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Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez has been involved in a police chase at 200 kilometres per hour, Spanish sports newspaper AS has revealed.

An unmarked police car pursued James on the Madrid motorway M-40 for allegedly speeding at twice the speed allowed in that road.

James arrived at Los Blancos training facilities in Valdebebas followed by the police car. AS published photos of the Colombia international and the police arriving at the parking.

AS has reported the police officers were using a megaphone to ask James to stop, but the footballer continued towards the parking.

The cops were stopped by security at the entrance to the training facilities and started a discussion.

A video published by AS shows the security man explaining it was James they were chasing and a police officer shouting: “I don’t care! We’ve been chasing him at 200 km/h on the M-40!”

Finally, the police men were allowed to access and question James. It has not yet been revealed whether they have presented an official complaint for speeding and escaping.

Speeding at twice the permitted speed in the M-40 could carry a sentence of up to six month imprisonment. James could also be suspended four years without driving license.

Los Blancos manager Rafa Benitez has explained the player has apologised and has claimed James “is a good kid.”

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Valencia manager Gary Neville says he is confident his team can beat Real Madrid on Sunday evening.

The English boss, who took over Los Che last month, is still searching for his first win in La Liga. The Mestalla side lost on Wednesday against rivals Villarreal to leave them 10th in the table and playing catch up if they want to play Champions League football again next season.

Madrid visit Valencia on the back of an unconvincing 3-1 win over Real Sociedad and there remain huge question marks over the future of boss Rafa Benitez. Any slip up on Sunday will almost certainly spell the end for the former Liverpool, Inter Milan and Napoli boss – who also coached Valencia to their last title win in 2004.

Speaking to the press, Neville said he is confident his players have what it takes to see off the 10-time Champions League winners.

“I watched Madrid yesterday, have watched them a lot. We have them coming to Mestalla. I have told the players in the changing room that if we can carry over that second 45 minutes, and play for 90 minutes like that against Real Madrid, then we’ll be fine. Real Madrid have players capable of winning any match, but so have we. If we play like we did in the second half, we have a great opportunity,” he commented.

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Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos says he hopes the club enjoys balance, stability and success in 2016.

As is natural at this time of year, much has been made of Los Blancos’ fairly turbulent 2015 by their standards. They missed out on the major trophies last season – something that saw Carlo Ancelotti get the sack at the end of the campaign.

This term under Rafa Benitez, Real have been inconsistent and rarely reached the heights they are capable of. Despite some huge victories including the 10-2 over Rayo Vallecano and 8-0 over Malmo, the 10-time winners of the Champions League have made the headlines for the wrong reasons.

The were thrashed by Barcelona in the Clasico in November, thrown out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player and reports have claimed a number of high profile players have fallen out with the manager. The fans have also become impatient over the style of play.

Speaking to reporters, Ramos said he hopes the coming 12 months are more settled for himself and the club.

“At a personal level, first I hope injuries treat me well and it’s a year with a good level of football. At a professional level, I hope 2016 is a successful one, that we can finally reach a regularity, a balance and a stability. And that we find the best way to play, keep that going and get to the end of the season the strongest possible to win titles and celebrate with our fans,” he said.

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Prestigious French sports newspaper L’Equipe has included nine Real Madrid players in their ranking of the best footballers of 2015.

Barcelona’s attacking trio head the list, with Leo Messi as the number one, followed by Neymar (2nd) and Luis Suarez (3rd). Cristiano Ronaldo is the fourth in the list, ahead of Los Blancos target Robert Lewandowski (5th). The Portuguese forward ended the calendar year with 57 goals to his name in 57 games for club and country. He netted a brace in the 3-1 win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday.

Croatian midfielder Luka Modric is Los Merengues next highest ranked player, coming in 23rd. Karim Benzema (27th), James Rodriguez (29th), Gareth Bale (31st), Toni Kroos (33rd) and Sergio Ramos (42nd) also made the top 50.

Marcelo (56th) and Keylor Navas (82nd) are the other two Madridistas in the list.

Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich are the team with the most players in the list, with a total of 11. Barcelona have ten men in the top 100, only one more than Real Madrid.

A number of former Los Blancos players also made the list including Mesut Ozil (35th), Alvaro Morata (39th), Gonzalo Higuain (40th), Arjen Robben (46th), Angel di Maria (57th), Xabi Alonso (72nd), and Lass Diarra (74th).

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Real Madrid have been extensively scouting Schalke 04 wonderkid Leroy Sané and could be preparing a bid to sign the 19-year-old forward, British newspaper The Guardian has claimed.

The Germany international has made a big impression this season at the Bundesliga. He has become a crucial player for Schalke 04, proving he has a great future ahead.

Sané has played 19 games for the Gelsenkirchen side this season, scoring five goals. He has caught the attention of many European giants, including Manchester City and Liverpool.

Los Blancos know his quality well, as he played at the Santiago Bernabeu in last season’s Champions League, scoring a brilliant goal in Schalke’s 3-4 victory against Real. Los Merengues made it into the next round thanks to their previous victory in the first leg, but they never forgot about Sané.

Real Madrid and Schalke have a excellent relationship, and that could facilitate the arrival of Sané at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Germans plan to obtain more than 50 million euros for the youngster, but The Guardian has reported they could let him go for just 35 million.

Sané is a very versatile player who can play as a playmaker, a winger or a striker. He is the son of former Senegalese footballer Souleyman Sané and former German rhythmic gymnast champion Regina Weber.

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Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez says he hopes 2016 will be a great year for the club.

Los Blancos ended 2015 with a 3-1 win at home to Real Sociedad to keep the pressure on Atletico de Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the table.

Looking back though, it was not he most glorious year in their history. Real failed to win La Liga or the Champions League – something that cost Carlo Ancelotti his job.

This season, while Los Blancos are not too far behind in the league and are into the next round of the Champions League, it has been more turbulent than expected since Rafa Benitez took over.

The club was thrown out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player, while there has been talk of unhappiness in the camp at the defensive tactics adopted by the coach.

But Nacho believes the coming 12 months can once again be positive for the 10-time Champions League winners and they can reach new heights.

“The aim was to close out the year with a win and we’re happy. The team stood up to be counted in a difficult match, where there were testing moments. But in general we did well and now we have to keep on fighting. I’m sure that 2016 will be a great year for Real Madrid. My first New Year’s wish is for a win at Mestalla and, beyond that, hopefully we can win plenty of silverware,” the defender told reporters after the game against La Real.

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Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale says he is feeling stronger and more confident as each game passes following his return from injury.

The Welshman has suffered with calf and hamstring problems this season but has scored eight goals and provided a further nine assists so far.

His latest assist was a superb cross-field pass into the path of Lucas Vasquez on Wednesday as Los Blancos beat Real Sociedad 3-1. Vasquez controlled the ball with a neat touch before slotting home past the onrushing goalkeeper late on to secure the three points.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Bale said he is feeling stronger than ever and his confidence is high after some good performances. He netted four goals in the recent 10-2 win over Rayo Vallecano too.

But the 26-year-old added that rather than focus on his own form, it is important to keep looking forward and working together as a team. Los Blancos face a tricky trip to Valencia tomorrow and all the pressure will be on under-fire boss Rafa Benitez once again.

“I feel strong and confident. I’ve come back stronger from injury and made a really good recovery. Against Valencia it’ll be a really tough game and we’re going to try to come away with three important points. I’d like to wish all the Madridistas a really Happy New Year,” Bale stated.

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Real Madrid defender Pepe says the players respect the opinions of the fans and it is up to them to perform on the pitch to turn the relationship around again.

Los Blancos beat Real Sociedad 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon but the game was closer than the scoreline suggests.

The visitors dominated possession for large periods, particularly in the second half, and at just 2-1 down, the game could have gone either way. Lucas Vasquez’ 86th minute goal was met with a huge sigh of relief at the Santiago Bernabeu to secure the three points.

With the hosts below par and boss Rafa Benitez under immense pressure dues to speculation surrounding his future, plenty of jeers and whistles could be heard from the stands.

And Pepe said the players need to improve and make Madridistas proud of the way they perform.

“The crowd got behind us. It’s to be expected that they complained when we dropped our intensity a little bit in the second half, coinciding with Real Sociedad’s goal. The fans call the shots and we respect that. It’s down to us to play, do our job and honour the shirt that we pull on, so as to ensure we send the fans away happy. The main thing was to get the win. We’re keeping on working hard and improving in every game,” he told reporters.

And he added: “We’re professionals, we have to deal with criticism. We get talked about a lot but we have to focus on doing our job well. Hopefully 2016 brings better fortunes and it’s a good year for everyone. Everyone’s opinions have to be respected.”

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Happy New Year

The whole team at Realmadridnews.com wishes all our readers and their families a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2016.

Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! You are all amazing! We will continue to provide you with the latest news, rumours, analysis and more throughout the next year.

And let’s hope 2016 is filled with trophies and success for our favourite team! HALA MADRID!

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Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez hailed his players for the work in the 3-1 win over Real Sociedad and says the club just wants to keep looking forward.

The manager was under immense pressure going into the game and even throughout the match jeers could be heard from the stands as Madrid were below par. But two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and another by Lucas Vasquez, his first for the club, sealed the three points that keeps Los Blancos in touch with the league leaders.

Speaking after the match, Benitez told reporters he was pleased with the industry and effort from his players, adding that they can look forward to more victories ahead.

“I’ve got to congratulate the players for their attitude from the beginning to the end. They worked hard and reacted well. We won the game and can continue to look ahead. Our objective was to do as well as possible and we did that,” he commented.

After a difficult start to life as Madrid boss, Benitez was asked what he hopes for in 2016. And he stated: “When we win we’re always happy. What I want is that the team continues to win games and that the fans enjoy the victories, playing well and winning a title. We’ll weigh everything up at the end. We’re on the right path because the team reacted well and it will continue to get better.”

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