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Real Madrid blog

Real Madrid lifted their 19th Copa del Rey title last May, when they beat arch-rivals Barcelona in a very intense match. Surely many fans were expecting them to win their 20th, but Los Blancos won’t make it two in a row, as they lost to Atletico Madrid in this season’s last-16 round.

Players and fans seemed disappointed with that result, but taking a deeper look into it, the Copa defeat could even help Los Blancos succeed in the other two competitions: La Liga and the Champions League.

Following a successful 2014 and seeing the team in such a great shape, many Madrid fans were hoping to finally conquer the long-awaited treble and win all three titles. However, if they were given the chance to choose one of them to drop, that would surely be the Copa.

Carlo Ancelotti men have started 2015 in their poorest shape so far this season, losing to Valencia and Atletico and showing worrying fatigue signs. Toni Kroos is a clear example of that. Even in Los Blancos’ victory at Getafe the Germany international looked tired, losing the ball too often and failing easy passes.

Los Blancos could have hardly been able to recover their best shape playing two games a week against such strong rivals, and that’s where the Copa loss has come in handy. Check out the schedule Real would have faced at the start of 2015 had they qualify for the next round:

Saturday: La Liga match against Valencia
Wednesday: Copa del Rey derby against Atletico
Saturday: La Liga match against Espanyol
Thursday: Copa del Rey derby against Atletico
Sunday: La Liga match against Getafe
Wednesday: Copa del Rey Clasico against Barcelona
Saturday: La Liga match against Cordoba
Wednesday: Copa del Rey Clasico against Barcelona
Saturday: La Liga match against Real Sociedad
Wednesday: La Liga match against Sevilla
Saturday: La Liga derby against Atletico

Imagine playing two games a week for five weeks in a row, all of them including at least one derby or one Clasico, playing also against the fourth and fifth placed teams in La Liga (at the time of writing) and facing the only team that has beaten both Barça and Atletico this season: Real Sociedad. Crazy, right?

Derbies and Clasicos are particularly intense clashes that leave both teams especially exhausted. Playing one a week during more than a month is clearly counter-productive for the players’ physical preparation ahead of the crucial part of the season.

Having lost to Atletico, Real will not suffer from that. Moreover, they will benefit from their two main rivals facing each other in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals and surely adding an extra fatigue to their legs that could have a negative impact as they all go for major honours including La Liga.

Madrid have a great squad, but their bench is looking short and Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t seem to like rotation, so the Copa blow is really good news for Los Blancos, who will have now more time to rest and prepare to succeed in the Spanish league and the Champions League.

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Former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Luis Figo has claimed that he has played with better players than Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi – but hasn’t named them.

The ex-Portugal star, who also played for Inter Milan and Sporting CP and won 23 honours at club level, claimed team mates he played with were even better than the current two top players in the world but that greatness isn’t always recognised.

Deciding who is the best player in history is often one for heated pub debates, with Ronaldo and Messi normally joined by Pele and Diego Maradona on the list.

But speaking at a promotion event, Figo said: “Messi and Cristiano are players who make the difference more so than anyone else. I’ve had the pleasure of playing alongside great players, both as teammates and opponents, possibly better than Cristiano and Messi.”

The 42-year-old then went on to discuss who he thinks will win the Champions League and La Liga this season, picking out Los Blancos as one of the favourites for both titles.

“I think this year, the Champions League will be won by either Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern or Chelsea. I think there’s almost a monopoly [in La Liga] between the two strongest teams of all time in Real Madrid and Barcelona,” he commented.

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Luka Modric

Rumours about a possible return for Luka Modric to England have gathered pace after the midfielder’s wife admitted she is not happy living in Madrid.

The Real Madrid star has been injured since November when he picked up a problem while on international duty. Speaking after the team’s win over Getafe on Sunday, boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed Modric would be back in the first-team fold in a month.

But reports in the Express say should Modric’s wife get her way, the couple will head back to the UK as that is where she wants to be. The Croatian midfielder arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012.

London rivals Chelsea were keen on him last summer and could revive their interest should the player show any desire to leave Madrid, while Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal is also an admirer of the 29-year-old.

Modric had a slow start to life in the Spanish capital following his arrival but he was outstanding last season as he played a key role in the team’s success in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League. He was also part of the side that won the European Super CUp but missed the World Club Cup through injury.

 

 

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Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has said boss Carlo Ancelotti should have no concerns about his fitness and that his knee issues are behind him.

The French defender missed large chunks of last season because of knee problems but insists he is fully fit now and eager to cement his place in the side. He has not featured much this campaign, with the Italian manager preferring more experienced pair Sergio Ramos and Pepe.

But the 21-year-old played the full 90 minutes in Real’s 3-0 win over Getafe on Sunday, and afterwards told reporters he wants to play on a regular basis.

“Pepe and Sergio Ramos have played more than me, but when it is my time I try to do my best for the team. I have had one year without my knee hurting and I am capable of playing every three days without discomfort,” he stated.

Despite his lack of playing time, Varane denied he was looking to leave and sees his future at the club. He has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Chelsea.

“I am 100 per cent with this team. I am happy here and I have a contract until 2020,” he told reporters.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk

Many girls around the world will celebrate if this news is confirmed. Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk have reportedly split up after a fight during Christmas.

The rumour started spreading as the Russian model didn’t attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in such an important day for her boyfriend. A few days later, she kind of confirmed it when she unfollowed Ronaldo on Twitter. Now everybody agrees the break up is pretty real, as nobody has seen Irina in Madrid lately -she used to attend Ronaldo’s games very often.

Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha has revealed Ronaldo has already told his family what happened and the reason behind the break up. Apparently, Cristiano wanted to get back to Portugal to surprise his mother’s for her birthday after spending his holidays in Dubai with Irina. However, the model didn’t want to, and that was where the fight began.

A source close to Ronaldo told Correio da Manha that the couple had had problems for the last few months. The fight was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the footballer ended up spending New Year’s Eve alone with his son.

Cristiano and Irina started dating four years ago after they met in a photo shooting for Armani. The player soon fell in love with her, but Irina’s work has always been a problem, since Ronaldo wants a woman who spends more time with him.

So if you’re a pretty young woman willing to leave in Madrid full time, this might be your chance to catch the perfect man. Good luck girls!

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Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema has said team mate Cristiano Ronaldo makes it easier for the rest of his Real Madrid colleague to play football because he is just so good and can see things that others can’t.

The 29-year-old forward grabbed two goals in Real’s win at Getafe on Sunday, rounding off a great week for the Ballon d’Or winner.

Frenchman Benzema assisted the opening goal with a brilliant piece of skill to bring the ball back from a tight position on the byline and cross for Ronaldo to slot home. Manager Carlo Ancelotti praised him in his press conference afterwards.

But speaking to reporters, Benzema hailed he fellow forward, saying: “I always work to be as good as I was in this game. Cristiano is the best in the world and with him it is easier.”

Benzene went on to discuss the strength of the team now and how happy he was to get back on track following the exit from the Copa del Rey during the week. He said the players want to be successful and find the form that saw them win 22 games in a row at the end of last year.

“We have played many games, but we have a team good enough to handle it. For me, Madrid are the best team, but now it is very difficult because the teams are coming back strong against us,” he stated.

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Former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is looking to raid the club for two of its most promising players – Raphael Varane and Jese Rodriguez – according to reports.

The Express said the Chelsea boss wants the pair to join him at Stamford Bridge as he looks for long-term successors to forward Didier Drogba and captain John Terry.

Varane has been linked with Chelsea for a while and knows Mourinho well. It was the Portuguese who signed the 21-year-old from Lens when he was still in charge of the 10-time Champions League winners.

The defender has been frustrated in the past couple of seasons with a lack of playing time at the Bernabeu as he struggles to dislodge Pepe and Sergio Ramos from the first team. The club and Carlo Ancelotti maintain he is key to their plans, but the Express believes a bid of 30 million euros would tempt them into selling.

Jese, meanwhile, has recently made his comeback from a serious knee injury picked up almost a year ago. The young Spanish forward made great impressions last season when he covered for Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema. He is still yet to gain his match sharpness this season but is considered an important member of the squad. According to the paper, Chelsea would be prepared to pay 23 million euros for the forward.

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Carlo Ancelotti praised his team’s performance against Getafe after Los Blancos earned a clear 0-3 victory at the Southern Madrid city.

“It was a great game. We lacked intensity at the start because we had played Thursday night, but we improved in the second half. We played cleverly, without taking risks,” the Italian said at the press conference.

Carletto was very pleased with Karim Benzema’s performance, especially his brilliant play in the first goal: “His play was espectacular. The whole team played well, but his play was key to the victory. It was extraordinary. All goals came from collective plays and that’s fantastic.”

“We had great control of the game. We might have to improve our pressure and increase the rythem in first half,” he added.

Real Madrid became the winners of La Liga’s first half and Ancelotti took the chance to make a brief recap: “We’ve done well in this first half of the league. We started with certain problems, but we had a very good run. The team is hungry. We’re in a good position and we want to continue like this.”

“Our intensity before Christmas was worse than it is now, but the team is improving. James [Rodriguez] as a matter of fact was not physically perfect but today he’s had an extraordinary performance. We’re slowly recovering our best shape,” he concluded.

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Reports in the Spanish press have said La Liga strugglers Athletic Bilbao want to take Asier Illarramendi on loan from Real Madrid for the rest of the season.

The Basque midfielder has only made eight starts for Los Blancos this season despite long-term injuries to Luka Modric and Sami Khedira and is believed to be keen on the chance to play regular first team football.

Despite the lack of playing time, boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to keep the 24-year-old at the Santiago Bernabeu for now as cover – although his long-term future may be away from the 10-time European Cup winners.

Illarramendi arrived in the Spanish capital in a 35 million euro deal from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2013 and was thought to be the long-term successor to Xabi Alonso in he heart of the Real midfield. But he failed to make a serious impact last season and has struggled once again this year.

Athletic would offer him the chance to lay regularly and get his confidence and form back and put himself in the shop window for any potential suitors this summer. According to El Mundo Deportivo, the San Mames outfit are also eying moves for Arsenal pair Mikel Arteta and Nacho Monreal in addition to Illarramendi.

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Real Madrid regained confidence after the Copa del Rey blow against Atletico Madrid thanks to a solid performance at Getafe.

Second half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale made the difference and ruined the hosts’ admirable defensive effort.

Getafe fought hard from the start, defending the Atletico way with their lines tightly close and exerting a high pressure on Toni Kroos, who had a poor performance and showed worrying fatigue signs.

James Rodriguez had the first chance at the 30-minute mark after receiving a pass from Karim Benzema. However, the Colombian’s shot was blocked by Roberto Lago.

The French striker played a brilliant game and was close to scoring a couple of minutes later when James assisted him. Yet, goalkeeper Codina made a great save to deny Benzema’s powerful strike.

Kroos had the best chance of the first half as he caught a loose ball and lashed a superb left-foot volley to the top corner hitting the crossbar.

Getafe focussed on defending and didn’t even shoot on target during the first half. That strategy worked for more than an hour, until Benzema made a fantastic play dribbling past three defenders inside the box and assisting Ronaldo, who easily converted from close range.

Los Blancos had their second a few minutes later in a counter attack. James curled a precise cross into the box and Bale cleverly beat Codina with a strike into the bottom corner.

Ronaldo sealed the victory with ten minutes to go thanks to another superb cross from James. The Portuguese headed home and scored his 28th goal in La Liga.

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