosaleda. Villa, Afellay and Fontas are injured. Keita will also miss the encounter as he is currently playing the African Cup of Nations with Mali. Barcelona defeated Hospitalet and Osasuna 9-0 and 4-0, respectively, in their previous home games in the Copa.
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Posted by klaudio on 07:51
The Spanish football federation's (RFEF) Competition Committee will take no action over the incident because there was no mention of it in the referee's report
Real Madrid defender Pepe has escaped sanction over his allegedly deliberate stamp on Barcelona's Lionel Messi during last week's Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Portugal international appeared to intentionally tread on his rival's hand during the second half of the Copa del Rey clash in the Spanish capital.
The incident was caught on camera and Pepe's actions were widely condemned within the footballing community, even though he maintained that the contact had been purely accidental.
The Spanish football federation's (RFEF) Competition Committee has now revealed that they will take no action against the player because there was no mention of the incident within the referee's report.
Consequently, Pepe, having already been included in the Madrid squad to face Barca on Wednesday night, is now free to play in the second leg of the quarter-final tie at Camp Nou.
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Posted by klaudio on 03:59
The Spain international will not underestimate the difficulty in advancing past the Catalan club in the cup, yet feels a place in the semi-finals is a possibility
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has admitted that the Blancos face a difficult task to qualify for the next round in Wednesday's second leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final against Barcelona, but stressed that they are ready to 'do the impossible'.
Madrid were beaten 2-1 in the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu last week, yet Ramos is confident that they can still make it to the semi-finals.
"We are completely convinced of being able to turn the tie around. Real Madrid always come to mind when people think of impossible games," Ramos was quoted as saying on the Madrid website.
"We're forced to do our best and try to reach the next round. Real Madrid's morale is rather good thanks to the good results we're earning this season.
"Making comebacks is integral to this institution and we're more united than ever. We're excited about reaching the next round. Real Madrid always think about making a comeback regardless of the score in the first leg."
Wednesday's match at Camp Nou kicks off at 22.00CET.
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Posted by klaudio on 11:01
"Real Madrid always comes to mind when one thinks something is impossible; our fans know we will give our all"
Real Madrid captains Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramo believe the team is capable of turning the Copa del Rey tie with Barcelona around tomorrow at the Camp Nou. They are both aware that a Real Madrid trademark is never giving up and wished to express this to supporters in an interview with the club's official media.
Casillas
"Before our league match against Athletic Bilbao our minds were set only on La Liga. On Monday, upon arriving at Valdebebas, we looked each other in the face and said we had to grind our teeth because the match against Barcelona won't be easy, but that we had to know we could win the tie. That's our intention. We'll travel to Barcelona thinking exclusively about reaching the next round of the Copa del Rey."
"We've all discussed it. Every player wants to participate in these great games. Real Madrid will give a good performance. We just have to showcase a winning mentality and believe we can turn the tie around despite how things were complicated for us in the first leg."
"I think I haven't seen such a great atmosphere on the team for a very long time. The atmosphere on the team is pleasant and excellent. Spirits are high. This is a young and healthy group of players. There is no reason to worry."
"The lead we have over Barcelona in the league means we're doing a good job in that competition and that we deserve to be leaders and defend the top spot of the table. We know all of our opponents will try their best against us, so we must be more united than ever before to win those games one by one."
"We believe tomorrow's match will be excellent. We want fans to be proud of Real Madrid and we want them to know we'll go to Barcelona thinking we can reach the next round. The players chosen by the coach will fight to the death to win the tie, regardless of who they are."
Ramos
"We are completely convinced of being able to turn the tie around. Real Madrid always come to mind when people think of impossible games. We're forced to do our best and try to reach the next round. Real Madrid's morale is rather good thanks to the good results we're earning this season."
"Making comebacks is integral to this institution and we're more united than ever. We're excited about reaching the next round. Real Madrid always think about making a comeback regardless of the score in the first leg. The team is united. Our numbers are there and we depend practically only on ourselves in every competition."
"As second team captain I can assure you the team is more united than ever and that this group of players is strong. That's what will bring us success. This is a young and excited squad, but there's always room for improvement. Our relationship with the coach has always been good. Mourinho is the ideal coach for this club and we're happy to learn from him. He is very experienced; he's won it all and is really bringing out the best in us so that each of us plays his best."
"We have a five-point cushion over Barcelona. That's an important fact and we have to value what we're doing well. We're competing with one of the best teams in the world, which inspires us to work harder and perfect our defetcs. This is a long season, but we're doing a good job."
"We must be convinced and excited to think Real Madrid are capable of anything. People think of Real Madrid when something is impossible. The fans know we will fight to the death on the pitch to try to turn the tie around."
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Posted by klaudio on 05:54
Jose Mourinho:" I don't provoke clans & I have the support of the Real Madrid board"
"I do not provoke clans," assured the trainer at his press conference. "I know nothing about the leaks. I feel very supported by the board, we're currently in the midst of a very good spell."Mourinho then proceeded to speak about his squad preparations for the upcoming Clasico meeting between the two sides, and admitted defender Pepe will start the match if he is given the green light to feature, despite choosing to remain coy on the rest of his selections.
"If Pepe is fit, then he will play. There are question marks over him, Granero and Lass, all whom are having some troubles, but tomorrow we will train and I will decide whether they are able to play," continued Mourinho.
"I have no idea about my starting XI yet. I have many decisions to make over certain players, so many questions are still unanswered. As in the first game, I had doubts until the end, and the same will happen tomorrow.
"I will not answer [any question related to what team I will pick]. I'm the coach and I do not have to explain what approach I choose publicly."
Mourinho also gave his opinion on arch-rivals Barcelona, who take a 2-1 lead into the return leg of the tie, stating that he will not alter his approach regardless of what players turn out for the Blaugrana.
"I think my team has a chance to play the semi-finals, so we will try our best," mused Mourinho. "But we know against our opponent we lost 2-1 the first time, so there is also a chance we won't make it.
"Barcelona changing their squad around does not change much for me [in terms of preparation]. They have their game and their principles, even though the players can change."
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Posted by klaudio on 05:05
"We're leaders in La Liga and we've had the best run in the history of the Champions League group stage; I don't think we're having problems or that we're doing a bad job"
Jose Mourinho talked to the press the day prior to facing Barcelona in the return leg of the Copa del Rey.
"We have a chance to make it to the semifinals and we'll try to achieve that. We're aware of our opponent and of the result we earned in the first leg. It will be difficult, but we'll try to turn the tie on its head and reach the next round."
"We have a five-point cushion over the team everyone regards as the best in the world. When we arrived, the club had the tradition of being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by teams from lower divisions and we won the title last season. The team wasn't a top seeder in the Champions League either when we got here and we've just had the best run in the history of the group stage and are top seeders again. We're leaders in La Liga and I don't think we're having problems or that we're doing a bad job."
"Pepe will play if he's fit. Granero and Lass have problems. We'll train again tomorrow morning and will decide then which of the three are fit to play."
"I'm not going to announce my starting lineup. I have doubts about some players and I still don't really know what system I'll use. I also had doubts till the end in the first leg due to the absences on the team. It will be the same tomorrow. I'm not going to say anything."
"Barcelona have their own style and principles regardless of any changes on the team. Having Pedro or someone else won't affect their game."
"I've worked in four countries and they're all different. There are many differences between Spain and England, and between the clubs I've worked for in each country. I'm currently experiencing a very good personal moment."
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Posted by klaudio on 09:47
The Portuguese netted two penalties as his team swept Athletic Bilbao aside to move to the summit of the rankings, with Lionel Messi hot on his heels
Two penalties in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao saw Cristiano Ronaldo draw level with Trans Narva star Aleksandrs Cekalujevs in the race for the Golden Shoe.
The Latvian, plying his trade in the Estonian league, has scored an incredible 46 goals this season, and led the table until the Portuguese star's double.
A Lionel Messi hat-trick in Barcelona's thrashing of Malaga ensured that the Argentine remained hot on the heels of his nemesis, and saw the 24-year-old pull away from Robin van Persie, who managed a solitary strike in Arsenal's 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United.
CSKA Moscow's Ivorian striker Seydou Doumbia finished the Russian season with 24 goals, and currently sits in fifth place, while Trabzonspor's Burak Yilmaz scored his 22nd goal during his side's shock defeat to Karabukspor.
Bundesliga duo Mario Gomez and Klaas Jan Huntelaar have taken their battle for the domestic Golden Boot to the European stage, and the Bayern Munich man sits two points ahead of his Schalke counterpart, with the Dutchman level on points with Newcastle's Demba Ba.
Manchester City's big money signing Sergio Aguero is in 10th place courtesy of 14 goals to date in his debut Premier League season.
History & How It Works
In 1967-68, French football magazine L'Equipe opted to hand out an award to the top goalscorer in all European leagues for his good performances during the season. Between 1968 and 1991, high profile names such as Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Ian Rush and Marco van Basten won the coveted trophy.
However, the gap between big and small leagues started to grow in the early 90's and L'Equipe decided to make the competition unofficial after the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) issued a protest in 1991. Darko Pancev won the award that season with 34 goals, but the CFA claimed that a player had scored 40 goals in Cyprus that term.
Adidas, sponsor of the awards, still handed out the trophy until 1996 before European Sports Magazine (with L'Equipe as a member) decided to make the title official again. ESM divided all European leagues in three groups according to strength, and attached to each group a quotient by which the number of goals is multiplied to obtain the player's rating. The European Golden Shoe was thus no longer necessarily handed to the top goalscorer, but to the player with the most points.
The weightings are determined by the league's ranking on the UEFA coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league's clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons. Goals scored in the top five leagues according to the UEFA coefficients are multiplied by a factor of two, and goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 21 are multiplied by 1.5. Goals in all other leagues are all worth one single point.
This measure has prevented players from the so called weaker leagues from winning the European Golden Shoe, since a goal scored in, for example, Armenia, Estonia or Azerbaijan carries less weight than a goal scored in Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga or the Premier League.
Players such as Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Forlan and Lionel Messi have won the European Golden Shoe in the past few seasons.
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Posted by klaudio on 06:44
Xabi Alonso made his 200th appearance in La Liga
tonight against Athletic Bilbao, whom he faced on his 14 January 2011
debut with Real Sociedad. The midfielder has scored 13 goals in his
seven season in the championship.
Real Sociedad lost 2-0 in the player's debut and he remained on
the team until the summer of 2004. He became a key player on the squad
and greatly helped the side end the 2002/03 season as runners-up.
After a spell in the Premier League, Alonso returned to Spain signing
for Real Madrid, with whom he made his debut against Deportivo La Coruña
on 29 August 2009. He netted his first strike for the Whites in the 6-2
thrashing of Villarreal at the Bernabeu. He has so far played 86 league
games with the Madridistas and has scored four goals in the
competition.
| XABI ALONSO IN LA LIGA |
| Season |
Games |
Goals |
| 2000/01 |
18 |
0 |
| 2001/02 |
29 |
3 |
| 2002/03 |
33 |
3 |
| 2003/04 |
34 |
3 |
| 2009/10 |
34 |
3 |
| 2010/11 |
34 |
0 |
| 2011/12 |
18 |
1 |
| TOTAL |
200 |
13 |
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Posted by klaudio on 06:41
Marcelo starred in the victory over Athletic
Bilbao with a goal that came from an excellent team effort. The defender
and Benzema addressed the media after the match.
Marcelo
"This is a very important victory for us. We had good touch on ball and
played an organised game. We knew it would be hard to face Athletic
Bilbao."
"You can tell we're united and that there's nothing weird going on. If
something was up it would affect us. I feel great because I'm passionate
about playing foiotball. It's always important to me to play at the
Bernabeu with this shirt. That's why I always give my all. We'll fight
to the end and we'll only stop when the ref whistles the end. Real
Madrid fight to the end in every game and training session."
Benzema
"We faced a great team tonight and concentrated hard on the match. This
is a very important victory. Mourinho is a great coach and we have a
great team. We're fine and must keep up the good work to win
the championship. We're a solid side and we're united."
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Posted by klaudio on 06:38
Jose Mourinho told the media he always felt the team would end up winning the match despite Athletic Bilbao's opener.
"It's the first time my team leads the table with a five-point
cushion for two weeks. We've made it to the next round in the Champions
League and we have yet to play one more Copa del Rey match. If we lose
the latter we'll be eliminated by Barcelona, not Alcorcon. We're not
having a difficult time. We're in good health. The only thing that
affects us right now is what happened to Oscar Ribot."
"Our opponent caused us many problems. They played well. Our defensive
problems disappeared in the second half and we won with poise. I always
felt we would end up winning the match. We made some mistakes in
defence, but it's difficult to stop Llorente because he has special
characteristics and De Marcos is an intelligent player. We had a great
reaction after their goal and played very well."
"I'm not bothered by the whistles at me. It's not a problem. It's the
first time it's ever happened to me. There's a first time for
practically everything. Zidane was whistled at here. Ronaldo has been
whistled at here. Cristiano, who is the latest Golden Boot winner, has
also been whistled at. Why can't I? Zidane responded with his football,
the same as Ronaldo and Cristiano. I work hard to be able to respond
like they did some day, but there may come a day when the fans are sad.
There have been no problems this week. I lost a match on Wednesday, but I
was already thinking about tonight's game on Friday. We played and won.
That's it."
"The only reason for the changes on the team is that I'm the coach and I
make them. I don't have to justify them, especially to the press. It's
my decision. Defeats have one parent, while victories have many. I'll
say that again: many people are responsible for today."
"I'm a football professional who tries to defend Real Madrid
with dignity and in full use of my capabilities. Real Madrid asked me to
coach the team. The club's executives are the legal representatives of
the supporters, and I have a fantastic relationship with the President,
[Director General] Jose Angel and the Board. They know they'll never
have a problem with me. I'm calm and just do my job."
"The team played very well. I may not always address the media when we
win, but I always do when we lose. I do the same on the pitch. If the
team wins I credit the rest, but I show myself when we lose."
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Posted by klaudio on 06:36
Callejon scored again against Athletic Bilbao. The midfielder and Arbeloa shared their thoughts on the match in the mixed zone.
Callejon
"Both teams gave a great performance tonight. Athletic played
entertaining football, but we also created fast transitions and
showcased spark and speed. It would have been better if they hand't
scored, but we did well and played good football, proving we pull
through when things look complicated."
"We're all here to help, both on the pitch and from the bench. Today we
had to refresh the team with speed and drive. I was lucky because
Higuain served me a great assist. We regarded this match as an important
test. We took points and remain leaders. We'll have to start working on
winning the Copa tie tomorrow."
Arbeloa
"It was a very important match, and it was complicated too. We covered a
lot of ground to win, but something that characterises us is how we
fight for a victory. You can win or lose, but we want to erase the image
we left the other day."
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Posted by klaudio on 06:33
Iker Casillas played his 600th official match
with Real Madrid against Athletic Bilbao. The goalkeeper analysed the
game in the mixed zone.
"It's important to keep winning. We still have a five-point
cushion. I have too many emotions and memories of my 600 games with the
team. It's funny that I've reached the number against Athletic, who were
the team I faced in my debut. I'm very happy and proud to be in the
ranks with legends like Gento and Hierro. It means the road I've been on
has been long and not necessarily easy. I didn't expect to play so many
games."
"We can't start losing our minds and pointing the finger at each other.
Whistles are really aimed at all of us. We must all be united, team and
fans alike. That's the way to earn good results. We must all row in the
same direction if we want to celebrate winning the league title. I don't
have a bad relationship with any of my teammates. You'll have to ask
Marca
about what they publish. I have nothing against it, but you'll have to
ask them about today's article. We're not here to say if it is or isn't
true. We shouldn't get dragged into this."
"This is the Bernabeu and any whistle at our coach is also aimed at us.
If we want to win a title and celebrate on 13 May we must all row in the
same direction. That's what matters. We shouldn't go crazy and point
the finger at teammates, coaches or executives. We lost one game, the
team didn't play well and we must now think about our next match in the
Copa del Rey."
"It will obviously be complicated to win the tie, but I wouldn't rule it
out. If Barcelona managed to win 2-1 over here why can't we do the
same? We intend to win the tie and it will be an exciting and vibrant
match. We haven't lost anything yet and we must do our best to reach the
next round. Today it was the league, tomorrow it's the Cup and some
other day it will be the Champions League. More than ever we must be
united. That's what matters."
"I don't have a bad relationship with any teammate. We coexist
in training sessions, pre-match gatherings and games, like all other
squads. I may get angry with someone one particular day, or someone may
get angry at me, but it's not something to dwell on. There are no
problems between the Spaniards and Portuguese on the squad. I find it
quite absurd also because there happens to be Brazilian players amongst
the so-called Portuguese group."
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