Page 518

By -
0

The obvious talking point today is the World Cup final and Germany’s win over Argentina in extra-time. Mario Goetze scored a brilliant winning goal with just seven minutes left before the 120 were up to win Germany’s fourth World Cup.

Although he didn’t play the final because of the final, Sami Khedira picked up a winners’ medal and becomes the third Real Madrid player ever and just the 10th player in history to have lifted the Champions League and World Cup in the same season.

In Real Madrid news, the 11 players in the squad not involved in the World Cup are back at the training ground for pre-season training this evening. They will report for duty at 5pm and undergo a range of fitness tests. Ten of them will take part in training along with members of the Real Madrid Castillas squad, now managed by Zinedine Zidane, while Jese Rodriguez will continue his fitness work separately as he overcomes his knee injury.

Meanwhile AS has quotes from David Beckham talking about James Rodriguez. The 22-year-old Colombian had a sensational World Cup and was the top scorer with six goals. He has been linked with a big-money move to the Spanish capital from Monaco, and according to Beckham, he is the sort of player Real Madrid needs.

Speaking at an adidas event in Brasil, Beckham said: “He has all the qualities to succeed in Madrid. He has talent and personality, and he can produce magic with his left foot.”

By -
2

Bayern Munich and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has said it will hurt to see midfielder Toni Kroos leave the club, but that the opportunity to play for Real Madrid is too good to turn down.

Kroos, who is preparing for the World Cup final tomorrow when Germany take on Argentina, is said to have already agreed a deal to move to the Spanish capital.

The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at Pep Guardiola’s side but has failed to reach an agreement, leading to talk of a 25 million euro move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Although nothing has been confirmed, Kroos has already admitted he has made a decision on his future and will announce it after the World Cup.

And yesterday, Beckenbauer, the honorary president of Bayern Munich said it would a sad day to see the player leave. While he didn’t go as far as confirming the transfer, he hinted Carlo Ancelotti’s team would be the destination.

Speaking to the German Football Federation (DFB) website, Beckenbauer stated: “As honorary president of Bayern I regret his departure. If he is going we will have lost a player of absolutely world-class quality. But there is also a future in his career. This can be an experience abroad and going to a club like Real Madrid is priceless.”

By -
0

Raphael Varane is in the running for the Young Player of the World Cup it has been announced.

FIFA revealed the shortlist of three players includes the Real Madrid defender, his international colleague Paul Pogba, and Holland’s Memphis Depay. The winner of the award will be announced after the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina tonight.

Varane played in all but one of France’s matches in the tournament and impressed as Les Bleus reached the quarter-finals conceded just three goals along the way. The defender, who arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu from Lens when Jose Mourinho in charge, has been highly regarded at the club and in European football for some time, but his performances in Brazil have made the world sit up and take note.

To be in contention for the award is a proud moment for Varane, who has had to overcome a couple of serious injuries in the past couple of years. But he showed in Brazil that he is close to replicating the form he was in back in the 2012/13 season in Spain.

Pobga, a one time target of Real Madrid, put in some impressive performances for France and netted the opening goal the 2-0 win over Nigeria in the second half. Depay, meanwhile, started the tournament on the bench for Holland but after a superb cameo role against Australia, he cemented his place in the side and became the youngest player to start for his country since 1938 when he played against Costa Rica in the quarter-final.

By -
0

Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella has said he is unclear whether Angel di Maria will be fit in time to take his place in the starting 11 for tonight’s World Cup final.

The South American nation come up against Germany at the iconic Maracana stadium in Brazil and are bidding to win their third World Cup trophy. They face a tough task though, with the Germans in formidable form having seen off the hosts 7-1 in brutal fashion in the semi-final.

Sergio Aguero has made a recovery from injury and could be in contention to start, but di Maria is another dangerous weapon that Argentina could do with to test the German defence. The 26-year-old winger scored a sensational goal against Switzerland deep into stoppage time in the second-round but then limped off injured in the win over Belgium.

Asked about the Real Madrid man’s fitness ahead of the final, Sabella told reporters he was in the dark still.

“We will see how Di Maria is. We will see how he has evolved. After practice we will evaluate him. Then I will have a better picture,” he stated.

He then went on to urge his players, whoever starts, to give their all to lift the trophy.

“To be champions is very important for the country and for the players, who have struggled for a long time to get here,” he said.

And he continued: “It is a game for which we don’t need motivation. To reach the final, and in Brazil, is a fact that we are even more proud of. Let’s give everything for Argentina to be champions again.”

By -
0

When Sami Khedira lifted the Champions League trophy back in May with Real Madrid, he probably thought it couldn’t get any bigger than that. The 10th Champions League trophy with the biggest club in football. But now he has the chance to become just the 10th man ever to win the Champions League and World Cup in the same season.

The 26-year-old will line up against Argentina, who will be without the another Los Blancos player – Angel di Maria – through injury. Despite the presence of Leo Messi in their ranks, Argentina haven’t really fired on all cylinders this tournament, while the Germans set out their intentions in brutal fashion on Tuesday night by destroying hosts Brazil 7-1.

In Real Madrid news, Carlo Ancelotti has arrived back in Madrid after his holidays – and wedding – and will take his first pre-season session tomorrow morning. Players who haven’t been involved in the World Cup will report for training, such as Diego Lopez, Isco, Alvaro Arbeloa and Daniel Carvajal. The following Monday will see more of the stars return and head to the USA including Cristiano Ronaldo.

There’s more talk of James Rodriguez again today after the Monaco man admitted in an interview that he would “sign for Real Madrid with his eyes closed”. No offer has been made though and Los Blancos are keen to finalise the signing of Toni Kroos before moving onto other targets.

By -
3

The agent of Real Madrid forward Jese Rodriguez has said the player is making good progress as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

The youngster suffered a cruciate ligament injury while playing for Los Blancos against Schalke in the Champions League earlier this year and isn’t expected to make a comeback until late October or early November.

But speaking to Radio Marca, the player’s agent Gines Carvajal revealed the Jese was given positive news at a check up in Germany recently.

“Jese had a check up in Germany on Tuesday and the doctor was amazed at the recovery progress. He’s very happy with the rehabilitation work Jese has been doing over the last few months,” he said.

But he warned the player still has some way to go before he can take to the field again, and he must remain patient. “We can’t rush it. He will be back when his knee allows it. It doesn’t matter if it’s October or November, it will be when there’s no risk of taking a step backwards,” Carvajal said.

He added at the end of the interview that Jese was grateful to all the fans who have sent him message of support and is looking forward to playing infront of them again as soon as he can.
“The fans love Jesé; he has sparked people’s hope and I know they will be waiting for him with the same affection and enthusiasm he feels,” he concluded.

By -
7

Colombia legend Carlos Valderrama has said Real Madrid should not hesitate in signing compatriot James Rodriguez.

The 22-year-old playmaker has stolen the headlines in recent weeks after some superb displays for his country in the World Cup. Indeed, Rodriguez currently tops the goal scoring charts at the tournament with six goals in his five games before Colombia were knocked out at the quarter-final stage.

And those performances have lead to talk that Los Blancos are considering a 75-million-euro bid for Rodriguez, who currently plays his football in France with Monaco.

Talking to Madrid-based sports paper Marca, Valderrama said: “I hope he goes to Spain. There’s not much I can add after the World Cup he has just played. Whoever had any doubts has now seen what he can do.

“Not even Real Madrid is too big for James. Look how he played this World Cup [at] just 22 years old, he has shown he can play for any club in the world.”

He went on to say despite a high price tag, it would be worth the investment for the 10-time European Cup winners. “Great players cost a lot, and he’s a great player. He’s an eight or 10-year investment and the club that buys him won’t regret it, whoever buys him will get their money back,” he stated.

By -
12

Real Madrid are considering a bid for Danny Welbeck to become Karim Benzema’s new partner, players agent Francois Gallardo has claimed.

“Real Madrid are eyeing Danny Welbeck. They want to sign a young player, aged between 22 and 24 years old, and they are watching a player who has played the World Cup and done pretty good in it,” Gallardo stated in Spanish television show El Chiringuito.

Los Blancos need a replacement for Alvaro Morata, who is set to leave to Juventus Turin in the next few days in a 22-million-euros deal.

The Manchester United man would cost between 20 and 25 million euros, which could be too much for a player who will seat on the bench most of the season.

Welbeck made 36 appearances for the Red Devils last season, scoring ten goals. He’s had a good performance with England in Brazil’s World Cup, despite being knocked out in the group stage.

Los Blancos will sign a striker this summer to accompany Benzema, and Welbeck is just one among the players that have been linked with Real. Monaco’s Radamel Falcao and Hellas Verona’s Juan Iturbe are also in the list.

Luis Suarez was also another option, but Real directors ruled out his signing after he bit Giorgio Chiellini in the World Cup and was banned from entering a football pitch for four months. The Uruguayan has finally signed for Barcelona in a 81-million-euros deal, becoming the fourth most expensive player of the history.

* Real Madrid news 24 hours a day in our Twitter account.

By -
1
The Collins Column

Speculation has been going on for weeks now about where Germany midfielder Toni Kroos will be playing his football next season.

The 24-year-old has one year remaining in his contract at Bayern Munich but has failed to put pen-to-paper on a new deal, leading to talk he will leave the Allianz Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with moves for Kroos, but it looks very likely he will be playing his football at the Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid next season.

The player himself said last week has had made his decision but wouldn’t reveal it until after the World Cup. And yesterday, Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer said it would hurt to see Kroos leave, but playing for Los Blancos would be priceless.

Assuming he does arrive in the Spanish capital then – how would he fit in? And what would his arrival mean for other players in the squad?

What does the Kroos transfer mean for the other clubs involved? Read more
at these blogs:
A pair of suggested starting XI’s for Pep Guardiola in 2014-15: fcbayerncentral.com
How Toni Kroos could have transformed Manchester United’s midfield: thepeoplesperson.com

Kroos showed what he was all about in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Brazil earlier this week in the semi-final of the World Cup. Along with Sami Khedira, he controlled the midfield, and his pass completion rate was in incredible 91%.

His versatility in midfield would be a great bonus for Carlo Ancelotti. Kroos is just as capable of playing a holding midfield role as he would be pushing forward in a more attacking midfield role assisting the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

He range of passing would be a superb asset, and the BBC would take great delight in running off defenders onto the perfectly weighted through balls that Kroos would provide.

Kroos also has the right temperament and wouldn’t feel the pressure of playing for such an illustrious club should be complete the switch to the 10-time European Cup winners, as many predict he will, possibly by next week.

But what his impact have on players already in Ancelotti’s squad? The obvious casualty once again is Isco. The former Malaga man found it tough last season to establish a role in the team following Ancelotti’s switch from a 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3. The once heralded future of Spanish football found himself frozen out, and not picked for the World Cup either. Should Kroos arrive, Isco may want to consider his options as he would fall even further down the pecking order.

Xabi Alonso isn’t getting any younger, and Kroos could actually be the ideal replacement for the brilliant Spaniard. Asier Illarramendi was signed last season as the potential long-term replacement for Alonso, but after a disappointing opening campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, he could be on his way out on a loan spell to get more regular first team football and rebuild his confidence. Casemiro, another young central midfielder, has also been linked with a move away on a temporary basis.

Ironically, the arrival of Kroos could also spell the end of his compatriot Sami Khedira’s career in Spain. The former Stuttgart man has 12 months left on his deal and has been attracting the interest of Arsenal in recent weeks.

At 25 million euros, signing Kroos would be an absolute bargain. And with a midfield of Alonso, Kroos and Modric playing behind Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo, Los Blancos would be a fearsome prospect to come up against in La Liga and the Champions League next season.

By -
1

We start this morning with news of the nominations for the World Cup Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament. FIFA announced the top 10 players yesterday, and two of them are the main summer transfer targets for Real Madrid.

Marca goes with a front cover of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, who both feature after having outstanding tournaments. Los Blancos winger Angel di Maria is also on the list.

Elsewhere, Marca also looks at the challenge laid down to the BBC – Bale, Benzema and Cristiano – after Barcelona completed the signing of Liverpool forward Luis Suarez. The 26-year-old has agreed a five-year deal at the Nou Camp, with the Catalans paying 81 million euros for him.

It means they now have front three of Messi, Neymar and Suarez – one that will cause defenders plenty of headaches next season. The Real Madrid trio were considered by many as the best front three in world football last season, and duly won the Champions League and Copa del Rey. But they will have their work cut out this season to outscore the Barcelona trio.

Finally, Telecinco has confirmed it will show Real Madrid’s tour of the USA. In a move that will delight fans who don’t have access to pay TV, all of Real Madrid’s matches in the International Champions Cup will be on Telecinco. Matches involving teams other than Real Madrid in the tournament will be shown on Energy. As well as Los Blancos, the other teams taking part are AC Milan, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Roma and Olympiacos.

1...517518519...733Page 518 of 733

www.gambleaware.co.uk or www.gamcare.org.uk
Please gamble responsibly