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La Liga calendar

La Liga calendar was drawn this morning in Madrid. Los Blancos will travel to La Coruña in the first game to play against Deportivo at Riazor. This first game will be played from the 18th to the 21st of August. After the first two games, La Liga will stop for the international break. This year, La Liga will end in May because the players need to rest before travelling to Russia to play the World Cup.

Apart from the start of the season at Riazor, where Los Blancos thrashed (2-6) their rival last season with an exhibition of the substitutes, another key dates are El Clásico or the derby against Atlético Madrid.

El first El Clásico will be held at Santiago Bernabéu on the 20th of December, only four days after Real Madrid play the final, hopefully, of the FIFA Club World Cup at Abu Dhabi. Los Blancos might ask to postpone this game until Thursday, so they can prepare it better. It will be the last game of the season for both giants. The second leg will be the 6th of May at Camp Nou in the 36th week of the season, so it could be decisive for the title race.

Besides, the first derby against Atlético Madrid will be in the 12 week, on the 19th of November. Real Madrid will visit for the very first time of the history Wanda Metropolitano, the brand new stadium of the city rivals.

Real Madrid will try to win back to back titles in La Liga after winning the trophy in the last game of the season at La Rosaleda in Málaga. Zinedine Zidane and his men will have played three official games before the start of the season because they have to meet Manchester United in the European Supercup and FC Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup.

The first week of La Liga:

Sevilla-Espanyol
Málaga-Eibar
Valencia-Las Palmas
Celta-Real Sociedad
Barça-Betis
Deportivo-Real Madrid
Leganés-Alavés
Levante-Villarreal
Girona-Atlético de Madrid
Athletic-Getafe

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Mbappe-Monaco-GI

Florentino Pérez is cashing a lot of money this summer after the sales of James Rodríguez to Bayern Munich, Álvaro Morata to Chelsea and the imminent deal between Danilo and Manchester City. This money should be used to sign a new great player and the chosen one is Kylian Mbappé. However, Mónaco set a very high price for his player, €190M. Mission impossible?

Apart from this crazy price, Monaco said that they will report to FIFA any club daring to contact their player: “AS MONACO regretfully notice that «important» European football clubs made contacts with Kylian Mbappé (and his entourage) without its authorization”, said the statement.

The club published in their website their aim to report all the contacts: “AS MONACO want to remind to these clubs that such actions are contrary to the article 211 of the Administrative regulation of the French Football League (Ligue de Football Professionnel) and to the article 18.3 of the Regulation of the Status and the Transfer of the Players of FIFA. To put an end to this unacceptable situation, AS Monaco consider asking the French Football League (Ligue de Football Professionnel) and the FIFA to commit disciplinary procedures against clubs offenders”, finished the statement.

Therefore, the situation is not very easy. Florentino Pérez said in June that the summer is very long and he’s used to close some deals at the end of August, so the time is not an issue. However, it looks very unlikely that Real Madrid could bid up to €190M, much more money that the record transfer fee set last summer by Paul Pogba and his deal with Manchester United.

Besides, Real Madrid have competition. Manchester City are also willing to sign Mbappé and some sources say that the citizens have already offered €140M, but their bid was rejected.

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Zinedine Zidane spoke for the very first time this season with Real Madrid TV at UCLA, in California, where the team is getting ready for a challenging season. The manager wasn’t asked about Morata’s departure or the transfer market, but he spoke about the new season to come and the goals for the year.

The French coach knows that Real Madrid is the team to beat this season, so it will be more difficult to win titles: “The season will be very exigent, more than ever. We are getting ready for this. The players are concerned about what we can expect this year. It will be tougher, but we like it, the challenge of trying to continue with our job and can win something new at the end of the season”.

Zidane gives Antonio Pintus all the protagonism these weeks, so the physical trainer can work with the group: “We have to work. It’s very important to work in the pre-season days. There are new players and we want to work. These three seasons are very very important for the rest of the season”, the manager explained to Real Madrid TV.

Although the team won four titles the last season, they are still eager to continue winning trophies: “I see eagerness in my players. They are the most important thing. I’ll have excitement until the last day. Thrill, work, dedication… I’m going to take advantage to every minute, every day. With a smile. I am very lucky for being in this great club. The most important thing are the players. We are going to do a good pre-season”, the manager told the press.

Finally, Zidane analyzed the first days of work at UCLA: “We cannot complain. We are here to work and the players are doing this. A lot of work. We are doing very well. Happy for this first season, but we have now to continue”, Zidane said.

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Dani Ceballos was unveiled on Thursday morning at Santiago Bernabéu with the president Florentino Pérez. The midfielder chose the number ‘24’, used by Asier Illarramendi in the past. The former Betis footballer wore his new t-shirt and went down to the pitch for the very first time. Tomorrow he’ll catch a flight to the United States to join the rest of the team in the pre-season tour, together with the rest of U-21 players.

Ceballos was very nervous in the unveiling, although he had the company of his family. He didn’t speak a lot, but the footballer wanted to highlight that he has accomplished a dream: “I want to thank the president the trust he had in me for the very first moment. Since I knew they wanted me, I didn’t have a choice to say no. My dream since I was little was being here. I come to sweat this t-shirt until the last second and render the history of this club bigger. Hala Madrid!”, the player finished.

The midfielder played at Betis his whole career and shone in the last two season, arriving to the under-21 national team. Now, he dresses the white t-shirt for the very first time in his life after the battle between Real Madrid and Barcelona to get the player.

The president Florentino Pérez also wanted to welcome the player: “We are going to unveiled a new player who will help us to generate new hopes. A young player who is shining in the present and is going to be a pillar of our team in the future. You know the self-improvement spirit, you’ve been named the best player in the Euro U-21 Tournament in Poland”, Florentino explained.

The president also spoke about the difficulties of the agreement: “Your conviction to dress the Real Madrid t-shirt was a key point. These supporters will be always with you, convinced that you’ll give everything for Real Madrid, like you did with Betis and the national team. This is the club you chose to triumph. Your willingness to defend this badge make us proud and we won’t forget. Work and fight. Your dream starts here”, the president told him.

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Álvaro Morata

Real Madrid and Chelsea have agreed a deal for the transfer of Álvaro Morata. The Blues will pay around €80M to the Spanish club as a transfer fee and the player will achieve his dream of leaving Madrid and play in the Premier League.

Morata is only 24 years old but he will have experience in top clubs in La Liga, Serie A and Premier League. The English champions signed the striker to replace Diego Costa, who should leave London and join Atlético Madrid as soon as possible. The striker will earn €9M per year in the South West London club.

Morata was training with his colleagues at UCLA but he has already left the concentration to join his new team and meet Antonio Conte, his new coach. Morata wasn’t happy with his role of the team, behind the BBC, and requested more protagonism. Hopefully, he could enjoy more minutes with the Italian coach, who already trained him at Juventus but put him several times on the bench.

“Real Madrid C. F. and Chelsea FC have reached an agreement regarding the transfer of Álvaro Morata, subject to the player completing his medical. The club wishes to express its thanks for the dedication, professionalism and exemplary conduct displayed by the player over the years, spanning his time in our academy right through to his spell as a member of the first-team squad”, published Real Madrid in their website.

AC Milan were also chasing Álvaro Morata, but the player wanted to play the Champions League next season. The Spaniard was about to sign with Manchester United, but the Red Devils finally tied Romelu Lukaku, so Chelsea had to move quickly in the market.

After receiving all this money, plus other €30M that should arrive for Danilo, Real Madrid could move in the summer transfer market. Kylian Mbappé could be the big target, although the signing is very complicated. Borja Mayoral, the other striker of the team, might leave also the club on loan this summer.

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Benzema-Alavés-GI

AC Milan are building a great squad with new players that want to compete again for the titles. The Italian team is out of the Champions League again, but they don’t want to miss another chance to go back to the European elite. For this reason, the new Chinese owner, Li Yonghong, wants to bring to the North of Italy the best European players.

So far, Milan bought Lucas Biglia, André Silva, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu, Mateo Musacchio or Ricardo Rodríguez. Besides, the team has secured Gigi Donnarumma’s continuity, one of the most promising goalkeepers of the continent. But the project doesn’t stop there and the club wants to bring the best players and now the target is an striker.

Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang was the first option but the Borussia Dortmund striker seems to stay in Germany one season more. Actually, both teams met in this pre-season and Dortmund won (3-1) with Aubameyang scoring one goal.

The second target is Álvaro Morata, who has still an option to go to Milan. Although the player wanted to be transferred to Manchester United, this possibility walked away when Lukaku signed for the Red Devils. Now Chelsea and AC Milan are his two options to leave Real Madrid.

But Morata is not the only striker that might go to AC Milan. The Italian club is also interested in Karim Benzema, according to the Italian newspaper Tuttosport. The ‘rossoneri’ could spend between €60M or €70M for the French striker, however it’s very unlikely that Los Blancos could sell the player.

Zinedine Zidane has a special preference for Benzema. We can say exactly the same for the president Florentino Pérez, who went to his home to sign him from Olympique Lyonnais. For this reason, Benzema’s door looks shut, but he could receive an interesting offer from Italy in the next days.

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Danilo is about to move to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has moved very quickly in the summer transfer window and he’s about to get the Brazilian right back in the next hours. Although Chelsea had advantage and moved first, the citizens were more decided to get him and the deal is almost sealed, according to the Spanish newspaper MARCA.

Guardiola showed his interest in Danilo this week. Although Manchester City signed recently Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur for £50M, the citizens were looking for another right back in the market. Danilo was the perfect solution because he could play in both wings and also in the a five-men defense.

Therefore, the agreement is almost sealed. Manchester City and Danilo have a deal, but the clubs have still to negotiate. Money is never a problem for Pep Guardiola or the sky blues, so they are able to bid up to €35M, Real Madrid aspirations.

Florentino Pérez wants to cash in at least €100M for Álvaro Morata and Danilo and he’s on his ways to achieve it. After the dubious agreement for James Rodríguez with Bayern Munich -he’ll go on loan for very little money- Los Blancos can get a lot of money for these two operations.

Danilo is currently training with his colleagues at UCLA, but he could leave the training ground at any moment now. The 26-year-old player arrived to Madrid only two seasons ago after a successful stage at Porto. Los Blancos paid €31.5M for the transfer and they’re about to get this money back, although the player disappointed in these two years.

Pep Guardiola wanted to reinforce the defensive line this summer after a frustrating season with Otamendi and Stones as the full-backs and Sagna, Kolarov or Clichy in the wings. The citizens are still looking for more defenders in the market but Danilo could be the next one to arrive to the Etihad Stadium.

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Real Madrid bosses are waiting for a resolution for Álvaro Morata’s case. But only Zinedine Zidane or Florentino Pérez are on hold for this situation, also Borja Mayoral future depend on the former Juventus striker. If Morata leaves, Mayoral has a lot of options to stay, although the most likely thing is for Mayoral to go on loan to a top flight club.

According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, even if Morata leaves the club, Mayoral could on loan to another first division team in La Liga. Zidane thinks that Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale could cover the striker position with guarantees, especially with Isco, Asensio or Lucas Vázquez behind.

There are several clubs interested in getting Mayoral next season. Alavés and Leganés have shown already their intentions to get the loan of the striker. Real Madrid and Alavés keep very good relationships after the loan of Marcos Llorente o Enzo Zidane, whereas Leganés -a team of Madrid region- tried last season to get the loan of Mariano Díaz unsuccessfully.

Mayoral would like to stay with Los Blancos but his priority is to have minutes. Last season he went on loan to Wolfsburg, that had a very difficult season playing to avoid relegation until the end. The Spaniard only played three games from the start in the Bundesliga, scoring only two goals. For this reason, the 20-year-old forward needs minutes to continue developing himself professionally.

If Morata and Mayoral leave, Real Madrid won’t have any clear substitute for the forward position. Last season, Morata was a key player in the squad and Mariano, who was sold to Olympique Lyonnais, had also some minutes during the season. Although Real Madrid bosses don’t think about buying another striker, it might be necessary to reinforce this position. Kylian Mbappé would be the best option, but the price and the coexistence with the BBC make this signing very difficult.

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Casemiro Real Madrid

Carlos Henrique Casemiro is one of the most important players in the squad. After his year at Porto, the Brazilian midfielder improved a lot, so he could earn a spot in the line-up. Zidane didn’t trust him at the beginning, because he didn’t want to play with a stopper, but now he’s a key footballer in the squad and ready to face all the challenges in this new season.

Casemiro spoke in an interview with ESPN and he explained the big impression Zinedine Zidane had on him: “I was ashamed to speak with him. Today it’s more natural. Sometimes, when we miss one player in one match, he plays and ends up being the best one in the training session”.

The midfielder spoke about his friend Marcelo and the special relationship they have: “I always say that the player who surprises me the most every day is Marcelo. What he does with the ball is crazy. It’s unfair just keeping one, but I have a special affection for this guy”, Casemiro said about his colleague in the Brazilian national team.

The Brazilian stopper was also asked about Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still enjoying his holidays: “He’s a smart guy. He knows how to ration himself in the important games. We have to congratulate him and the technical staff because Cristiano Ronaldo was a machine last season”.

Finally, Casemiro spoke about the rivals and Leo Messi, who drove the Brazilian crazy in the last El Clásico in La Liga: “He likes to drive crazy the rival. It’s something we spoke in the dressing room. We cannot leave him there forgotten because it would be a signal that he will give us work”.

Now Casemiro is training with the rest of the team with Antonio Pintus, getting ready for a challenging season. Luckily, this season he should have more rest because Los Blancos brought back from Alavés Marcos Llorente, who should be Casemiro’s replacement in the line-up.

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Sergio Ramos could enjoy six more days on holidays and he came back to work last Sunday. The defender is the great captain of the team, respected by all the players and leading the ship together with Zinedine Zidane. Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo are the other captains after Pepe’s departure, but Sergio Ramos is the only boss in the dressing room.

We could see how important is Sergio Ramos in the squad in his arrival to the hotel in Los Angeles. Real Madrid TV showed how the defender greeted at every single player of the squad and welcomed Theo Hernández, the only new signing at the moment in the team.

Just after joining the group, Sergio Ramos started working on his own. The full back started with the physical training to be ready for the European Supercup against Manchester United at the beginning of August. The first friendly game of the season will be against the Red Devils on Saturday, but it’s quite unlikely that the Andalusian player could be ready.

With Sergio Ramos in the squad, Zinedine Zidane has 27 players to train with. The others still missing are Cristiano Ronaldo, who played the Confederations Cup, and the U-21 players -Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio, Jesús Vallejo, Borja Mayoral and Marcos Llorente-, who will join the group during the weekend.

Sergio Ramos was one of the best players again last season. The defender is improving year by year, becoming a key footballer in Real Madrid history. He’s about to start his 13th season at the club, so he has the experience needed to boss the colleagues and help Zidane with the group.

Sergio Ramos performance last season was amazing. He scored 7 goals in La Liga, including the net at El Clásico, and we have to add two more in the Champions League, both against Napoli. Last year he scored a very important goal in the European Supercup against Sevilla, so hopefully he can be ready to play the first title of the year.

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