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Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini says The Citizens can be as big as Real Madrid and are on the right trick to get there – dismissing talk that Sergio Aguero could move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Premier League side burst onto the scene on 2008 when they were taken over by Abi Dhabi based group ADUG, owned by Sheikh Mansou. Although they have so far failed to make the breakthrough on the European stage, they have acquired on of football’s most expensively assembled squads that should be challenging for the top honours.

Striker Aguero, who formerly played for Atletico de Madrid, is their star man but has been linked with a move back to the Spanish capital in previous months. That possible move looks to be dead in the water for now after Los Blancos were given a two-transfer-window ban on new arrivals for breaching rules over signing youth players from overseas.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his side’s game with Crystal Palace at the weekend, Pellegrini, who managed Real for one season in which he won La Liga, said there is no need for Aguero to move to Madrid as City are planning on reaching the same level in the not-too-distant future.

He commented: “I think it’s a club that wants to be on the same level. I think we are improving every year in achievement, in the way the club is growing in every department. Real Madrid has a long and important story but I am sure this club is going in the correct way to try to do it.”

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Real Madrid will miss Sergio Ramos for the La Liga game against Sporting Gijon on Sunday. The Los Blancos defender has suffered an injury in his thigh and has not recovered on time to face the Northern-Spain side.

Raphael Varane will replace the Andalusian, pairing in the centre of defense with Pepe. Apart from Ramos, Zidane has all his men available for the game.

The French manager is not expected to make any other changes from last week’s starting eleven. The main doubt is whether he will choose Isco again for midfield or line up James Rodriguez instead. The Spaniard is expected to feature from the start.

Real Madrid dropped two points in the first date of the La Liga season against Sporting and will seek to take revenge.

Abelardo Fernandez’s men are going through a difficult time, having lost their last four games, and it seems highly unlikely that they will have serious chances of winning at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Sporting manager will only miss injured centre-back Bernardo, and Omar Mascarell, who is on loan from Real Madrid and a clause in his contracts prevents him from playing against Los Blancos.

Possible line-ups

Real Madrid Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.

Sporting Gijon Cuellar; Lora, Hernandez, Mere, Menendez; Cases, Rachid; Ndi, Halilovic, Jonny Rodriguez; Sanabria.

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Manchester United are ready to line up an important bid to bring Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez to Old Trafford, British newspaper The Sun has claimed.

The Red Devils need a shocking signing to boost the morale of the fans and take their team to the next level, following the disappointing season they are completing.

Apart from firing Louis Van Gaal, the United directors know that they need to bring a world-class player who can lead the team, and James Rodriguez is at the top of their wish list.

James arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 in a 80-million-euros move from AS Monaco. United would have to offer around 100 million to have any possibilities of success.

However, there is little chance Florentino Perez will let one of his most talented players leave, especially with the transfer ban Los Blancos are expected to suffer in the next months.

James Rodriguez was benched by Zinedine Zidane in his first game as Los Merengues manager. He could ask for a move out should he continue starting from the bench. Yet, the Frenchman has already said the 24-year-old will be a crucial player in his team.

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Former Real Madrid midfielder Manuel Velázquez, who played for the side in the 1960s and 1970s and helped the club with its sixth European Cup, has died aged 72.

The official club website released a statement with the news and paid tribute to the former Spain international, who made 402 appearances for Los Blancos during a stellar career at the club between 1965 and 1977.

As well as winning the European Cup, the ex-midfielder, who lived in Fuengirola, won six league titles and three Spanish cups. He was also capped at international level.

Club president Florentino Perez issued a statement paying tribute to Velazquez. He wrote: “Today is a day of great sadness for el madridismo, as we bid farewell to one of our legendary figures. Firstly, I wish to send my condolences and best wishes to his family and friends. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have seen him play enjoyed his elegance, his intelligence, and his talent on the field of play.”

And he added: “We will forever remember Manolo Velázquez because he lived his whole life according to the values of Real Madrid. This is a great figure who leaves us. His legacy is part of our past and he has a place right at the heart of our history.”

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Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal says goalkeeper David de Gea will be unaffected by the transfer ban handed down to Real Madrid as he is happy at Old Trafford.

The goalkeeper was moments away from a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer before the late arrival of paperwork with the relevant authorities saw the deal collapse.

The Spain shot-stopper has since signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League outfit but Real were thought to be keen to return for de Gea this summer and finally bring him back to La Liga, where he used to play for Atletico de Madrid.

But plans to sign the 24-year-old have been scuppered by the ban handed down by FIFA for breaching rules over the signing of youth players from overseas. The 10-time Champions League winners, along with city rivals Atletico, will not be allowed to register players for the next two transfer windows – the end of the 2016-17 season.

Asked about whether de Gea would be disappointed that a move will not happen at the end of this season van Gaal told journalists the two-time United Player’s Player of the Year is happy at the club.

“I don’t think that is the kind of thing that plays on the mind of David De Gea. I never thought about it in the period before the transfer window and now I am seeing David De Gea who is enjoying to stay here and play good games,” he commented.

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid will successfully overturn their transfer bans and go on a spending spree as usual in the summer.

Both clubs were banned from registering players for the next two transfer windows. While they are technically allowed to sign player still, they would no be able to represent the club until the end of the 2016-17 season.

The bans were handed out by FIFA after it was found that the two La Liga giants had breached rules over the signing of youth players from overseas. It is a similar punishment to the one given to Barcelona two years ago for the same offence. The Catalan outfit was able to delay the appeal until they had secured the signing of Luis Suarez.

Speaking to reporters at his press conference on Friday, Wenger was asked what he thought of the latest scandal to hit football. And he responded by saying he thinks the bans will be overturned.

“No, I thought a bit like that when I heard the news, but straight away they will appeal, the appeal will cancel the ban and they will be allowed to buy in the next two transfer windows like they did before. That’s what will happen,” he commented.

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Real Madrid are working on a shocking transfer move that would bring 12-year-old wonderkid from Barcelona Xavi Simons to the Santiago Bernabeu, Spanish newspaper Sport has revealed.

Despite having been sanctioned by FIFA with a one-year transfer ban for illegally signing underage players, Los Blancos are keen on signing another kid, as they believe Simons could be the next Leo Messi.

Florentino Perez needs to boost the morale of the fans after the Copa del Rey disaster and the FIFA transfer ban. He believes that bringing Simons would hurt arch-rivals Barcelona and encourage all Madridistas.

Real have reportedly contacted the kid’s family to start negotiations over a move to Madrid. Apparently, his parents would prefer that he remained at Barcelona, but Perez is well known for his ability to convince anyone.

Simons is possibly the most talented and famous Under-12 in Spain. He has impressed many in several tournaments that have been shown on national TV, such as Liga Promises, in which he was chosen as the best player. Last year, he was also named MVP in the prestigious Torneig MIC.

Born in Amsterdam on April 21st 2003, Simons is a very talented playmaker who is expected to become one of the world’s best. His father Regilio Simons was a professional player in the Netherlands and is good friends with Patrick Kluivert.

Little Xavi signed for Barca in the 2010-2011 season, and he hasn’t stopped receiving awards since them.

* Originally published at Real Madrid News by Alejandro Gonzalez

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The Collins Column

As news of Real Madrid’s transfer ban broke on Thursday, the club released a statement denying any wrongdoing over the signing over youth players from overseas.

However, whether they eventually manage to overturn it or not, this ugly episode is another embarrassment in a long line of them in recent months that have me reaching the conclusion that time is up for president Florentino Perez. He should resign.

He may be a hugely successful businessman and administrator but Perez has stayed too long at this point and is running out of people to blame for every disaster. The start of his decline happened in the summer when he fired popular Italian boss Carlo Ancleotti. Fans and players were upset and the president couldn’t explain it himself. When asked by journalists what the reasons were for firing the man who led the club to the 10th Champions League crown, Perez looked at the ground awkwardly and said “I don’t know.”

His appointment of Rafa Benitez was doomed from the start. Although Benitez knew the club from his days as a youth team boss, it was never a popular decision to bring him in. Madridistas want to see free flowing football and Benitez never fitted the bill while he prefers a more defensive approach. His suffocating man-management and tactics angered many of the players, particularly attack minded one such as James Rodriguez who felt shackled under the regime. That Benitez was sacked seven months into the campaign was no surprise.

Perez didn’t come out looking too clever when the club sold Iker Casillas. The shot-stopper had given 25 years service to the club and not one director bothered to turn up to his final press conference. As outrage ensued, Perez hastily arranged a farewell with the fans the next day that amounted to nothing more but an awkward photo session between him and Casillas.

There have been plenty of other embarrassments. A club of Real’s size should not be dilly dallying over major signings. They had identified David de Gea as the man to come in to replace Iker Casillas last summer. The player wanted to move. They had the money to pay Manchester United. It should have been straightforward.

Instead, Real got into a transfer stand off with the Old Trafford club and there was the embarrassing revelation that the deal collapsed on the final day of the transfer window because of the late arrival of paperwork. In the aftermath, Perez blamed United for being amateur in their dealings. And even the fax machine was at fault too.

Then there was the Copa del Rey debacle in November. Denis Cheryshev played and scored against Cadiz when he should have been serving a one-match ban. Predictably, and understandably, Real were thrown out of the Copa for breaching competition rules. Perez didn’t look at himself and his management of the club. This time it was Villarreal’s fault – the club where Cheryshev was on loan last season when he picked up his three yellow cards – for not informing Real. The Spanish FA too should have informed Real, according to Perez.

And now we have the transfer ban, which again has nothing to do with Perez. Fans have lost patience with the president who was once much-admired. No longer do Madridistas believe him and his conspiracy theories.

Real have the chance to get their house in order now that their playing squad will be settled for the next 18 months. It’s time for a change at the top. It’s time for Perez to resign.

 

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Real Madrid scarves

Real Madrid have had some unlikely backing in the form of Barcelona director Javier Bordas who says the transfer ban handed out to Los Blancos and Atletico de Madrid isn’t either club’s fault.

Both capital clubs were banned from registering players for the next two transfer windows for breaching rules surrounding the signing of minors from overseas. They both strenuously deny the claims made by FIFA and have vowed to overturn the ban – which is similar to the one dished out to Barcelona that ended this month.

Speaking to AS on Friday, Bordas said neither club broke the rules along with Barcelona two years ago and that the spirit of the game was not brought into disrepute.

“The punishments handed to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid remind me of how it felt when it happened to us. It’s a disproportionate punishment. I believe that none of the three clubs have violated the spirit of the law, and while we may have breached its wording, the punishment is still too strong. I’m convinced that they will fight for the precaution,” he stated.

And he added: “The big difference is that we fulfilled the first punishment and ours looked more serious than [Madrid and Atleti’s], having committed the same offence. We felt [the punishment] was disproportionate when it happened to us. Now that there is already a precedent set, it seems more normal.

“When it happened to us, we found it to be absolutely disproportionate and incomprehensible. Now that there’s a history [of the ban], it seems logical that all who violate the rule are punished. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault. I think it’s a law which isn’t right.”

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Alvaro Morata

Real Madrid’s transfer ban for the next two windows means any plans of persuading Alvaro Morata to return to the club are all but gone.

The 23-year-old left Los Blancos in 2014 for Juventus after failing to hold down a regular spot in the team or even establish himself as the man to step in for any of the BBC – Bale, Benzema or Cristiano – when they were unavailable.

In his opening season in Turin, the Madrid-born forward netted 15 goals in 46 appearances as he lifted the Seria A title and the Italian Cup. His goals in both legs of the Champions League semi final saw Real knocked out of the competition before the Italians were beaten by Barcelona in the final.

Rumours had surfaced that the 10-time Champions League winners had wanted to bring Morata back to the Spanish capital. The still hold a buy-back clause as part of the deal, but that expires this summer – the first transfer window in which Real are prevented from registering players.

There remains a possibility that Real could look to resign him a year later when the ban ends, but they would be looking at paying full price for the striker – and will have to compete with others if Morata is looking to move on from Juve.

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