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Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has said the players must learn from this season and improve next term if they are to be successful in their search for major honours.

Los Blancos concluded their season with a 7-3 victory over Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the feeling around the squad is one of frustration and ending the campaign with no trophies, particularly after that incredible 22-game winning run in the autumn.

Asked to reflect on his thoughts after his first season at the club, the Colombian said he was happy but knows he can improve. He added the team was hampered in the winter by a number of injuries to high profile players.

I’m happy with my first year. I wanted trophies too and we were close in La Liga and the Champions League, but I think that luck wasn’t on our side. Next season we’re going to win things and on an individual level I want to do better,” he told reporters.

He added: “Between January and March a lot of players were ruled out, but we have to learn from everything for next season and do better. I like to learn day in, day out, I have ambition and I want to have room for growth and to always keep moving on an upward path.”

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Carlo Ancelotti has hailed his Real Madrid team for their professionalism shown throughout the season and in particular at the end when they had nothing to play for.

Despite missing out on major honours, the players put on a show for the fans in the final home games of the season, defeating Getafe 7-3. Cristiano Ronaldo secured the Pichicchi award by scored a hat trick to take his tally in all competitions to 61 – his best ever for a single season.

Speaking to the press afterwards, Ancelotti thanked his players for their efforts, adding their was frustration at how the season ended.

“The players have shown a serious and professional attitude right up until the last minute of the season. They have done really well, although there is the sadness of not winning titles. However, the effort was very professional. The fans showed affection and the team played seriously. We have ended the season on 92 points, which is quite a lot, but not enough to win,” he stated.

He was then asked about his future and what plans he has, and once again, he said the press must be patient as no decision has been made. He stated that if he does leave Madrid, he would like to take a break for a year.

“I am not going to say anything more than I said yesterday. I have to wait. We are going to meet next week to discuss my future at the club. Nobody is in a rush. The club are calmly thinking about what they have to do in order to take the right decision and I am waiting because I am not in a hurry.

“I spoke to the players because it was the last game and now they have games with their national teams. I thanked them for their effort this season, what we have been through both good and bad. My future is clear in my head. I either stay here or I take a break for a year,” he commented.

 

 

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Real Madrid ended the season with a 7-3 victory against Getafe thanks to a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo. Both defences were too relaxed, as there was nothing to play for, allowing the Santiago Bernabeu to enjoy a goal fest.

Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t say a proper goodbye to Real fans as he was suspended and had to sit in the stands. The manager is expected to be fired, but the Santiago Bernabeu showed him their support giving him an ovation.

Los Blancos took the lead before the 15-minute mark as Marcelo sent a cross towards the far post and Ronaldo sent a brilliant header to the top corner.

However, Getafe turned things around in just three minutes. Sergio Escudero levelled a few minutes later as he rattled a superb effort from 25 metres right into the bottom corner.

Madrid players defended poorly in the next play and allowed Diego Castro to bend one into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, making it 1-2 for the visitors.

Ronaldo put Los Merengues ahead again with two goals in two minutes. He scored his 60th goal of the season firing a free kick into the bottom corner and made it 61 from the penalty spot after Vigaray brought Chicharito Hernandez down inside the box.

Getafe levelled again before the break as Medhi Lacen made use of a loose ball inside the box and hammered one into the top corner.

Real improved after the break and sealed the victory quickly. Chicharito drilled home from close range after Ronaldo had hit the crossbar with a header. In the following play, James Rodriguez superbly curled a free kick into the top corner.

Promising Norwegian playmaker Martin Odegaard made his debut with Los Blancos first team at 16 years old, replacing Ronaldo, who had already made sure he will win the Golden Shoe this season.

The hosts netted two more before the end. Jese Rodriguez combined with James before curling one into the bottom corner and Marcelo scored from close range in stoppage time. Seven goals to close the season for a rampant Real Madrid.

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Former Barcelona striker Hristo Stoichkov has joined Johan Cryuff in taunting Real Madrid, saying their record of one La Liga title in seven years is ‘shameful’.

The ex-Blaugrana and Bulgaria striker told his country’s Radio4G that it appears the club is more interested in the basketball team that the football team at the moment. Real Madrid’s basketball team became European champions at the weekend. Their footballing counterparts will miss out on any major honours having been knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus, and have seen Los Cules wrap up the title with a game to spare.

Stoichkov said: “”It’s shameful they have won just one league title in seven seasons. I think – even at my age – I’d win more than one Spanish title playing with a load of former players. This year the Meringues seem to have attached more importance to their basketball team, because they’ll be watching the football finals on television!”

The retired footballer continued his attack on Los Blancos by slamming those fans who have taken it upon themselves to jeer club captain Iker Casillas.

“Iker is a world football icon who has won everything there is and shouldn’t have to leave Real Madrid because four or five or six low-lifes boo him,” he commented.

 

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Real Madrid vs Getafe match preview

Real Madrid host Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu this evening in game most of the players will be keen to be over so they can put this season behind them.

Back in the autumn, Los Blancos went on a 22-game winning run in all competitions and seemed to be steamrolling their way towards the title and perhaps become the first team to defend the Champions League trophy.

A poor start at the the turn of the year allowed Barcelona to take control of the title race and they secured La Liga last weekend. After narrow wins over Schalke an Atletico de Madrid, Real eventually came unstuck at the semi-final stage in the Champions League against Juventus.

Los Blancos will finish second and Getafe are five points clear of the relegation zone so this game today will have little more than an exhibition feel about it. It is expected to be Carlo Ancelotti’s last in charge of Los Blancos, although he won’t be on the touchline as he serves the second of his two-game touchline ban.

In terms of team news, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric were already ruled out. They are joined on the sidelines by Karim Benzema, allowing Javier Hernandez a chance to play one last time prior to heading back to parent club Manchester United. Iker Casillas should start in goal, and some expect it to be his final appearance in a Real Madrid shirt. If it is, let’s hope he gets a wonderful reception.

Possible lineups
Real Madrid:
Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; James, Kroos, Isco; Ronaldo, Bale, Hernandez
Getafe:
Guaita; Alexis, Naldo, Valero, Carlos Vigaray, Escudero; Lacen, Rodriguez; Hinestroza, Castro, Leon; Diawara

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said his side have had two different seasons in one as he prepares to take charge for probably the last time.

Los Blancos host Getafe in their final league game today, with the Italian expected to lose his job for failing to secure any major honours this season.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of the match, he admitted his players were frustrated with how the season turned out, and it felt like they had played two seasons all rolled into one.

“I don’t like to give marks out of ten, because it doesn’t make sense. That’s for the club to do. We’ve had two different seasons in one. Until December we achieved everything: records, trophies… And after that we had three months in which we could have done better and it hurt us. We’ve fought to the end but we haven’t won trophies,” he commented.

The Italian was asked to comment then on the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and on how his two major summer signings had performed this campaign.

He stated: “I’ve lost count of how many goals he has scored this season. He has done his utmost to help the team and you couldn’t ask for any more from his season”.

“James and Kroos have had fantastic seasons. They have adapted very well to the team in their first year at the club. I have been surprised by that. They’re two very good, very dedicated professionals. Real Madrid have signed two very important players for the future”.

 

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Former AC Milan and Ukraine forward Andriy Shevchenko has said Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale needs to let his football do the talking if he is win his place back in Madridista hearts.

The Welshman has come under fire from some sections of the Santiago Bernabeu support this year and on a couple of occasions, the fans have gone too far, with some waiting outside the club’s training ground to insult the player.

Reports in the press in Spain and the UK has suggested the 91-million-euro signing from Tottenham Hotspur could be heading back to the Premier League in the summer, with Chelsea and Manchester United ready to end his two-year spell in the Spanish capital.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Shevchenko, a Ballon d’Or winner in his heyday, said Bale needs to get his form back and show people what he can do.

“I think he’s just got to keep quiet and try to find his best form. Bale is a great player and if he decides to stay in Spain, if he loves Real Madrid, then he should work hard and focus on his game. It’s all down to him and what he wants to do. If he decides to move on then it’s his decision,” he stated.

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Former Barcelona player and manager Johan Cruyff has slammed Real Madrid’s performance this season and suggested some players put themselves ahead of team success.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will end the season without any major honours this year after missing out on the title to their fierce rivals and being dumped out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by Juventus.

And Dutuchman Cruyff tol De Telegraaf newspaper that just one domestic title in last seven years is ‘ridiculous’ for a cub the size of Real Madrid.

He went on to suggest that players like Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema are more concerned about their own scoring records than providing assists for their team mates if the opportunity arises.

“It’s ridiculous that they have only won the league once in seven years. Losing the title race once isn’t a problem, but doing so for so many seasons is unacceptable. I had doubts whether any Real Madrid players actually wanted their team-mates to score in recent games. That’s the difference between them and Barca, where everybody pulls together to score goals.” he stated.

He also took a swipe at the Premier League, whose clubs failed in Europe once again even though they splashed the cash last summer.

“The Premier League has been disappointing. It’s been proven once again that it isn’t all about money. I say that about both PSG and Manchester City, who had a lot more money to spend than Juventus. I have the utmost respect for Juve. They were in Serie B not so long ago, but they came back strong,” he commented.

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Real Madrid blog

Florentino Perez seems to have made up his mind about the future of Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian will most likely leave Real Madrid next week. The coach wants to stay, the players want him to stay and most of the fans too. But once the president has made a decision, there is very little that can be done.

Ancelotti is without a doubt the manager that has provided Real Madrid with a more calm environment since Vicente del Bosque, he won La Decima and he broke an all-time straight victories record. Yet, to the president’s eyes, he has sinned gravely by failing to win any of the major titles this season.

The Los Blancos boss has made a few terrible mistakes this season, there is no doubt about that:

  • During the whole season, he has refused to rest key players that were playing too many minutes. That is the case of Toni Kroos, who seemed pretty tired during some stages of the season but kept playing every game from the start. For a team that plays six competitions per season, a certain rotation is necessary to reach the end of the year in good shape.
  • He has underestimated all the substitutes. Players like Jese Rodriguez, Asier Illarramendi and Chicharito Hernandez could have helped the team in many occasions, but most of the times they weren’t given the chance. When a player receives such a lack of trust from his coach, problems appear, as it happened when the Mexican went furious in an interview –although he would later get more action thanks to Karim Benzema’s injury.
  • He didn’t have the courage to sit some of the stars on the bench when they were putting in one poor performance after another. Iker Casillas and Gareth Bale had some terrible runs that would have caused them to lose their spot in the starting eleven should they have any other manager.

Despite of all, it is very difficult to think of a coach that can be better for Real Madrid than Carlo Ancelotti. These are some of the reasons why Ancelotti deserves to stay:

  • He has created an atmosphere of peace around the squad that has helped the players a lot. Real lacked this since 2003, when Vicente del Bosque was fired. His good relationship with the press and with the players has helped reduce controversy and conflict, which is a very tough task at a club like Madrid.
  • He has built strong bonds with the captains and the most important players of the squad, contributing to unite the team and obtain a higher commitment from his footballers.
  • He has managed to give balance to a team build without any common sense. After replacing two midfielders with great defensive skills –Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria– with two pure playmakers –Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez– it seemed almost impossible that the team wouldn’t break in two. Yet, Ancelotti was able to find a good balance between defence and attack, earning an impressive record of 22 straight wins.

If we started counting the titles he’s won and all the records he’s broken, the list of Ancelotti’s achievements would be pretty long, but those are goals any other manager could have reached with some effort. However, those three accomplishments mentioned above will hardly be met by any other.

Being Real Madrid manager is probably one of the most difficult jobs in football. Ancelotti is not the perfect man for this position, but he’s certainly close to it. If he learnt to rotate players a little more and valued his footballers for their performances rather than for their status, not even Florentino Perez would dare to question his suitability, regardless of the titles won. Any manager that comes will be at least a little bit less perfect.

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Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has said he old side will miss David de Gea, who appears bound for Real Madrid.

The 24-year-old shot stopper has been identified by Los Blancos as the man to replace Iker Casillas as the club’s number one, and reports have suggested he has already agreed a five-year deal at the Sanitago Bernabeu.

The keeper has a year left on his contract at the Red Devils, who are keen to tie him down to a new deal, but all the signs point to an exit this summer and a return to the Spanish capital, where de Gea used to play for Atletico de Madrid.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Scholes said the lure of playing for the 10-time Champions League winners would be too much for de Gea. He added United have a big job on their hands to replace him.

“What is coming out of the club is a little bit worrying to be honest with you. But can you blame him? He’s a Spanish lad and if Real Madrid want him then they normally get someone, and they have every chance of getting him,” he said.

And he added: “It’s disappointing for United and it’s disappointing for United fans because we know what a keeper he has been for these last two years and it will take a lot to replace him.”

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