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Real Madrid will look to get their La Liga campaign back on track tonight when they visit Sevilla.

With all three of the top three in action this evening, the situation at the summit of La Liga could change yet again and there is a feeling in Spain that there are still many more twists and turns in the title race.

And Marca opts with that as its front cover, saying there is a plenty of action to be played out in the campaign. The Madrid based daily picks out Los Blancos’ trip to Real Sociedad as the key one of their remaining fixtures. The Basque outfit beat Barcelona at Anoeta a few weeks ago and are chasing qualification for the Champions League.

Elsewhere, the fall out from the Clasico continues. It is still unclear whether Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo will face a ban for comments they made about the referee after they game. Both players suggested the officials ensured a win for the Catalan side to keep La Liga alive.

Carlo Ancelotti also waded into the situation yesterday but claiming his players get treated differently. Video evidence clearly shows Sergio Buquets stamping on Pepe’s head while the player was on the ground. The action happened right in front of the referee but the Barcelona midfielder recieved no punishment.

According to Real’s Italian boss, if it been the other way round, it would have been a different story and the Madrid player would have been given his marching orders.

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A fire at the home of Real Madrid striker Jese Rodriguez has left three workmen injured, one seriously, with 15% burns to his body.

The incident occurred this evening while the workmen were in the garage at the star’s rented property. The 21-year-old lives in the upmarket suburb of La Finca, Pozuelo de Alarcón, on the outskirts of the Spanish capital.

Spanish daily, Marca, reported that one of the workmen at the house was rushed to La Paz Hospital with burns to his body. The other two men were treated at Puerta de Hierro suffering from smoke inhalation.

An image of the house was published by the paper, with black smoke billowing out, although it is not clear how the fire started. According to Marca, one of the floors at the property was destroyed.

Other Real Madrid players living in the area reportedly rushed to the scene to see if everyone was ok, while it remains unclear whether Jese was at home at the time the fire occurred.

The incident continues the 21-year-old’s run of bad luck having sustained a serious knee injury early on in the Champions League match against Schalke last week. He is expected to be missing for six months after having an operation in Germany last week.

Prior to his injury, the Spain Under 21 international had played an important part in his debut season within the first team setup, scoring eight goals in 32 appearances.

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It is often said in football that the best way to overcome a painful defeat is to play again shortly afterwards and get a win.

And Real Madrid defender Marcelo is looking to do just that when Los Blancos visit the Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday night to take on Sevilla in La Liga. The title race was blown right open at the weekend with Barcelona’s win at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the left-back says the team must keep fighting to win the league.

Atletico de Madrid now top La Liga ahead of Los Blancos based on a better head-to-head record, while reigning champions Barcelona are just a point behind.

Speaking to reporters, Marcelo said everyone in the team needs to work hard for each other, and keep fighting for the title. He added that there is still a long way to go and the destination of trophy may not be revealed until the final day of the campaign.

“We tried to do as the coach told us to do. We would like to always play well and keep a clean sheet. It’s difficult with 10 men,” the Brazil left-back said, referring to Sergio Ramos’ 19th red card of his career.

He added: “The league wouldn’t be over if we’d have won today. Now we have to keep fighting and win at Sevilla.”

 

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Spanish Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA) has reported Real Madrid players Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos to La Liga’s disciplinary committee following their critics on oficcial Alberto Undiano Mallenco.

The CTA has sent the duo’s comments after the Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the governing body will decided whether Ronaldo and Ramos should be punished.

The referees committee considers that both should be fined for suggesting a conspiracy against Real Madrid. Sanction could be up to 3,000 euros and it is highly unlikely that it could include a match suspension, since there is no precedent of players being banned for public comments after a match.

Undiano Mallenco awarded three penalties in El Clasico and sent Sergio Ramos off following his foul on Neymar inside the box.

Ramos said after the game that “everyone has seen what has happened. You go home feeling powerless and that you could have got more from the game. If they wanted to balance the table, they’ve done it, but Real Madrid will keep on fighting for La Liga.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo claimed the referee “was pale and nervous; he was unable to make the right decisions. A referee has to be relaxed in order to do as well as possible. It makes me think that matches are not only won on the pitch, but also with a little help off of it.”

The Portuguese suggested “they” don’t want his team to win La Liga and stated that Undiano Mallenco “was not up to a match of this stature.” “Hopefully it won’t be the same referee in the final of the Copa del Rey,” he added.

The CTA has congratulated Undiano Mallenco for his performance in a tough game. This is not the first time the referee’s committee confront Real Madrid this season. Their enmity started when Ronaldo got a three-match suspension for a red card against Athletic Bilbao.

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In the modern theatre that is football, La Liga has played host to some of the best players in the history of the game. Today, we find ourselves dazzled by the individual brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but neither of them have been able to connect with Spain’s international audience in the same way as Raul.

Despite the regional tensions and fanatical divisions, notably Catalan, Basque and Castilian, Raul managed to unify a disjointed nation in a way perhaps comparable to the collapse of the Franco dictatorship!

Born into a family that lived and breathed Atletico Madrid, Raul Gonzalez Blanco arrived at the Vicente Calderon stadium in 1990 only to find his beloved club had a limited interest in developing youth players. After the entire academy system was scrapped by then president Jesus Gil, Raul had barely time to recover before Real Madrid swooped in and unfurled a metaphorical safety net.

Unhindered by this rejection, Raul put in long hours and invested a lot mentally to be good enough for Real Madrid’s Cadete. His hard work saw him grab the attention of then coach Jorge Valdano, who discussed the possibility of fielding the young striker at the tender age of 17. Raul made it clear to Valdano that he was mentally prepared for the top tier of Spanish football, and as a result made his competitive debut for Real Madrid in 1994.

He came onto the scene at Madrid just as Emilio Butragueño was taking his leave. Easily regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, expectation was heaped on Raul’s shoulders to live up to Butragueño and the glorious career he’d had at the Santiago Bernabeu. Raul scored the first of many league goals in his second competitive appearance against, surprise surprise, Atletico Madrid. Unable to hide his emotions after so much hard work and promise had culminated in nothing at his dream club, Raul ran straight to the touchline to embrace those who’d made it all possible.

Raul finished the 1994-95 season with ten goals, an impressive tally for a player who hadn’t even turned 18. It would turn out to be his lowest return for a decade. His goals, combined with the 28 scored by Ivan Zamorano’s, ensured Los Blancos lifted the La Liga title and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the club’s history. Raul won La Liga’s Breakthrough Player award in what was a terrific start to a magical career full of bright lights, twinkling trophies and sadly, at the end, a sourness that will surely be removed with time.

European football would prove challenging the following season; particularly on the young Raul. However, he responded to the pressure with goals and yet more goals. He added ten to his debut season total and ran riot in the Champions League, finally ending the season with 26 goals and picking up the Zarra Trophy for the first time. Despite his exploits, Real Madrid finished in sixth and missed out on Europe.

Despite being embittered by Atletico Madrid’s double over them, Real Madrid responded brilliantly and in particular Raul, who was briefly freed of the pressure to perform on the European stage. He finished the season with 22 goals and once again lifted the La Liga title. The victory was made all the more sweet when they beat hated rivals Barcelona 5-3 on aggregate in the Supercopa de Espana, with Raul bagging three.

Having shot to stardom, the young striker could afford to take his foot off the accelerator and have what was, comparatively, a quiet season by his standards. In fact, his total of 15 goals seems so nonchalant that it’s amazing it was the season Real Madrid won the Champions League after 30 years without winning the prestigious trophy. These represented some of the best years for Raul on a personal level as his strike partner Fernando Morientes, a year older than Raul, gave him a sense of tranquility on the field.

After just a few seasons, Raul had won everything there was to win for his club side, but he found success on the international stage not forthcoming. Despite scoring 44 goals for Spain, his efforts were largely unrewarded and even his goal scoring record has been surpassed by David Villa. Having inherited the captaincy from Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro, Raul was eventually usurped by Fernando Torres, dividing fans who either thought the decision was outrageous or saw it as a necessary intervention.

Spain have since won back-to-back trophies, leaving an embittered Raul out of the picture, yet, ever the gentlemen, Raul has made clear his pleasure at seeing Spain winning at the personal cost of his exclusion. The grace with which Raul has taken his sudden axing is a testament to his character and personality. Despite these unsightly events and those that surrounded his departure from Real Madrid, El Niño will forever be immortalised by Spain and will continue to be associated with La Roja.

Back in Madrid, the trophies continued to flood in as Raul’s goals just kept coming. Four more La Liga titles and two more Champions League trophies topped off a fantastic career and a splendid era for Los Blancos. However the Bernabeu’s champion began suffering a series of injuries including an excruciating bout of appendicitis which eventually saw the striker hospitalised. At the same time, Florentino Perez began the Galacticos project which alienated Raul and put his Madrid career into question.

Although he was one of the club’s better earners, the chasm that had been created in the dressing room as a result of wages really effected Raul, not that it effected his goal scoring, but he felt the club was moving in a less dignified direction. With all the big players to have arrived, Raul continued to shine so very brightly and closed in on Alfredo Di Stefano’s scoring record for the club. He scored the opening goal in the 2001-02 Champions League final but found he was eclipsed by Zinedine Zidane’s incredible volley.

On 15th Feburary 2009, Raul scored his 229th goal against Sporting Gijon, thus breaking Di Stefano’s record. It was a truly remarkable achievement and the veteran striker showed why he deserved a ‘contract for life’ at the Santiago Bernabeu. Several months on, Raul surpassed Manuel Sanchis’ league appearance record for the club, affirming what a loyal servant he had been. Sadly for the Spaniard, his time in his home country was numbered.

In the 2009-10 season, Raul played his final game for Los Blancos. The date was 24th April 2010 and the venue was La Romereda, Zaragoza’s ground and also where Raul had made his first La Liga appearance. He’d replaced the injured Rafael van der Vaart but found he had his own injury concerns shortly after. Forced to play on, Raul lumbered into the box and managed to get on the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross to score his last goal for Real Madrid. Shortly after, he signalled to the bench to be substituted.

It would be an injury that the striker would struggle to recover from and on 25th April 2010, Raul announced his departure alongside fellow Madrid stalwart Guti. In doing so, the 33-year-old had ended a relationship that had lasted more than 16 years. Real Madrid had moulded Raul and brought him joy and tears in equal measure. He’d sweated, bled and fought desperately hard for the badge and the public held him aloft as their shining prince. His entire life had revolved around the success and failure of Madrid.

To the Spanish people, Raul was so much more then just a Real Madrid striker. He seemed to resonate with people on a national scale and even from rival team fan bases. For years Spain had been lacking a genuine ‘good guy’ character and one that they could be proud of. True, it was easier for him to gain the affection of his fellow Madridistas as Raul was easy to relate to. His value of key virtues such as working hard and comradery gave him huge appeal to the fans and gave them the belief that they could follow in his footsteps.

Raul developed a star status unique in a country divided. For years the Spanish national team had suffered as a result of regional preferences. If one year the team was dominated by Catalan players, then this would alienate people from the Madrid  and central region of Spain and visa-verse. Raul was one of the first players to appease all parties. Spain’s victory in Euro 2008 was a bitter one for many as Raul, the man who had unified the Spanish team, had been offered up as the sacrificial lamb.

After a joyous two seasons in Germany with Schalke 04, Raul moved to Qatar signing for Al Saad. He scored nine goals in his first season to help his side win the their first league title in five years. With retirement on the horizon, Raul will undoubtedly be making his way back to the Santiago Bernabeu to continue his story with Los Blancos. Although a position has yet to be made clear, Raul Gonzalez Blanco will certainly be back soon.

Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156

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Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has said Cristiano Ronaldo’s criticism of the referee after Real Madrid’s 4-3 defeat in the Clasico on Sunday was wrong.

The Portugal captain and Los Blancos talisman told reporters after the loss at the Santiago Bernabeu that Real Madrid are always at the end of wrong decisions by referees in big games between the two rivals.

Barcelona took the three points home back to Catalonia with them after they awarded two penalties in the second half. Sergio Ramos was also sent off for the hosts – his 19th red card in his career to date.

Afterwards, Ronaldo said: “We played against 12. It’s always the same. They don’t allow us. Maybe they wanted Barca back in the League.”

But World Cup winner Xavi hit back, telling reporters that the 29-year-old Ballon d’Or winner should just accept the better team won on the night.

“Cristiano is wrong and his criticism is harsh. Barca were superior, we played better than Real Madrid and it shows in the result,” Xavi stated. He added: “As far as I’m concerned, they were all penalties, including the one from Dani Alves on Cristiano, from what I could see on the pitch.”

The rivals will lock horns again next month when they meet in the Copa del Rey final at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium.

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Even though Real Madrid have another game on the horizon as they visit Sevilla tomorrow night, the Madrid press is still focusing in the fall out from the Clasico on Sunday.

Both Marca and AS lead today with stories on the level of officiating in La Liga. The latest news is that the Referee’s Committee will refer comments made by Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo after the game to Spain’s Competition Committee.

Both players were  unhappy with a number of decisions made by the referee on Sunday evening and said after the 4-3 loss that they felt the authorities made sure Barcelona won to the race for La Liga goes right to the wire.

Should the Competition Committee decide there is enough evidence to punish the pair, they could face a fine and suspension. There is precedent of this before, with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola being fined 15,000 euros in 2010 for calling a referee and his assistants liars.

Elsewhere AS looks at the poor record Los Blancos have against the other in the title fight this season. Having played Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid twice, Carlo Ancelotti’s men picked up just one point from those four games – the 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon. Should they not go on to win the title, those will be the games looked at as to where it was lost.

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Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has said his two goals in Sunday’s Clasico fixture ultimately meant nothing as Los Blancos slipped to defeat.

In front of a capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu, Barcelona ran out 4-3 winners thanks to a Leo Messi hat trick and an Andres Iniesta strike. Cristiano Ronaldo scored Real’s other goal in a match the threw the La Liga race wide open again.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Benzema, who is enjoying his most productive campaign in a Real Madrid shirt, admitted his two goals meant nothing because Los Blancos failed to get the win, and saw the 31-game unbeaten run come to an end.

He said the team was disappointed as they felt they controlled large parts of the game and stopped the Catalan outfit from playing.

“We are disappointed with the result,” Benzema told gathered journalists.

He added: “We scored three goals and had control of the game. When Barcelona don’t have the ball it makes it difficult for them to have a good game.

“Barca always have possession and against a team like that we adapted our game to go forward. I scored two goals but they don’t mean anything now. What matters is the result.”

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Sergio Ramos didn’t approve the referee’s decision of sending him off in El Clasico against Barcelona. “Everyone saw what happened. You go home feeling powerless and that you could have got more from the game. If they wanted to balance the table, they’ve done it, but Real Madrid will keep on fighting for La Liga,” he said.

The Real Madrid defender was very critical of referee Undiano Mallenco: “I am surprised that they chose him. That is why there are people to take measures. There are some referees who are at one level and others who are above them. In these games where there is so much at stake you have to have the best there is. For this kind of game you have to have people who are more experienced or better prepared,” he argued.

“Today’s defeat is a shame because it was an important step, but there are things you cannot fight against and things that are predetermined. There is nothing you can do. When you are the biggest team in the world there is a lot of envy. And when you have the chance to get a big lead there are things you cannot fight against,” he insisted.

Ramos also gave his opinion about the three penalties the referee awarded. He admitted “the penalty on Ronaldo was outside the box, but Alves didn’t receive a yellow.” “In Xabi Alonso’s there was contact but I don’t think it was a penalty. In my sending off Neymar was offside beforehand and I didn’t touch him. He was looking for contact. I slowed down because I would rather he scored that to be sent off and leave the team with ten men. The club will appeal, but given what happened here, it won’t make any difference,” he added.

The 27-year-old explain that Real Madrid “don’t generally talk about referees.” Yet, in this case he insisted that “for the good of Real Madrid and of football, let’s hope Undiano does not officiate another of our games this season, because coincidentally something always happens. First in the Camp Nou and now in the Bernabeu.”

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Carlo Ancelotti claimed Real Madrid played “a good match” despite losing to Barcelona in a thrilling Clasico. “I think we did it well, although we did make some small mistakes and that is why we didn’t win. I told the players that in general it was a good match, they played with intensity and fought hard throughout,” he stated.

The loss left Real Madrid tied with Atletico Madrid at the top of the table, and only one point ahead of the Azulgranas. When asked about the fight for the title, Ancelotti told the reporters that he’s always said “that this Liga is open until the last game. We have an important game on Wednesday and we need to respond immediately”. “We are not happy because we have lost an important opportunity but it does not matter. We are going to keep fighting. There are nine matches left and, as I have said, it will be a very intense race for everyone,” he added.

Many Real Madrid players blamed the referee and Sergio Ramos’ red card for the defeat. Yet, Ancelotti explained he didn’t see that play. “It is difficult for me to comment on the referee’s decisions in this match because he had a lot of decisions to make. It was the key moment in the match because we were 3-2 ahead and then everything changed. With a man down it is difficult to control the game,” he stated.

The Italian praised Angel di Maria’s performance, especially in the first half: “Di Maria’s movement behind Alves was great and we scored two goals through it. The midfield was under control. Because of the characteristics of their players it is logical that they had more possession and we pushed more up front. Di Maria is comfortable in the position he is playing in. He is doing very well. His position in the centre is good for the balance of the team.”

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