Page 590

By -
0

Barcelona’s centre-back Gerard Pique has claimed the Copa del Rey final the Azulgranas will play against Real Madrid won’t be as “ill-tempered” as that of 2011, when Jose Mourinho’s team won the trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals.

“That was a very ill-tempered match, very tense, and we were never able to play our game,” the 27-year-old defender said.

“They beat us, and we want to win this time. Finals are for winning. However, Madrid will be a very tough rival,” he added.

Los Blancos have won four of the last nine games played against Barcelona, losing twice and earning three draws.

The Copa del Rey final will be played either the 19th or the 20th of April, forcing both teams to postpone their La Liga matches scheduled for that weekend.

Sources from the Spanish Football Federation have suggested Antonio Mateu Lahoz -Mourinho’s favourite referee- will be the match official.

* Follow Alejandro Gonzalez on Twitter @alejandrognieto

By -
1

Italian side AC Milan are exploring the idea of signing Real Madrid midfielder Isco in the summer transfer window.

The Rossoneri have been alerted to the 21 year-old’s situation in Spain with Carlo Ancelotti’s 4-3-3 formation restricting the player to unfamiliar positions.

According to AS the Italians are heading the queue for Isco’s signature should Real Madrid seek to recoup the €30 million they paid Malaga for the youngster.

The two most decorated Champions League winners have enjoyed a fruitful relationship that saw Kaka join Madrid for approximately €65 million in 2009, only to rejoin the Rossoneri on a free transfer last summer.

Milan are also hopeful the long-standing relationship with former coach Carlo Ancelotti will see them surpass potential rivals in their pursuit of Isco.

The Spanish Under-21 international has played 30 matches in total for Real Madrid this season scoring eight goals.

Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156

By -
0

Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has said he is looking forward to the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Real Madrid as it will see two of the world’s greatest teams pitting their wits against each other again.

The two La Liga giants will meet on April 19 or 20, most likely at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium for a repeat of the 2011 final, which Los Blancos won 1-0 thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo header in extra time.

Speaking to journalists, Del Bosque, who is aiming to win two consecutive World Cups as manager this summer, said the Copa de Rey final will be a “great event between two teams packed with quality”.

The La Roja coach was also asked about his thoughts on various players on the fringes of the Spain squad and who would make the final cut for the tournament in Brazil. And having spoken of Real Madrid youngster Jese Rodriguez last week, he gave another heavy hint that the 20-year-old could be part of his plans.

He admitted a number of the Spain Under-21 players have made an impression on him, but that the Canary Islands-born forward “has a bigger resonance because he plays for Real Madrid”.

By -
0
madrid press 14042014

There is still much focus on the Copa del Rey final this morning in the Madrid Press.

We know the two finalists – Real Madrid and Barcelona – and we know where the final will be played – the Mestalla stadium in Valencia. Now the only thing to confirm is the date. Initially, it was due to be held on April 19 or 20.

But the secretary general of the Spanish FA, Jorge Perez, said the game may be played on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday (April 17 or 18) to allow both teams extra rest before vital Champions League games, should they make it that far in the competition.

Sticking with the Copa, Marca runs a piece on Carlo Ancelotti, titled Carlos III. A win over Barcelona in the final would meant he will have won the domestic cup in three different countries, having picked up the Italian Cup with AC Milan, and the FA Cup in England while manager of Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Marca and AS both run stories on the best Under-21 team in the world, as voted by readers of Teen Digest magazine. The decision to sign youngsters in the summer and give youth at the club a chance has paid off as Isco, Daniel Carvajal and Raphael Varane were all named in the team – with Real Madrid being the most represented club.

 

By -
1

Arsenal may have a fight on their hands to secure long-term target Alvaro Morata, after rumours suggest he is the subject of interest from Inter Milan.

Arsene Wenger had reportedly made attempts to sign the Real Madrid youngster on loan during the January transfer window, but was unsuccessful in trying to secure a backup striker for the North London club.

Inter are supposedly willing to let current forwards Diego Milito, who fired them to Champions League glory in 2010 but has struggled with a long term injury lately, and Mauro Icardi leave the club this summer – opening the door for a £10million Morata move.

The Italian giants have struggled in recent times, after failing to qualify for this season’s Champions League the club is trying to regroup and re-establish their place at the top of European football.

Morata has had success for Spain’s under-21 national team, but has still seen very little first team football for Los Blancos as an understudy for Karim Benzema and is likely to be keen to leave in search of consistent playing time.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has received criticism for not purchasing a striker in January, and if Inter’s interest continues it may cause him to rekindle his interest in the 21-year old this coming summer.

By -
2

A Real Madrid fan reaches his seat at the old Santiago Bernabeu and takes a swig of a cold Mahou beer. It’s July 11th 1968 and he’s ready to enjoy one of the biggest matches a Spanish football fan can see at this time: a Cup final between Barcelona and Los Blancos.

There are two things he still doesn’t know: that final will have nothing to enjoy at all, and that will be the last time he’ll be able to drink from a glass bottle in a football stadium.

With Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the box –in fact at that time the Cup was called Copa del Generalisimo in his honour– the so called Government’s team faced their arch-rivals from Catalonia in a thrilling final.

However, as the newspapers of that time reported, the final was nothing but a “damp squib, a pathetic let down, even though both teams displayed the right sporting attitude.”

The match was controversial even before it started. The Referees’ Committee and the Spanish Football Federation had appointed Antonio Rigo, known as Barcelona’s favourite ref, as the judge of the game. “An unnecessary risk,” according to ABC’s reporter Gilera.

Barcelona were lucky to take the lead in the sixth minute thanks to Zunzunegui’s own goal in his attempt to clear the ball after a cross from Carles Rexach.

The focus then turned back into the referee, after he refused to send Gallego off after a violent tackle on Serena. The crowd went mad as their team was unable to breach Barca’s aggressive defence.

In the 19th minute of the second half, Los Blancos fans exploded when Serena was brought down inside the box and Rigo didn’t concede the penalty. One of the most shameful events in the history of Spanish football took place at that exact moment.

Real Madrid fans started throwing bottles onto the field, threatening the players’ and the referee’s physical integrity. The images were censured by the Government-controlled press, but a fragment can be seen at the end of the video above.

Barcelona won the Final of the Bottles

Barcelona went on to win in a poor football game, and Franco had to hand the Catalans’ the trophy while a rain of bottles kept falling over the field. Glass bottles were banned in football stadiums from that day.

Described as “one of the worst games in history”, the Final of the Bottles is also remembered as the day the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona became more violent.

It was a sad day for Spanish football and for the fans. The relation between both clubs changed for worse, and beer did never taste as fresh served in plastic cups.

By -
0

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has revealed he loves playing against city rivals Atletico de Madrid as derby games bring out the best in both sides.

The shot stopper has an impeccable record against Los Rojiblancos have been on the winning side 20 times in 26 derbies he’s played in his career. The other six matches were drawn, meaning he has never actually lost a competitive match against Atletico since he made his Los Blancos debut.

Real eased into the Copa del Rey final with a straightforward 2-0 win at the Vicente Calderon on Tuesday night. The clean sheet meant Carlo Ancelotti’s side set a new Copa record, becoming the first side to qualify for the final without conceding.

Casillas also extended his own club record for the longest time without conceding. At the final whistle, it stood at 862 minutes. “They are all great matches that we all like to play as players, especially those of us born in Madrid. I’m happy because things have always gone well. Things have to stay on the field and then people have to move on. It is a derby and the players from each team always want the best for their club,” he told journalists after the match.

The World Cup winner also spoke of his happiness at helping the team reach their 39th Copa del Rey final. “The important thing right now is that we have reached the final. Real Sociedad will be really keen to make it to the final, after a long time without playing in one, and Barcelona will as well. But what I am bothered about is that we have done our job and now we have to think about the league and the Champions League.”

By -
2

Alberto Moreno will arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu next summer in a 21-million-euro move, according to Spanish website Fichajes.net.

The 21-year-old defender, who is seen as the most promising Spanish left-back at the moment, is having a good season at Sevilla.

Real Madrid have been eyeing him since last year, and he has been constantly linked with a move to the white club as Fabio Coentrao’s replacement.

He’s arrival leaves the path clear for the Portuguese to leave the club, something that he requested last summer, when he was about to join Manchester United in the last day of the transfer market.

If this information was true, Alberto Moreno would become Los Blancos’ first signing for the 2014-2015 season.

Moreno is a regular starter at Spain’s Under-21 national team, and he has also made his debut for Vicente del Bosque’s squad.

The left-back position has been a problem for Carlo Ancelotti so far this season, with Marcelo and Coentrao constantly sidelined due to injuries.

In the last La Liga match against Villarreal, the Brazilian had to be replaced by the Portuguese in the 20th minute due to back pain, but minutes later Coentrao also came off with muscle problems.

* Follow Alejandro Gonzalez on Twitter @alejandrognieto

By -
0
madrid press 13022014

Barcelona drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad at Anoeta last night to see off the Basque side 3-1 overall and set up a Copa del Rey final date with Real Madrid.

And today the Madrid press has plenty of coverage about yet another Clasico meeting between the two Spanish giants.

According to Marca, the final will be played at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium on April 19th. It will be the 7the final contested between the two sides – the last one being in 2011, when a Cristiano Ronaldo header in extra time gave Los Blancos the win, and handed Jose Mourinho his first trophy as Real Madrid boss.

AS opts for an image of Ronaldo being struck by the lighter on its front page. The 29-year-old was coming off the field at half-time in Tuesday’s match with Atletico when he was hit.

Although he hasn’t been arrested yet, the fan who threw it will receive a hefty fine and ban from sport stadiums for up to two years. Atletico de Madrid and the police have identified the culprit although he managed to avoid security on the night and escaped from the ground without arrest.

Finally, with so much to play for in the coming months, Marca hails the return to fitness of Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane, and says their comeback is similar to making two signings in the winter transfer window.

By -
0

Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has expressed his delight at finally making a return to the first team following long-term injuries.

The 20-year-old returned to starting line-up as Los Blancos saw off city rivals Atletico de Madrid 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. Real won 5-0 over the two games and eased their way into their second consecutive cup final appearance.

And speaking after the game, Varane said he was happy to play his part, with the clean sheet ensuring Los Blancos set another record – reaching the final without conceding a goal along the way.

Talking to journalists in the mixed zone, he stated: “We played well, we won and got through to the cup final. It was a perfect night. I do not care who our opponents are in the final, the important thing is to win.”

The Frenchman broke into the side last season but missed the tail end of the 2012-13 campaign through injury. He made his comeback in October, but then picked up a knee injury while on international duty with his country in November.

Discussing his injury woes and how he felt physically after the game, Varane said: “We’re going to see how the knee responds over the next few days, to see if it swells. I haven’t had any problems during the match and I have trained hard to get to this point. So far I have played one match and we’ll see if I can play two in a row. The team needs all of the players and we have to be ready if we want to win titles. Everyone is thinking about that.”

1...589590591...733Page 590 of 733

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