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Fans of Real Madrid have experienced sheer joy this week after their superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo was finally honoured by FIFA and France Football by being named as the winner of the Ballon d’Or 2013. There was though another reason for Los Blancos fans to be excited – for every time a Madrid player has won the prestigious prize, the team has gone on to win a trophy that season.

The trend has happened on all six occasions a Real Madrid player has won the Ballon d’Or. The peculiar phenomenon began in 1957 when legendary striker Alfredo di Stefano picked up the Ballon d’Or and months later Los Blancos lifted the European Cup and La Liga title.

He won the award again two years later, in the 1959/60 season at the end of that campaign the team won the European Cup again. Sandwiched between di Stefano’s successes was another Madridista, Raymond Kopa, who was voted as the best player on the planet in 1958. Similar to di Stefano, months after the award he lifted the European Cup with his team.

We had to wait until 2000 before another Real Madrid player lifted the Ballon d’Or again. This time it was the turn of Luis Figo. Like di Stefano and Kopa, Figo also experienced joy with his team, winning the league with Madrid.

The same thing happened with Ronaldo, who was named as the best player in the world for 2002. In June 2003, Madrid won the title. Finally it was the turn of Fabio Cannavaro. The Italian legend was named as the winner of the Ballon d’Orr for 2006 and Los Merengues went on to win the 2006/07 La Liga title, ending a period of four years without a trophy.
<Betis, the other side of the coin
There are some who won’t have been pleased to see Ronaldo win the award on Monday though, and they include those who support Real Betis, Madrid’s next opponent in the league. It’s not because Real Betis or their fans have any particular dislike of Ronaldo himself, rather they’ve been relegated from La Primera every time a Portuguese player wins the Ballon d’Or.

When Eusebio picked up the prize in 1966, the Sevillanos went down shortly afterwards. When Ronaldo won the award for his form in 2008 at Manchester United, Betis struggled for form an were relegated in 2009.

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Newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo will end his playing career in England, according to former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon.

The 28-year-old Portugal superstar was rumoured to be attracting the interest of former club Manchester United last summer. Last week, Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand said he tried to talk Ronaldo into a switch back to Old Trafford, but failed.

At the awards ceremony in Zurich on Monday, at which Ronaldo beat Leo Messi and Franck RIbery to football’s top individual honour, he admitted he still loves United and keeps an eye out for their scores.

Calderon, who has a bitter rivalry with Florentino Perez, told the Sun newspaper that despite signing a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu recently, Ronaldo sees his future in the Premier League again.

“I do not think he will finish his career at Real,” he stated.

He went on to add: “I feel that one day he will return to England. In Madrid, he is pleased with the city and the fans. But I think his relationship with Florentino Perez is not as good as it was with Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

“Ronaldo loves father figures. With Florentino, he does not have that rapport. The relationship is bad or actually non-existent. He stays at Real despite the chairman.”

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Real Madrid press report 15-01-2014

Madrid sports newspapers bring to their front pages today the picture Cristiano Ronaldo posted on Twitter yesterday with his team mates, saying “this Ballon d’Or belongs to all the team.”

“Everybody’s Ballon d’Or,” Marca titles. “The squad gave the Ballon d’Or a great welcome,” they point out. “They don’t settle; they want more,” the Madrid daily adds.

As reports “Cristiano dedicated the award to the fans, the squad and the technical staff.”

Both sports papers also cover the latest news on today’s Copa del Rey second leg match against Osasuna. “Fabio Coentrao will return to a starting eleven after two months,” As claims.

“El Sadar seeks for a miracle,” Marca states. Los Merengues beat the Rojillos 2-0 in the home leg and they are favourites for moving into the quarter finals of the tournament.

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Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was in a positive mood ahead of Los Blancos Copa Del Rey clash against Osasuna at their home in Pamplona this Wednesday.

Some of the questions focused on the game tonight, however most focused on Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo winning the Ballon D’Or for 2013, with  Real rivals Barcelona forward Lionel Messi second and Franck Ribery third.

Ronaldo had a stellar 2013, with the Portuguese star becoming the fastest Real player ever to reach 200 goals for the club, and dragged Portugal to the 2014 World Cup with an inspirational performance in the playoffs.

Ancelotti said “He worked really hard for it.These kind of players like him, Pirlo, Messi or Thiago Silva made football a lot better.”

“To see him scoring so many goals didn’t surprise, but his desire to work and improve is what surprised me a lot.”

Although not on the same level as Ronaldo, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has had a superb 13/14, and Ancelotti spoke about him, saying ““He’s doing really well. Maybe he had some troubles adapting to the club last season, but now he has confidence and he’s doing a great job.”

“Because he’s in such a great moment, he will rest tomorrow.”

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Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said Cristiano Ronaldo is an example of true professionalism that everybody can follow after the forward picked up the Ballon d’Or.

The Portugal captain, who won the prize as a Manchester United player in 2008, picked up the award following an outstanding year in which he scored 69 goals in 59 games in total. Having seen rival Leo Messi win the Ballon d’Or in the last four consecutive years, Ronaldo could not hide his emotions on the stage and struggled to hold back the tears as he thanked his teammates and family.

Speaking at the event in Zurich, Perez said Ronaldo deserved the prestigious individual honour because of he hard work and determination year after year. He added that Ronaldo is the kind of person who wants to improve day after day and will do whatever he can to make that happen.

“Justice has been done because he’s the best player in the world. He’s an example for everybody. We Real Madrid fans are very happy and it’s a special day for us all. When the best player is chosen once a year, it’s an honour to have him in our team,” Perez stated.

He went on to add: “I don’t want to exaggerate, but this is not just about the Ballon d’Or but also about recognition for a leader in football who always want to achieve more and who represents the values that we Real Madrid fans always defend and that is very exciting.”

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Real Madrid’s Isco could be on the move to Manchester City in a reunion with former manager Manuel Pellegrini, according to a rumour on SportsDirectNews.

The story indicated that City are looking to acquire a playmaker in the January window to replace midfielder Samir Nasri as he heals from an injury. The Frenchman suffered damage to his knee when Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa kicked out in a risky second-chance tackle during their match Sunday.

Pellegrini later revealed he damaged his medial ligament and will be sidelined for eight weeks, so SportsDirectNews believes the Manchester team may target Isco as a potential replacement.

The 21-year-old only came to Madrid at the start of the 2013-14 season after signing a five-year contract in June. At the time, he had also received an offer from City, but decided to join Los Blancos after a dazzling performance while winning the European Under-21 Championships with Spain.

He began his Madrid career at blistering pace, including a goal and an assist in his first game in the famous white kit, but he has struggled to replicate quite the same form since. However, he seems an important part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans and has started 15 La Liga games.

If Isco were to leave, he could perhaps leave on loan for the rest of the season before making a full transfer in the summer. He would be cup-tied and unable to play for another team in the Champions League after appearing for Madrid, but he could play a vital role in City’s run at the Premier League title or domestic cup hopes.

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Cristiano Ronaldo says he would not have won the Ballon d’Or without the help of his Real Madrid teammates.

The 28-year-old forward won the prestigious award at a ceremony in Zurich on Monday night, beating off competition from Barcelona’s Leo Messi and Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery. Messi had won for the prize on the last four occasions.

But although he didn’t land any major silverware with his club, 2013 was an outstanding year for the Portugal captain – with 69 goals in 59 games for club and country. He helped Real Madrid to the semi-final of the Champions League, but perhaps the most memorable performance he put in was for Portugal against Sweden. His remarkable treble in Stockholm dragged his country over the line and into the finals in Brazil next summer.

Speaking after picking up the award, Ronaldo said he would not have had such a year without the help of his teammates, and he wanted to celebrate with them.

“It’s an honour to win this award. It was an indescribable moment. I can’t explain it in words. I’ve had unforgettable experiences and a lot of emotions,” he said.

Struggling to hold back the tears of joy, he added: “These tears are genuine. Those who know me know the struggle I’ve had all year to be at a top level and compete with the best. This trophy is also for everyone who supports me. Now I want to keep working and this award will motivate me even more.

“It’s an individual award, but I won because of my teammates. I’m going to celebrate in Madrid with the people who love me and with champagne”.

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Real Madrid press report 14-1-14

Madrid sports newspapers put their focus today on Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears as he was awarded the Ballon d’Or 2013.

“He cried,” titles Marca in their main headline. “Tears of a champion,” they point out in a smaller headline. “CR7 showed an unknown side of his personality in Zurich,” they report.

“Ronaldo touches everyone with his emotional reaction when winning his second Ballon d’Or,” Marca emphasizes.

Marca highlights one of Ronaldo’s statements in his speech: “I want to write an unwritten page in the history of football,” he said.

As also puts its focus on the Portuguese’s words: “Thanks to all my Real Madrid and Portugal team mates, and to my family.”

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Defensive stability will be just as important as scoring goals at the other end of the pitch if Real Madrid are to be successful in their quest for sileverware this season, says Sergio Ramos.

The Real Madrid stalwart played his part in a hard fought 1-0 win over Espanyol on Sunday night – Los Blancos’ third clean sheet in a row. The victory means Carlo Ancelotti’s men moved within three points of Barcelona and Atletico at the top of the league.

Real’s vice-captain Ramos spoke to reporters after the game at Cornell-El Prat, and said everyone in the team is doing their part defensively.

“Three matches without conceding a goal is important because being tight defensively gives stability for the attack,” Ramos said. He

He added: “It is an important factor to mention because it is always mentioned when we concede and now we have gone three matches without doing so. The defence is doing well. I think the important thing for the team is the group, not individuals. We will try to keep clean sheets in as many matches as possible.”

The World Cup and European Championship winner was also asked about his thoughts on the current race for the La Liga title. And he says with three teams so close together at the top, it could be another huge points tally to eventually claim the championship.

“Following this average of points we are talking about another season with 100 points. It can be improved by not dropping points like we did in the first half of the season and by winning the key matches. The dressing room is happy. We have to keep improving, learning to play as a team and keep competing,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or beating off competition from Leo Messi and Franck Ribery.

The Real Madrid forward, who previously picked up the prize as a Manchester United player in 2008, secured the top individual award in the game at the FIFA ceremony in Zurich after an outstanding year in which he scored 69 goals for club and country.

Barcelona forward Messi had won the previous four editions, with Ronaldo finishing as runner up on three of those occasions. But the Argentina striker missed out this time having been sidelined with injury for the last two months of 2013. Franck Ribery was also in contention for the Ballon d’Or following an outstanding season with Bayern Munich in which the Bavarian club won a historic treble – the German league and cup, along with the Champions League at Wembley in May.

Ronaldo helped Madrid to the semi final of the Champions League in which he scored 14 goals in the competition – a new record. But his stand out moment will surely be the two-legged World Cup Play-Off between Portugual and Sweden. The 28-year-old scored a remarkable hat trick in Stockholm to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win and send his country to the finals in Brazil in the summer.

Ronaldo, who traveled to Switzerland with other representatives of Real Madrid, including Florentino Perez, Zinedine Zidane, Emilio Butragueno and Sergio Ramos, was emotional as he picked up the award.

Holding back tears, he said: “Thank you to everyone, my teammates, the national team and my family, to everyone here. Eusebio and Mandela were very important for me, I can’t speak.”

 

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