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Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has said the lure of playing under Carlo Ancelotti was the major factor in his decision to join the club.

The German World Cup winner has starred for Los Blancos this campaign since his summer switch from Bayern Munich. He helped the side to victory in the Club World Cup and European Super Cup and played a pivotal part in the incredible 22-game winning run before Christmas.

Speaking to UEFA, Kroos said he is enjoying life in the Spanish capital and settling in has been easy. He then went on to speak in about the Italian boss saying he is grateful for the trust placed in him.

“[Coach Carlo Ancelotti] put his trust in me from the beginning. I was in a position where I hadn’t played much. I enjoy playing for Madrid. Our relationship is good. We communicate well before each game and discuss how I should approach games, according to the opponents we face,” he stated.

“Ancelotti was one of the reasons why I joined this team. He told me that I’d make Real Madrid even stronger. Playing in midfield’s difficult. You have to be versatile, good with and without the ball, defend well, build attacks and engage in 50-50s. It’s a difficult position to play and I’m trying to get rid of my weaknesses. I know I can develop further and I’m on it.”

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Juventus striker Alvaro Morata says he is happy in Turin and has distanced himself from reports linking him with a move back to Real Madrid.

The young Spanish striker moved to the Old Lady in the summer in a 14 million euro deal after finding himself down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite a slow start to life in Italy, the forward is now feeling settled and is playing on a regular basis.

Some media outlets suggested at the weekend that Real have been impressed with their former player and would look to activate a buy-back clause in the summer – believed to be around 30 million euros.

But speaking to Cadena Ser, Morata said he knew nothing about any clauses that Real Madrid may have agreed and he’s enjoying life in Seria A.

“I don’t know what the clause is.  Juventus and Real Madrid know, all I can say is that I’m happy in Turin. Things are going pretty well,” he stated.

And he added: “I scored the first goal against Cesena, but it was difficult to play on an artificial pitch. It’s a shame, because it was a good opportunity to extend our lead, but there’s still a long way to go.

“Sometimes Fernando [Llorente] and Tevez have played, other times it’s been me. We have many options and so far it’s gone well.”

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Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez says Los Blancos will be in for a tough time on Wednesday evening against Schalke as the Germans have a point to prove.

The two sides meet at the same stage as they met at last year, with Roberto di Matteo’s side hoping they can avoid a repeat of the mauling they were handing out, losing 9-2 overall.

And speaking in an interview with Bwin, Nacho said his team would be wary of the hosts on Wednesday. He picked out former Real man Klass Jan Hunterlaar as the one to keep an eye on as he’s a proven goalscorer at the top level.

“Schalke have improved with respect to last year. I’ve watched a few of their games and they’ve strengthened defensively. They have top quality players up front who can cause you problems. But as long as we focus on ourselves and play well, we’ll get a good result,” he stated.

“Huntelaar is a world class forward. He loves scoring goals as we have seen him do before with his club as well as his national team. Playing against players like this provides you with loads of motivation and it will be a fantastic game. We know how strong we are, home and away. The players we have up front provide us with a lot, we usually score in almost all our matches so if I had to put money on it, I would say Real Madrid are going to score.

“I’m sure they’ll have some unfinished business they’ll want to deal with from last year. At the end of the day this is a new match, a different knockout stage. Schalke will be very eager to make up for result from last season.”

 

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Real Madrid Schalke 04 Champions League draw

Schalke 04 striker Sidney Sam has claimed is going to make things tough for Real Madrid in the first leg of the last-16 round of the Champions League.

“They have a world-class squad, with big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. But if we defend closely we can make things difficult for any team. We have good players too and I’m convinced we’ll have our chances,” he added.

The Germany international believes “this is one of the most important games” in his career. Last year Los Blancos beat Schalke 1-6, but Sam thinks that is not going to happen again.

“This is another season, and a different situation. I think we’re a more consistent team than last year. Our fans trust our team and our chances, and we believe in ourselves. That’s a key for succeeding against Real Madrid,” he concluded.

25-year-old Jean-Eric Choupo-Moting will compete Sam for the striker role. The German forward also claimed “last years situation will not happen again.”

“We have to take advantage of our good state of form, and show we are a compact team. I’m positive and I believe we can win the home game and fight at the Santiago Bernabeu,” he told Spanish newspaper As.

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Gareth Bale has said winning the Champions League with Real Madrid last season was a dream come true for him.

The forward enjoyed a superb first season at the Santiago Bernabeu following his 91-million-euro switch from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013. He netted a brilliant solo effort in the Copa del Rey final to help Los Blancos see off Barcelona.

But the highlight for the Welshman was netting the crucial second goal in Real’s 4-1 win over Atletico de Madrid in May. It helped Madrid become the first club to win 10 Champions League trophies, ending a 12-year wait for La Decima.

Ahead of taking on Schalke in the last-16 of this year’s competition, Bale sat down to talk to UEFA.com about his memories of last season. And he admitted he had dreamed of winning the Champions League since he was a little boy.

“A dream come true, literally. I think when you’re a little boy you dream of lifting the Champions League. To lift the tenth one for Real Madrid is special, and one that will go down in history,” he stated.

Bale has endured a difficult few weeks of late and has been criticised by some sections of the Madrid support for being too selfish. He has netted 14 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions this campaign.

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Real Madrid icon Raul has said Los Blancos will find it tougher going against Schalke in this year’s Champions League compared with 12 months go,

Carlos Ancelotti’s team hammered the Bundesliga outfit 9-2 over the two legs in the last-16 of the competition last year en route to the final, which the won 4-1 to secure their 10th Champions League crown.

Madridistas will be confident of progressing this year too and go into the tie as favourites despite somewhat erratic form so far in 2015.

Speaking to German football magazine Kicker, Raul, who spent three years in Germany with Schake, said Madrid won’t find it so easy this time around.

“In principle it’s straightforward for Madrid, but you have to win every game on the field. Schalke will do everything they can to spoil the party. Surely it won’t be so easy again.”

The veteran forward, who is set to play in the US with New York this season, then went on to reflect on his time in Germany and look forward to his move across the pond.

“From the first day to the last there was a very special connection with the fans. Will it be the same in New York? That would be nice and I expect a great experience but different from Schalke, which was unrepeatable,” he stated.

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Real Madrid’s German midfielder Toni Kroos has said there are no over-inflated egos in the dressing room and there is a proper family atmosphere at the club.

With a squad packed full of talent and some of the best players in the world including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and James Rodriguez, it’s often concluded that managing the club would be a nightmare with all the egos.

But World Cup winner Kroos said the players all work for each other and the most important thing for everyone is the team ethic.

Speaking to German newspaper Bild, the cultured midfielder stated: “Nobody thinks they’re important. There aren’t any cocky players or divas. We’re like a family business that works. In Munich, the distance was maintained. Here, they go crazy whenever they see a Real Madrid player.”

Kroos then switched his attention to this week’s tie with Schalke in the Champions League. And despite seeing off the Bundesliga side at the same stage last season 9-2 over two legs, he said no one is taking anything for granted.

“Nobody wins anything for nothing, not even Real Madrid. For many German sides, they see Madrid as the big threat considering previous meetings but we have to start again from scratch now.”

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Costa Rica boss Paulo Wanchope says he is concerned Keylor Navas hasn’t made much of a breakthrough at Real Madrid.

The keeper moved to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer from Levante after an outstanding season followed by a brilliant World Cup with his nation.

He was seen by many as the long-term successor to club captain Iker Casillas, but so far this campaign has only made seven appearances. Navas has infact already been linked with a move away from Los Blancos, with Liverpool said to be keeping tabs on him as they look to replace Simon Mignolet.

Last week, Navas’ father said Keylor was happy in the Spanish capital, but Wanchope say’s it is a concern his number one isn’t playing.

The former Derby County forward, who took over as boss of Costa Rica recently told AS: “I’m very concerned because you always want your players to have a regular run of games so they can maintain a rhythm.”

He continued: “He played almost every game for Levante and now it’s difficult because he doesn’t have the same continuity as before. Although I want Keylor to have more minutes, I understand the tough competition which is present at a top team like Real Madrid.

“What matters is that Keylor doesn’t drop his head and keeps working hard because he has all the conditions to be Madrid’s No 1.”

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Luka Modric

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has said he is nearing a comeback to first team training but has had to be patient in his recovery from a groin injury.

The Croatian hasn’t featured for Los Blancos since November having picked up the issue while on international duty. Reports this week suggest the former Tottenham Hotspur man is one month away from making a possible first team comeback, providing Carlo Ancelotti with a timely boost as Real look to progress in the latter stages of the Champions League and win their first La Liga title since 2012.

Speaking to Sportske Novosti about his time on the sidelines, Modric revealed it had been a frustrating period for him.

“With these types of injuries, if you rush you run the risk of re-injuring it and you can’t be impatient.  The most important thing is that you are ready to come back and play at the level you were at when you got the injury.  I’ll be back to 100% very soon,” he stated.

And he went on to add that he was happy with the Real Madrid medical team.

“I’m very happy with how [the Real Madrid medical staff] are treating me.  The rehabilitation in Belgium, the treatment in Vitoria and the exams in Munich were all agreed upon by everyone and under the full supervision of the Real Madrid medical staff.  Due to the complexity of the injury, we consulted the top experts and everyone was in agreement, from the diagnosis to the rehabilitation and necessary time of recovery.  That’s the only reason why I’m so calm and confident in what we’re doing,” he commented.

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Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez has admitted the past seven days have been a long, tough week but it ended on a high with victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Los Blancos lost heavily in the derby last weekend to Atletico de Madrid and many of the players have been criticised by fans and media alike after being spotted at an exclusive nightspot in Madrid celebrating Ronaldo’s 30th birthday.

But the players got back on track on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna. Isco and Karim Benzema got the goals, although Los Blancos were still not firing on all cylinders.

Speaking afterwards, Nacho Fernandez said the most important thing was to get the three points and put the past week behind them.

“It has been a long, hard week because of the criticism, but the team has shown that it has the strength to keep moving forward. With the help of the fans we’re going to stay strong. We had to win at home. In the end things turned out well and we have to focus on the next game,” he stated.

And he continued: “The team isn’t tired. There are a lot of really demanding games and maybe it’s bad luck. It’s a shame that there are so many players injured, but little by little they’ll return and will help us.”

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