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Angel di Maria

Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria has said the Argentina squad has 23 heroes after their narrow 1-0 win over Switzerland in the last 16 of the World Cup.

The Los Blancos man broke Swiss hearts as he netted the winner in the 118th minute of the match, leaving the European nation with no time to respond. Alejandro Sabella’s men had struggled to break down Switzerland, and once again Argentina relied on a moment of magic from Leo Messi, who provided the pass for di Maria to score.

Speaking to journalists after the game, di Maria said the Argentina players knew the game would be tough and that every match is difficult at this stage of the competition. And he praised the contribution made be everyone in the squad.

He stated: “It’s not just me. We have 23 heroes and the coaching staff. We gave our lives. We knew that every knockout game is like this. We knew this could happen and we did everything we could with every ball. We did everything very well.”

And he added that although the scoreline was close, he was happy the team created as many chances as they did throughout the match.

“We had many goal situations, we always tried to play and we never got desperate. We managed it in the end and the victory is more than deserved,” he commented.

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Portugal boss Paulo Bento has said Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was fit to play in the World Cup and rejected suggestions he was rushed back from injury.

The 29-year-old helped Los Blancos lift the Copa del Rey and Champions League, scoring 51 goals along the way, but suffered hamstring and tendinitis problems in the latter stages of the campaign.

The Portugal captain was well below his best in their opening group game- a 4-0 loss to Germany, but put in better performances against USA and Ghana although he could do nothing to prevent his team falling at the first hurdle.

Some pundits have claimed the Ballon d’Or winner was rushed back from injury by the Portuguese national team as he had the weight of his country’s expectation on his shoulders.

But speaking to Portuguese television channel TV1, Bento dismissed the claims Ronaldo was under pressure to rush back from injury.

“When he reached the World Cup he was not 100 per cent. But then he was able to train and play. He played with effort and sacrifice and was medically fit, he would not have played had he not been.  There was not any pressure to speed up his recovery,” he stated.

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Luis Suarez is planning to leave Liverpool to fulfil his dream of playing for either Barcelona or Real Madrid, according to the Reds’ ex-director of football, Damien Comolli.

The Uruguay forward hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons yet again last week after he sunk his teeth into Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in the final group game at the World Cup. It was the third time in his career that he had bitten an opponent – and he was landed with a 9-match international ban and a four month ban from football altogether.

Yesterday, the 26-year-old forward issued a less-than-sincere apology for his actions, with the statement clearly having been worded by his PR team. In many sections of the press, the apology was merely seen as an attempt to pave his way for a move to Spain.

Real Madrid were linked with the striker last season, although he stayed at Anfield in the end. Having endured another trophyless season, he is believed to be keen to move on from the north west of England now. According to the Spanish press, Barcelona are leading the chase for his signature this summer.

And Comolli revealed on talkSPORT radio that Suarez had always had the ambition to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

He stated: “Speaking to Luis before, and during, the World Cup, he’s always said he is very happy at Liverpool. But, during our time together at Anfield, he told me that his dream is to play in Spain at one point in his career, especially at Barcelona or Real Madrid.”

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Angel di Maria scored the crucial goal for Argentina last night as they beat Switzerland 1-0 with two minutes to spare before penalties. It means Real Madrid have five players represented in the quarter final stages of the World Cup, with the matches taking place over the weekend.

Marcelo, Sami Khedira, Angel di Maria, Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane are still involved in the tournament and will all be hoping to go all the way to the final in mid-July.

In terms of Real Madrid news, it’s a fairly quiet day, with both Marca and AS trying to find new angles on already existing stories. According to AS, Los Blancos already have club memorabilia on sale with the name James on it, a further sign that they are ready to sign the sensation of the World Cup, Colombia’s James Rodriguez.

The same paper also claims Monaco and Real Madrid have already begun talks over the transfer of Radamel Falcao, the former Atletico de Madrid striker who has made no secret of his desire to move back to the Spanish capital but to the other side this time.

And finally, Antena 3 yesterday claimed Iker Casillas and Diego Lopez would be leaving the club this summer with Keylor Navas and Kiko Casilla to be their replacements. The agents of Casillas and Lopez both quickly denied that story though.

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Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi is being tracked by Portuguese side Porto, who want to take him on a season long loan, according to A Bola.

The sports paper said Julen Lopetegui is keen on Illarramendi to replace Fernando, who has signed for Manchester City in a 15 million euro deal. Lopetegui knows the Basque midfielder well having coached him in Spain’s international youth set-up.

Illarramendi looks increasingly likely to leave the Santiago Bernabeu at least on a temporary basis to aid his development. He signed from Real Sociedad last summer in a 35 million euro deal and is seen as the long-term successor to Xabi Alonso.

But he struggled to make a big impact in his first season in the Spanish capital, finding himself down the pecking order behind Alonso, Sami Khedira, Luka Modric and Casemiro. Carlo Ancelotti’s preference for a 4-3-3 formation has also seen his opportunities become more limited.

Despite that, he still made 29 appearances in La Liga, mostly from the bench, and 49 in total last season, scoring three goals along the way. Illarramendi has yet to make an appearance for the Spanish national side, but was part of the Under-21 team that won the European Championship in Israel in 2013.

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Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have started negotiations to bring midfielder Toni Kroos to the Santiago Bernabue, according to Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

The Madrid-based paper claims the German international is very close to becoming a new Los Blancos player and he has already reached an agreement with Los Merengues. Kroos would earn five million euros per season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kroos contract with Bayern will expire in June 2015, and the Germans are force to negotiate a transfer if they don’t want to see him go for free in 12 months.

The 24-year-old could cost Real Madrid between 25 and 30 million euros and he would sign a five-year deal.

Pep Guardiola is reportedly open to letting Kroos go, since he’s not happy with the fact that the player has refused to negotiate a contract renewal.

Kroos made 51 appearances for Bayern last season, scoring four goals. He’s playing the World Cup with Germany at the moment, being a guaranteed starter for Joachim Low. He has played all the minutes so far in the Championship.

Kroos usually plays as an attacking midfielder, behind the striker, but he could also feature in a deeper role, replacing Xabi Alonso or Luka Modric.

* Get all the latest Real Madrid news on our Twitter account.

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Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema is  France´s main weapon in attack and can create danger from anywhere, according to fellow Les Bleus strike partner Antoine Griezmann.

The Real Sociedad forward came off the bench for France in their 2-0 win over Nigeria in the last 16 of the World Cup and had an important impact, changing the course of the match. His link up play with Benzema was key to the win as the pair exploited the holes in the Nigeria defence in the latter stages of the game.

Although he didn’t score, Benzema held the line well for France, who will take on Germany in the quarter final at the weekend.  The Los Blancos striker has scored three goals so far in the tournament and has replicated the form he showed for Real last season as Carlo Ancelotti’s side won the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

Speaking after the game on Monday evening, Griezmann, who has been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the past, said: “We are all happy to be through to the next round. Now we’re going to rest and start thinking about the quarter-finals. Karim is more used to playing through the centre but he is capable of creating danger wherever he plays – through the middle or out wide.”

And he continued: “We put in a good game but we can still improve, and we hope to do that in our next game. I’ve said many times that however many minutes I get, I will try to make the most of them.”

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Casemiro

Real Madrid are seeking to find a club for youngster Casemiro to get minutes of play and develop his game. The Brazilian showed great quality in the few matches he played last season, and many big European clubs are interested in signing him.

Casemiro has been recently linked with Benfica and Inter Milan. The Portuguese club have asked for a loan transfer, while the Italians want a permanent move. Sources have claimed Inter might have already made a five-million-euro offer for the Brazilian.

Los Blancos would be open to see Casemiro join any of these two clubs, but if they were to accept a permanent transfer, they would include a buy-back clause just like they did when Daniel Carvajal signed for Bayern Leverkusen.

Italian website Tuttosport has claimed Los Merengues and Inter could have already reached an agreement for the transfer.

Benfica have been eying Casemiro for the last few months, and it could be a more attractive destination for the 22-year-old since they are playing the Champions League next season – Inter will play the UEFA Europa League.

The Eagles have lost one of their most important players in the midfield, since Serbian international Ljubomir Fejsa will be sidelined for six months. Manager Jorge Jesus believes Casemiro would be the perfect replacement.

Should he join the Lisbon club, Casemiro could face Illarramendi next season, since the Spaniard has been linked with a move to Portuguese side Porto.

* Get all the latest Real Madrid transfer rumours on our Twitter account.

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Karim Benzema and Raphael were on duty for France yesterday evening as Les Bleus saw off Nigeria to make it through to the last eight of the World Cup. Later on, Sami Khedira took his place on the bench as Germany were given an almighty scare by Algeria but came through 2-1 in extra time to set up a quarter final against the French.

Onto Real Madrid news now, and the main story emerging is who will make way in the squad for James Rodriguez, who has been linked with Los Blancos after some stunning performances in Brazil for his Colombia side.

And the most likely candidate to leave is Angel di Maria, according to AS. The paper says he doesn’t feel valued as a player by the club and is ready to quit the Santiago Bernabeu. Just last week he was quoted as saying that while he was happy to stay, his future with the 10-times Champions League winners was unclear. AS says there would be no shortage of clubs willing to pay the 50 million euro transfer fee, including Manchester United, Monaco, PSG and Juventus.

Another departure could be Khedira, who has been linked with a move to FA Cup winners Arsenal. Picking up on a piece in the Sun, AS says Arsene Wenger wants the German to reinforce his midfield next season and reunite him with compatriot Mesut Ozil.

Finally, Portugal boss Paulo Bento has denied claims Cristiano Ronaldo was not fit to play in the World Cup, saying the 29-year-old was fine, and there was no pressure on him to speed up any recovery from the tendinitis problems he was suffering.

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Former Real Madrid full-back Roberto Carlos has said Iker Casillas need to take the blame for Spain’s early elimination from the World Cup in Brazil.

The 2010 champions were knocked out in the group stage following a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Holland and a 2-0 to Chile. They restored some pride in the final match with a win over Australia.

Casillas was at fault for a number of the goals conceded, not least a glaring error against Holland that allowed Robin van Persie to scored his second of the night and the fourth for Louis Van Gaal’s team.

Speaking to Sport, Roberto Carlos, a former team mate of Casillas said goalkeepers and forwards have the toughest job because when they make mistakes they are more often remembered.

He stated: “In Brazil, it is said that when you win, everybody wins and loses together. Iker, as has been spoken about, was not at his best, but the others didn’t help him either.”

He continued: “There are two people on the field who can do no wrong. The striker and the goalkeeper, when they make mistakes, it’s very noticeable and gives way to criticism.

“Iker has to take responsibility. As a friend, I’m sorry for him and for the team, but you have to always improve as we do not live in footballing past, but in the present.”

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