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Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo is already planning for life after football by announcing he plans to open luxury hotels in Europe and the US under his CR7 brand.

The 30-year-old, Real’s all time leading scorer, still has a long term deal in the Spanish capital and believes he can play at the highest level for another five or six years.

But with footballers having a relatively short career, he is already making plans for his ventures outside of the game for when he eventually hangs up his boots.

At a news conference earlier this week, Ronaldo announced he has teamed up with Pestana Hotels to launch a number of luxury hotels. The first will open next year in his home town of Funchal, Madeira. After that, the Los Blancos star plans to open hotels in Lisbon, Madrid and New York.

The striker said: “My job is to play football but life won’t always be like this. I have to dedicate myself to this new project and I have the best team in the world around me to help.

“A person like me, I’m a fighter, ambitious and always striving for more. I am young but I feel very fulfilled, so this project is exciting for me because my roots are in Madeira and this is where the first hotel will be.”

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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says Jose Mourinho will not be returning to the club as manager any time soon.

The Portuguese was sacked from Chelsea for the second time in his career on Thursday afternoon after overseeing a not-so-special nine defeats in 16 league games leaving the champions just one point above the relegation zone. The Blues take on fellow strugglers Sunderland on Saturday and owner Roman Abramovic decided to act before that clash.

Mourinho’s dismissal has prompted talk he could be back in the Spanish capital once again what with current boss Rafa Benitez under increasing scrutiny. Fans have never been convinced with him since the start and damaging defeats to Sevilla, Barcelona and Villarreal in the league have raised questions about how long he will last at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Asked in an interview on Cadena Ser whether Mourinho could soon replace Benitez, Perez stated: “Nobody can predict the future but right now he is not going to come to Madrid. Benitez is capable of solving the problems we have. That’s the only option we’re considering.”

He added: “We have very good memories of Mourinho, he raised our competitive level [when he was manager].”

Mourinho spent three years in the Spanish capital and guided the club to success in the league and Copa del Rey. He failed to win the Champions League though.

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Former Real Madrid winger Luis Figo says tranquility does not exist at the club and that the boss, whoever he is, is always under pressure.

Current manager Rafa Benitez is under huge scrutiny at the moment after an underwhelming season so far for Lo Blancos. While Real sit third in the table and just five points behind Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid, there have been questions asked about the team’s style of play since the beginning.

The knives have been out since the 4-0 loss at home to their fierce rivals from Catalonia last month, while they failed to close the gap on the top two last weekend with a 1-0 loss at Villarreal.

Media reports have this week suggested another defeat in the near future for Benitez could be the final curtain and bring an end to his stay after just six months.

Speaking to Onca Cero, Figo, who played for both Barcelona and Madrid, said the pressure to always get results means there is no time for tranquility.

“Tranquillity in this team does not exist for any manager because the squad depends on constant results, so when you come to this club you have to be conscious of that,” he said.

 

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Jose Mourinho could be set to return to Real Madrid after being dismissed by Chelsea on Thursday, Spanish newspapers are reporting.

The Portuguese manager has been fired by Roman Abramovich after having earned only 15 points out of 46 in the current Premier League season, leaving Chelsea just one point clear from relegation positions.

Rafa Benitez is also walking on thin ice following Los Blancos defeats against Barcelona and Villarreal, and many believe Florentino Perez will dismiss him in the next few weeks.

Spanish press is reporting Los Blancos could have already contacted Mourinho to start negotiations.

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed Mourinho’s dismissal has been “good news” for Perez. “Only a few things to sort out and he’ll be here,” he stated on Twitter.

Earlier this week TV show El Chiringuito revealed Perez contacted Mourinho last summer to discuss his return, but the Portuguese refused to leave Chelsea and Los Blancos ended up signing Benitez. Now, the Los Blancos president has been presented with the perfect chance to fulfil his desire.

Mourinho spent three seasons at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, conquering one league, one cup and one Spanish Supercup.

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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere says everyone at the club was given a massive boost when Mesut Ozil signed from Real Madrid.

The German international signed for the Gunners in the summer of 2013 and has helped the side win two FA Cups in his two campaigns so far. This season, Ozil has been in superb form, creating 12 assists in the league so far propelling the Emirates Stadium side to second in the table.

Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, Wilshere, who has been injured for most of the season, stated: “When he arrived, the players were buzzing and the fans were buzzing and I think that gave us all a massive lift.”

And he added: “I remember watching him a few times and thinking that this player really understands football. You can tell he really understands football and to play alongside him is something special.”

Such has been Ozil’s form this season that some media outlets have suggested Real Madrid could go back for the 26-year-old in the summer as they believe he has matured from his earlier days.

In his three seasons with Los Blancos, Ozil scored 27 goals in 159 games. He helped the club win La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

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Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he prefers the Spanish capital over its’ French counterpart, Paris.

The 30-year-old has long been linked with a move to PSG with talk a deal could be struck at the end of the current season. This is despite the club’s record scorer saying his is happy in Spain and sees his long term future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Speaking to Visao, the Portugal captain said he has relatives who work in France and he enjoys it whenever he goes to Paris – but he prefers Madrid. However, he did not rule out that changing at some point in the future.

“I like Madrid more than Paris. But, maybe one day, things will change. Maybe I miss a girlfriend in Paris and spend more time there. I have family working in France, but I’m not thinking of living in Paris. It’s a beautiful city, I’ve been there a few times,” he commented.

He also revealed he enjoys being a role model to younger generations and works hard every day to be the best he can be.
“I love being an example in my profession. I’ve always tried to represent my country in the best way and do my own job perfectly. I want my brand to continue to grow because I know that the world of football will finish in five or 10 years. After that, there’s another life,” he stated.

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Former Real Madrid striker Santillana says the club should stick with boss Rafa Benitez but has backed Zinedine Zidane to take over as boss eventually.

The ex-Los Blancos man, won won nine titles between 1971 and 1988, told Marca that Benitez needs time to make his mark on the team.

Reports surfaced earlier this week that Benitez could find himself out of a job if Real lose another game soon, with Zidane being lined up to take over. Los Blancos were thumped by Barcelona last month and blew the chance to close the gap on the league leaders last weekend when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Villarreal.

Speaking to L’Equipe, Santillana said: “I think Benitez still has room to improve the team’s game. It would be a bit premature to change manager. I have no doubt about the fact that Zidane, or any player who wore the Real jersey -like Michel, for example — would be very good for Real, but I wouldn’t like to talk about this subject while Rafa Benitez is the manager.”

He added: “I think that, at the moment, Florentino has to demonstrate patience and serenity and to show confidence in his manager. The team can still battle for the title in La Liga. In the Champions League, we can still have a very good run. From that point of view, putting so much pressure on Rafa Benitez seems to me to be bad for the club.”

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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says he is not sorry for his spat with Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa.

The Spain pair have clashed via the media in recent weeks after Pique mocked Los Blancos for fielding Denis Cheyshev in the Copa del Rey against Cadiz. The winger was supposed to be serving a one match ban and his inclusion saw Real thrown out of the competition.

Arbeloa responded to Pique’s jibes last week when he took to social media site Twitter to express his delight at Los Cules conceding a late equaliser to Valencia in La Liga. When asked about that, Pique told reporters that Arbeloa isn’t a friend of his, and he also came close to using a derogatory word to describe the European Championship and World Cup winner.

Gerard, who is pro Catalan independence yet happy to take all the benefits and sponsorship that come his way having played for Spain, was quizzed by journalists in Japan about the furor after touching down in the country for the World Club Championship.

And he told reporters, “That’s not a question about sport. Look, I said (Arbeloa) wasn’t a friend. Make of it what you want.”

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Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

Former Real Madrid director of football Arrigo Sacchi says much more importance is given to individual players than teamwork at the club and that Rafa Benitez has to find the right balance of results and keeping the hierarchy happy.

The Italian was at the 10-time Champions League winners in 2004-05 so got a first hand glimpse at how the Santiago Bernabeu club is run.

This season, Real have experienced some lows, particularly the thrashing at the hands of Barcelona. Fans have been less than convinced by the performances of the team which has increased the pressure on Benitez in recent weeks.

Off field problems such as the bungled attempt to sign David de Gea, the expulsion from the Copa del Rey, and stories of fallings out between the boss and senior players including Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez haven’t helped matters.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi said Benitez, who was appointed in the summer, hasn’t settled yet at the club. But he added his job is made more difficult because of the politics.

“Benitez has not yet connected with the fans or Florentino Perez. The philosophy is based more around individual skills than teamwork and the manager is forced to make the most of that without disrupting the team’s hierarchy,” he stated.

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Real Madrid legends Predrag Mijatovic and Fernando Hierro have emerged as the main candidates to be appointed director of football at the Santiago Bernabeu club, Spanish radio station Cadena SER has revealed.

The lack of that figure has been harshly criticised in the last few days following Los Merengues defeat against Barcelona and their elimination from the Copa del Rey.

Florentino Perez has been blamed for it by most fans, who claim that the planning of the squad should be handled by the football director and not by the president.

The last director of football the club had was Miguel Pardeza, who was fired in the summer of 2014. Since then, the club has lacked a leading figure in that field.

Perez believes that it is time now to hire a new man for that job and his favourite, according to reports, is Mijatovic. The former Los Blancos striker held that position during the Ramon Calderon era, signing players like Pepe, Marcelo, Higuain and Robben.

He has always been loyal to the club and he is seen as a very hard-working person, two qualities Perez appreciates.

Should Mijatovic reject the offer, Perez has Hierro in mind. The Spaniard had that same job at the Spanish national team, but he ended up resigning. Yet, according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Hierro would not be willing to accept the offer.

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