Former Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria says his old club doesn’t miss him despite him recapturing his best form again for PSG this season.
The Argentinean winger left the Santiago Bernabeu for Manchester United in the summer of 2014 shortly after lifting La Decima and the Copa del Rey with Los Blancos. He had a miserable time at Old Trafford though and was sold to PSG just 12 months later.
The 28-year-old is now back to his best in the French capital and this week played in instrumental role in helping Laurent Blanc’s side defeat Premier League outfit Chelsea to reach the quarter finals of the Champions League.
Speaking to El Larguero, di Maria said he watches out for Real Madrid but believes they are doing fine without him.
“I don’t think Madrid need a player like me, they have players with quality and experience. They’re players who cost a lot of money and are showing that. The Santiago Bernabeu fans are very demanding with the players and I hope things go well for them, because I have a lot of friends there,” he commented.
He also picked out his old club as one of the favourites to lift the Champions League again this season.
“Madrid and Barca are always favourites, they always reach the final rounds,” he said.
Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart believes Florentino Perez will keep fighting hard to put Real Madrid back on top in Spanish football.
Los Blancos have won just one La Liga title since 2008 with five of the past seven championships heading to the Camp Nou. Atletico de Madrid won the title on the other occasion.
In Europe, Real won the Champions League in 2014 – their 10th European crown, but Barca have had the upper hand their too, winning the trophy in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
With Real trailing their fierce rivals by 12 points in the domestic league this season, some Madridistas have called for Florentino Perez to resign, particularly given the off field problems too such as the Copa del Rey debacle, the bungled attempt to sign David de Gea, the sacking of two coaches in the space of seven months and the potential transfer ban. Indeed, I wrote a piece earlier this year calling for Perez to stand down too.
Speaking to Ona Esportiva, Gaspart said Perez will keep fighting until Real are the top dogs once more.
“I do not have any sympathy but he is a very smart, very talented guy. He’s a very good person and has a good eye. He will not throw in the towel so easily. Florentino has won a few leagues, Champions League and Copa del Rey, including some against Barca,” he commented.
Pep Guardiola will try to lure Raphael Varane to join him at Manchester City next summer according to reports from Spain.
The Spanish manager has started planning his future project in the Premier League and he has reportedly set his eyes on the Real Madrid defender.
The current Bayern Munich boss believes the defence is City’s main weakness and wants to bring several players to reinforce it.
Varane is not a guaranteed starter at Real Madrid at the moment, as Zinedine Zidane seems to rely more on Pepe every time the Portuguese is fit. However, the French defender has had an important role at Real Madrid this season and it seems highly unlikely that he will be willing to leave the club.
Furthermore, there is little chance Zidane and Florentino Perez will let the 22-year-old go, as they see him as the future leader of Los Blancos defence.
Varane signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2011 on a 10-million-euro deal. He has a running contract with Los Merengues until 2020, with a buy-out clause close to 100 million euros.
Toni Kroos believes the arrival of Zinedine Zidane in the dugout at Real Madrid has helped raise his game.
The German suffered a dip in form under Rafa Benitez and struggled to consistently get into the side. But since the Frenchman took charge in January, Kroos has been back to his usual level seen in his first season at the club.
Los Blancos have won 9 and lost just one of the 12 games they’ve played since Zidane took over, and Kroos says the 1998 World Cup winner has had a huge impact.
“With Zidane I’m in a situation where I can raise again my level. I can play better, and that is largely to his credit. The coach knows I can play deep in midfield or in a box-to-box role and a little more advanced. Against Roma I played well advanced, but in recent games played I have played in a deeper role. He knows I can play in various positions,” he told reporters.
He went on to add that he thinks Los Blancos can go far in the Champions League but need to use the league games left to play well and keep momentum going.
“I do not think we can be league champions, but we need those games to prepare for the Champions League. We’re playing well. Not in every game, as is logical, but when things have changed like they have for us, it is normal that not everything fits in the beginning. We are on the right track. We press more and when we lose the ball we try to recover it quickly. I think we are recovering many more balls than before,” he stated.
Former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says the club’s injury record this season is not normal and point to an underlying issue that needs to be resolved.
Los Blancos are 12 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and out of the title race once more. Following their defeat to Atletico de Madrid in the derby two weeks ago Cristiano Ronaldo made comments about the injury record saying they would be in contention if players like Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale had been fit for longer periods.
The 10-time Champions League winners have seen that trio, along with other experienced players such as Sergio Ramos and Pepe sidelined at various times this campaign leading to a lack on consistency in team selection.
Speaking to Sina Sports, Ancelotti, who will take charge of Bayern Munich next season, said: “The facts show that something is being done extremely badly. Since the start of the season there have been 22 muscular injuries at Madrid. Make your own conclusions, but in a club like Madrid that situation does not seem normal.”
He went on to add that he believes Zinedine Zidane will ensure a review is carried out and the Frenchman, despite his lack of experience, will take the club forward next season.
“Of course Madrid need self-criticism, to analyse their mistakes and fix them. I am sure Zidane and the players are doing so. They can work it out together,” he commented.
Former Italy and Juventus coach Marcello Lippi says he never though Zinedine Zidane would one day become a manager.
The pair worked together at Juve before Zidane signed for Real Madrid and while Lippi says the Frenchman was undoubtedly one of the best players to ever play the game, he didn’t think he had what it takes to be a top level boss.
Zidane was promoted to the first team job at the Santiago Bernabeu in January following the sacking of Rafa Benitez. He has been in charge of the Real Madrid Castilla side and prior to that worked under another Italian – Carlo Ancelotti – as assistant manager.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Lippi stated: “I never thought that Zidane would become a coach. I have coached players like Deschamps who I knew would do well on the bench, but Zidane was certainly not one of them. That being said, I believe Zidane can do well at a big club like Real Madrid. Zidane is intimately familiar with the psychology of top players, in both defeat and victory.”
Asked what he thought of Zidane’s progress so far, Lippi said it was too early to make any sort of judgement.
“I think it is too early to pass judgement on him. He was brought in mid-way through the season which is always difficult and he needs a pre-season to work with his players and get his ideas across. People will underestimate him, I am sure of this. People will focus on Ronaldo on the pitch and forget that Zidane is coach.”
Gabon international striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reached an agreement to join Real Madrid next summer, German newspaper Express has claimed.
The Borussia Dortmund man is in an excellent state of form, having scored 32 goals in 38 appearances this season. This has caught the attention of several European giants who are pursuing the striker’s signing.
The French-born footballer has recently confessed that his childhood dream is playing at Real Madrid. Since then, speculation on a possible arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu has grown.
Express has claimed that Los Blancos have already reached an agreement with the player and now they just need to convince Dortmund to let their top scorer leave next summer.
According to these reports, the German side would request between 90 and 100 million euros to let the 26-year-old go.
It seems highly unlikely that Florentino Perez will even consider paying such a high amount of money. In fact, as per the latest Real Madrid transfer talk, Aubameyang isn’t really one of the top options to reinforce the Los Merengues attack.
Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund three years ago from Saint Etienne. After a couple of seasons as a regular substitute, he has reached his best level this year, helping his team fight Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title. Dortmund currently seat five points behind Pep Guardiola men in the table.
The Santiago Bernabeu has been home to some of the most lethal headers in football history. From Carlos Santillana to Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid have always had a player of great heading ability in their squad.
All of them have stood out for their jumping power or their heading precision. And all of them have scored great goals with their head that have helped Real Madrid become the club with most titles in history.
Here at Real Madrid News we have tried to determine who, out of all these outstanding players, has been the best header in the club’s history. Here is our effort to define the top 5:
5. Hugo Sanchez
Hugo Sanchez is one of the most prolific goalscorers in football history. He was known for his ability of scoring in any possible manner: with volleys, backheel shots and, of course, headers. Despite his short height -only 1.75 metres (5 ft 9 in) – he had great heading skills. In seven seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, he scored 208 goals in 283 matches. Surely he deserves a spot among the top five.
4. Fernando Morientes
Morientes wasn’t precisely an athletic player. He wasn’t quick nor was he especially strong, but his clinical finishing and a sense of space helped him become one of the best forwards of his generation. He was 1.86 metres (6 ft 1 in) tall, which was a good advantage for him to stad out as exceptional header. The Santiago Bernabeu fans will never forget that historic afternoon when he scored four goals against Las Palmas, three of them with his head.
3. Ivan Zamorano
The Chilean striker scored 76 goals in his four seasons at Real Madrid, many of them with his head. With 1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in) of height, he wasn’t exactly a tall forward, but he had the ability to be always in the right place. He was a natural finisher: He would met any cross sent into the box, and many times succeed in finding the back of the net. His impressive jumping ability helped him become an infallible header.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt the best athlete in Real Madrid history. That has allowed him to become one of the most lethal headers in the world. There is no other striker in the world who combines such a phenomenal leg strength and jumping ability with such an outstanding precision in his headers. According to a recent study, he is able to reach heights of 44cm in the air from a standing start and 78cm with a run-up, more than the average NBA player. Thanks to that, in the past few years, he has scored more goals with the head than any other footballer. In fact, last season he netted 17 headers, an all-time record in Spain.
1. Carlos Santillana
If you asked the Santiago Bernabeu veterans who is the best header in history, there is little chance that somebody would mention any name other than Carlos Santillana. The former Los Blancos striker is remember in Spain as the player with the greatest ability to score with the head. He was 1.75 metres (5 ft 9 in) tall, but still he was able to beat the defenders in every cross into the box and send the ball into the back of the net. Santillana made 778 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 352 goals. He even managed to score with his head from outside the box. Many claim he would have made a great high jump athlete in the Olympics.
Diego Llorente playing for Rayo Vallecano - Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Real Madrid home-grown defender Diego Llorente, who is currently on loan at La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, could return to the Santiago Bernabeu next summer and become a member of the Los Blancos first team, according to reports from Spain.
Zinedine Zidane is seeking to reinforce the defence in the summer transfer market, and one of the men he wants to bring is the 22-year-old.
The French manager knows Llorente well from his days at Real Madrid Castilla. This season, the Spaniard is impressing many at Rayo, proving that he is ready to play at the highest level.
Llorente has only missed two games this season, and he has performed brilliantly both as a centre-back and as a defensive midfielder. He can also play as a full-back if needed.
Los Blancos directors have received excellent reports about the young defender, who is considered one of the biggest prospects in Spanish football.
According to the latest Real Madrid transfer rumors, Pepe and Nacho Fernandez could leave the Santiago Bernabeu next summer, and Llorente will fill one of those gaps.
Zidane has recently admitted the defender’s experience at Rayo “has helped him grown and become a mature player for Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos says fans who think the club should sell Cristiano Ronaldo are ‘crazy’.
The Portuguese has come under fire more than ever this season from sections of the Madridista fan base for some poor performances in big games and showing a lack of interest.
But the 31-year-old, the club’s all time top scorer who surpassed 350 league goals at the weekend, netted his 40th of the season against Roma on Tuesday night – not a bad return for man in poor form!
With rumours linking him with moves to the MLS, Manchester United or PSG, some fans believe the time is right to sell the Portugal captain.
After seeing off Roma 2-0 to progress to the quarter final of the Champions League, Ramos told the gathered media that selling Ronaldo is a crazy idea.
The 2010 World Cup winning centre back said: “They have to think about it a little bit. I respect the opinion of the fans because their love is important, but when the things don’t go well they have to support the players because we all want the best for Madrid. For me it is crazy that they think he needs to leave Madrid, because he is historical.”
Morientes wasn’t precisely an athletic player. He wasn’t quick nor was he especially strong, but his clinical finishing and a sense of space helped him become one of the best forwards of his generation. He was 1.86 metres (6 ft 1 in) tall, which was a good advantage for him to stad out as exceptional header. The Santiago Bernabeu fans will never forget that historic afternoon 
