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Madrid sports newspapers put their focus in Isco’s transfer to Real Madrid, which is close to finally happen.

Marca claims that “Zidane convinced Isco” with a phone call. “That was enough for the Spaniard to change Manchester City for Real Madrid”, the paper says.

As states that Isco confessed in an interview he is “excited about Real Madrid”. “It’s one of the best clubs in the world”, the Spanish international declared.

Marca also publishes that Gareth Bale is “trusting Florentino Perez’s strategy” to finally bring him to Real Madrid.

Both newspapers highlight Spain’s 3-0 victory over Nigeria in the Confederations Cup with Real Madrid players Alvaro Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos playing the 90 minutes.

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Spain’s 3-0 win over Nigeria in the Confederations Cup not only confirmed first place in the group and a semi-final against Italy, but also marked an important milestone for Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa – his 50th cap.

The defender, who normally plays in the centre but can operate on the flanks, reached the landmark five years after making his debut for Spain in 2008.

The game was a friendly match against Italy on March 26 2008, which La Roja won 1-0. Since then he has been a regular pick in squads for various competitions.

Arbeloa was part of the squad when Spain won the Eurocopa in 2008 and 2012, the World Cup in 2010 – possibly the finest moment for Spanish sport.

Having been part of the squad that finished third in the Confederations Cup in 2009, Arbeloa will be keen to add another trophy with his national side in Brazil this summer.

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Real Madrid blog

Despite winning the Supercopa, reaching the semifinals of the Champions League and being the runners up in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid’s season has been described by many as a failure.

However, their bastekball-playing counterparts have had their most prolific year in decades, winning the league, the Supercopa and reaching the final of the Euroleague for the first time in almost 20 years.

Playing for the same club, presided over by the same man – Florentino Perez –  some may wonder how the two teams can be so different; one being so criticised and the other being so praised. There are a few crucial disparities that can explain the situation.

  • The squad. Pablo Laso’s team is built around an immense sense of solidarity and team spirit. Unlike the football team, in Real’s basketball section there is no star that shines above the rest. Although Rudy Fernandez is highly above his team-mates in terms of salary, he is just one of the team on the court, where everybody sacrifices for the team to work as a perfect machine. Proof of that is the fact that the MVP of the league final was Felipe Reyes, who has started from the bench almost every game this season. Rudy and Nikola Mirotic, possibly the two men of the season, did not have their best performances in the final, but very cleverly and efficiently looked for a new role to help the team reach its objectives.
  • An unassuming manager. Being Real Madrid’s manager is not an easy job, neither in football nor in basketball. Ettore Messina, one of the greatest basketball coaches at the moment, resigned from Real’s job because he couldn’t stand “the obligation of living with the anachronistic need for victory”. However, Jose Mourinho and Pablo Laso have faced that pressure in very different ways. The Portuguese took it as something personal and started a war with the press and with a number of his own players. Laso, however, could not care less when everybody suggested he was not prepared for the job. He treated the press kindly and always protected his players to create the perfect atmosphere for success to come.
  • An excellent technical team. Juan Carlos Sanchez and Alberto Herreros have completed a brilliant job as sports directors of the basketball section. They have proved that rather than signing every possible world class star, sometimes it’s enough with just bringing in a bunch of hard workers who add spirit and sacrifice. No big names were added to Real’s basketball squad last summer, but Slaughter, Draper and Hettsheimeir gave the team exactly what they needed to go a step farther and become the best in Spain and top-2 in Europe. Mourinho’s project possibly lacked the figure of a sports director who would take some pressure off him around squad planning and the scouting jobs.

Of course analysing the problems of Mourinho’s era would need a deeper article, and the choice of calling it a failure depends on the subjective view of the person who judges. But there are certainly a few obvious aspects that Florentino Perez could correct in the football team to obtain better results in the upcoming seasons. In basketball, he has nailed it.

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Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has admitted Real Madrid has made a formal proposal for striker Edison Cavani and has urged the Uruguayan to make a decision about his future before July 20.

“Manchester City have no money to pay Cavani’s transfer, Chelsea have been after him for a while, but Real are the only club to have made formal proposal”, De Laurentiis said.

However, the Italian’s club president is still not willing to accept any offer below Cavani’s buy-out clause, which is 63 million Euros.

With the clause expiring on August 10th, De Laurentiis has declared to Radio Rai that he reckons “Cavani will stay, but if he is leaving I hope he will decide before July 20, when he comes back from the Confederations Cup, otherwise I will be mad at him”.

“We won’t let Cavani leave in August 10th with the season about to start. I’m confident in him because I consider him a real man. He won’t make me a joke of me”, Napoli’s president said.

“At Napoli, Cavani is the ‘prima donna’, but at Real he won’t be the only one. It is normal that if Real Madrid calls you listen to them, but he knows he’s got a clause and he’ll have to decide. We’ve talked and we’ve advised him”, he concluded.

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Spain and Barcelona midfielder has launched a scathing attack on Jose Mourinho over his treatment of goalkeeper Iker Casillas during the final months of the Portuguese manager’s time in charge at Real Madrid.

The keeper was dropped from the team in January in favour of Diego Lopez and didn’t feature for Madrid again for the rest of the season.

In a final show of defiance before he left the Spanish capital, Mourinho left Casillas out of the match day squad altogether for the final La Liga fixture – even when Lopez was injured.

The new Chelsea manager also said in an interview that his biggest regret during his time in charge of Los Blancos was not signing Lopez in his first season in charge.

Following his departure, Xavi has now broken his silence over the treatment of his international team-mate.

Speaking to Marca, he stated: It’s not the fact that he hasn’t played that’s the problem – the worst thing is the comments. He hasn’t been shown the respect he deserves.

“How can Mourinho say that his mistake was not signing a new goalkeeper two years earlier?

“I guess he doesn’t remember but Iker won them the Copa del Rey in Valencia with three amazing saves.”

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Real Madrid youngster has turned down the chance to move to Liverpool and has extended his deal with Los Blancos for a further four years.

The 16-year-old forward had been offered the chance to double his money at Anfield, where he would have been able to link up with fellow countrymen Sergio Canos and Pedro Chirivella.

Similar to the way Arsenal have signed starlets from Spain in the past, Liverpool have taken advantage of rule differences between the two countries to take the best young talent to the North West of England.

But Rodriguez, rated as one of the best young players in Madrid’s cantera, signed a four-year extension with the club to prolong his stay in the Spanish capital.

The youngster, originally from Barcelona, has featured for his country’s Under-17 side.

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Young Real Madrid forward Jese has said in an interview with AS that he deserved more opportunities under previous manager Jose Mourinho.

In a wide-ranging interview, which features as AS’ front page, the 20-year-old discusses life at Madrid under the Portuguese boss, and his hopes for the future once a new manager is confirmed.

He said that many people had told him he was ready for first-team football last season, but Mourinho didn’t give him the opportunity he deserved.

When asked about whether he would leave the club, and possibly country, in search of first team football, Jese said he feels he is ready to stay and fight fir his place at the Santiago Bernabeu. He also praised right-back Daniel Carvajal for adapting to life in Germany and admitted he would find it difficult to do something similar.

Elsewhere, Marca reports that Los Blancos will pay a 4.5 million buyout clause to secure the signature of Carlo Ancelotti as new boss.

It also carries an interview with Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal, who claims his former Malaga team-mate has already signed for Los Merengues.

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Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez has been linked with a move to Real Madrid by sources in Italy.

Sky Italia said the Argentine striker is top of Carlo Ancelotti’s wish-list when he officially is installed as Real Madrid’s new boss.

Tevez only has one year left on his deal at the Etihad Stadium and has been linked with moves to both AC and Inter Milan in recent weeks.

The 29-year-old, who signed from city rivals Manchester United in 2009, is believed to be keen on a fresh start in a new league, and with Real Madrid looking out for a new forward to bolster their attack, the two could be ideal match.

Tevez has scored 73 goals in 138 appearances for the Citizens, and 13 goals in 62 games for his national side.

 

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Brazil midfielder Kaka has been linked with a move to US side Orlando City when his contract with Real Madrid runs out.

The Florida-based side are currently bidding to become part of the MLS in the States, and are hopeful of being admitted in 2015 – the sime time Kaka’s deal at the Santiago Bernabeu runs out.

The playmaker is close friends with one of Orlando City’s co-owners, Brazilian billionaire Flavio Augusto da Silva, prompting rumours of a switch across the Atlantic.

Manager of the club, Adrian Heath, made no secret of his desire to bring in big names when speaking to WFTV9.

He said: “I believe it is very possible to get him here. You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that his contract ends right around the same time we expect to be in the MLS.

“It would be unbelievable for our club. We believe in the pathway we have planned out and in that pathway there are two or three big time players.

“Is it going to be Kaka or will it be someone else? Who knows?”

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Bookmakers in the UK have slashed the odds of Wayne Rooney becoming a Real Madrid player following a large number of big-money bets.

The 27-year-old’s future has been in doubt in recent weeks after it was revealed he handed in a transfer request at Old Trafford.

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson shed light on the request after the last game of the season, and added it had been rejected out of hand.

Rooney is believed to be unhappy with being played out of position at the Red Devils following the arrival of Robin Van Persie last summer.

Among the clubs believed to be interested in signing the England star are Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

Speaking about the run of bets on a transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu, Alex Donohue, of betting firm Ladbrokes, said: “Plenty have backed Rooney for a Real switch at big odds. The gamble is showing no sign of stopping and if it proves to be more than just a rumour we’ll be paying out plenty.”

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