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Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has said in an interview that he can not understand the decision to leave Iker Casillas on the bench.

The World Cup winning goalkeeper has had to accept a bit part role for more than a year now after Diego Lopez arrived at the club in January 2013 and was installed as the number one by former boss Jose Mourinho.

Carlo Ancelotti has carried on the policy of picking Lopez in La Liga and Casillas in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, but speaking to La Graderia, Calderon said the decision is an odd one. He stated Lopez is an excellent goalie, but Casillas is the best in the world, and the decision to not play him must be coming from someone more powerful at the club other than Ancelotti – implying Florentino Perez is the man responsible.

“It is a matter that only the coach knows. He is doing very well and I think criticising him does not come to mind especially as Diego Lopez is a sensational goalie,” Calderon said.

He added: “I do not think any coach in the world you happen to leave the number one of any position on the bench unless he has instructions from someone who has more power than him.”

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The whole world will have their eyes on the Santiago Bernabeu next Sunday at 20.00 GMT as Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet in a latest Clasico showdown.

Carlo Ancelotti has never lived a match between the two Spanish giants playing as a host. Yet, the Italian manager knows very well how to win a match of this kind when the rival pays a visit. He’s been successful both in Italy and France.

In Italy, the equivalent to a match between Real Madrid and Barcelona is the Juventus – Inter Milan. Ancelotti played two as a host when he was in charge of the Vecchia Signora, and the Bianconeri won both of them. Juve beat Inter 1-0 in 1999 and 3-1 in 2001.

Meanwhile, in France, their ‘Clasico’ is the game between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. Ancelotti hosted the Olympiens four times as PSG’s boss in the Ligue 1, the French Cup and the Cup of the League.

The Italian earned himself an A+ mark in those games, since he won all of them except the first one, in which Olympique took the win home with a 2-1 victory.

In his years at the Premier League he didn’t have the chance to manage an ‘English Clasico’. The equivalent to a Real Madrid-Barcelona has historically been the match between Liverpool and Manchester United, and Ancelotti coached Chelsea.

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Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will meet again in the Champions League, after the Germans defeated Los Blancos in last year’s semi-finals.

Luis Figo picked the balls in the draw of the quarter-finals in Nyon, and once again he was gentle with Los Merengues, awarding them probably the weakest rival of the eight teams still in the competition.

Carlo Ancelotti men will play the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 1st, and the away leg will be played on April 9th.

Dortmund have a weaker team than last year, when they knocked Los Blancos out winning 4-1 at Signal Iduna Park Stadium and losing 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The German’s star player, Robert Lewandowski, who was linked with a move to Madrid last summer, will miss the first leg through suspension.

Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid, so there will be at least one Spanish team in the semi-finals. Chelsea will take on Paris Saint-Germain, while reigning champions Bayern Munich will meet Manchester United.

The semi-finals draw will take place on April 11th. The Champions League final will be held in Lisbon, on May 25th.

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Real Madrid are eyeing PSV Eindhoven’s wonder kid Zakaria Bakkali, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Bakkali is an 18-year-old Belgian winger who has made a big impression this season at the Eredivisie, in his first year as a professional football player. Nonetheless, the youngster has reportedly attracted the attention of many big European clubs, such as Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool.

De Telegraaf has claimed both clubs will fight this summer to sign Bakkali, although PSV are not willing to let their young star leave.

However, Bakkali has been reluctant to sign a new contract with his club since he has learnt about the interest such teams have on bringing him onboard.

Bakkali is reportedly unhappy at PSV about a number of decisions and if he keeps on rejecting to renew his contract, the Dutch club will be force to sell him next summer. Both Liverpool and Real Madrid are expected to make a move when the transfer market opens.

Zakaria Bakkali, of Moroccan descent, has made 15 appearances so far this season, scoring three goals. He can play both as a winger or as a second striker. He’s a very skilful and fast player who has been even compared to Leo Messi.

Watch some of his best plays here:

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The build up to the Clasico on Sunday is put on hold this morning as Real Madrid await the draw for the Champions League quarter finals.

All eight teams in the hat are strong candidates and whoever Los Blancos are paired with will be a tough draw. Having questioned a number of its readers, Marca says they do not want to see the Spanish teams play each other at this stage, while AS says nobody wants to be drawn against Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich.

The Madrid press focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of each side, and the conclusion is that Manchester United would probably be the best draw for Real Madrid. David Moyes has struggled to fill the shoes of Alex Ferguson, and although in Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney they have a world class pair of forwards, they are suspect at the back, while Juan Mata is ineligible to play in the tournament having already represented Chelsea this season.

Elsewhere, Sergio Ramos has been discussing the upcoming Clasico as well as the Champions League. In an interview with COPE, he said at the moment, he’d prefer to win the Decima with Madrid than the World Cup with Spain. “I already have the World Cup tattooed on me. Now I need the Decima. If I have both of them, I’ll keep a note of those who criticise me.”

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Real Madrid striker Jese Rodriguez will begin the long road to recovery after successfully undergoing a knee operation in Germany.

The 21-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Los Blancos’ Champions League match against Schalke on Tuesday night. The incident occurred in just the 2nd minute, and although he tried to carry on, he was substituted after seven minutes.

The Spain Under-21 forward, who had enjoyed a fine season until the injury, travelled to Germany on Wednesday and underwent surgery on Thursday morning.

The operation was carried out by Dr. Ulrich Boenisch, the same doctor who operated on midfielder Sami Khedira when he suffered a similar injury while on international duty back in November.

Although not having spoken publicly about the incident on Tuesday, Jese is believed to be angry with Schalke defender Sead Kolasinac, who made the challenge on the young striker in which he picked up the injury.

Jese, who scored eight goals in 31 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, is expected to be out for six months while he recovers.

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Hugo Lloris could be heading to the Spanish capital this summer after discussions over a possible move to Los Blancos were held, according to a report in football direct news.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper, who captains France, has been in fine form this season and  attracted great interest from a handful of Europe’s top clubs.

There has been uncertainty over his future at Tottenham, with the Premier League side looking likely to miss out on a Champions League spot for next season.

Real Madrid’s current goalkeeping situation remains unclear, and whilst Iker Casillas and Diego Lopez are still wanted by the club, it seems Carlo Ancelotti intends on bringing in a steady first choice.

Links have also been made to Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic and Atletico Madrid’s loanee Thibaut Courtois, both of which have impressed on a regular basis over the past two seasons.

It is however thought that assistant manager, Zinedine Zidane, is a big admirer of his fellow countryman and could play a part in any possible transfer to the Spanish giants.

A move for the shot-stopper would prove popular amongst some of the current first team squad, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale are former teammates of the White Hart Lane player and would welcome his arrival.

 

 

 

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Barcelona star Andres Iniesta believes that his side can win “the war” against Real Madrid on Sunday to narrow the gap in the La Liga title race.

Los Cules lie four points behind leaders Real, but looked to be back near to their superb best after scoring seven without reply against Osasuna.

And a win at the Bernabeu would mean Real go into the last ten games of the season only a point in front.

In an interview with Spanish daily SPORT, Iniesta said “Now comes the most difficult game of the season but also the most beautiful one.

“The Madrid-Barca game is a war of football, but what has happened in the past has stayed there. We want to get a good feeling at the Bernabeu and we believe that we can win there.”

“It has not been a comfortable season. At all levels, there are changes to be made – it has been difficult.”

Iniesta and his wife lost a child, and he thanked Real Madrid players for their support.

“I have received expressions of affection from the players of Real Madrid; there are more important things than a football game. My wife and my family appreciate all the love of these people.”

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As we move closer towards the weekend, the Madrid press is building up its coverage of the Clasico on Sunday evening.

As AS proclaims on its front cover today that Real Madrid are now the favourites for La Liga and the Champions League according to the latest odds. The team has been in fine form since the defeat at the Nou Camp back in October, not suffering any defeats in their last 30 matches. A win over Barcelona at the weekend would surely eliminate the Catalan outfit from the title race, the paper says.

Marca carries quotes from Diego Lopez, who has been speaking about the goalkeeping situation at the club. Much has been made in the press about the rivalry between Lopez and Iker Casillas, and there seems to have a debate lasting more than a year over who should be the starting keeper for Los Blancos.

A couple of weeks ago, Casillas hailed Lopez as being one of the main reasons why Los Blancos top the league. And Lopez has responded now with equally kind words, saying he has had nothing but respect for Casillas for a long time, and that the World Cup winner is one of the best goalies in the world.

Finally, Jese has travelled to Germany to have an operation on his knee. He is using the same doctor that carried out a similar operation on Sami Khedira.

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Real Madrid are looking at different options for the left-back, since Fabio Coentrao is expected to leave at the end of the season. Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly added a new name to his wish list. According to Italian website Calcionews24, Los Blancos’ boss has suggested the club’s directors the signing of Bayern Munich’s defender David Alaba.

The Austria international could be Ancelotti’s favourite for the job, despite rumours he’s been also eyeing Sevilla’s Alberto Moreno, Valencia’s Juan Bernat and Benfica’s Guilherme Siqueira. Yet, his signing would be the most expensive of all, and Pep Guardiola will not be willing to let one of his guaranteed starters leave.

Alaba has made 37 appearances for the Germans so far this season, scoring four goals and showing a spectacular state of form. He arrived to Munich in 2010, at 17 years old, when he was sent on loan to Hoffenheim.

At 21 years old, Alaba is now one of the most promising left-backs in football and would be an incredible add for Los Merengues. Yet, it seems very unlikely that he would be willing to change his starting spot in Munich for a secondary role in Madrid, becoming Marcelo’s substitute.

Ancelotti might be looking to have two young and talented left-backs to compete for the starting role next season. However, Alberto Moreno and Juan Bernat are the most reasonable options at the moment.

* Follow Alejandro Gonzalez on Twitter at @alejandrognieto

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