AC Milan vs Real Madrid | Preview
This is no David vs Goliath kind of a game. Its more of a David on David or a Goliath on Goliath kind of a match up cause these two are equally big names. When Real Madrid face AC Milan in a European night at San Siro it just cannot get better. The two giants are statistically the top two teams in Europe and possess several of the top players of the past, present and the future. With this build up I go into tonight’s post where I will be previewing tonight’s clash at the San Siro between these two heavyweights (lightweights in case you feel its a David vs David kind of a game).
Jose Mourinho leads his troops into the city of Milan knowing that it is one battlefield where Madrid have never tasted victory. To put it straight Real Madrid have never won at the San Siro in 13 attempts. In fact ten of the games have ended in defeat. But then again, Milan have an equally poor field record against Mourinho’s teams losing eight out of the eight times that they have previously met over the past three years. But its an all new playing field tonight. History does not matter and neither do statistics. All that would matter is how ready the teams are to take advantage of the mistakes made by the other.
Mourinho spoke of Real’s poor record at the San Siro during yesterday’s press conference saying:
The fact that Real Madrid have never won in San Siro doesn’t add pressure. This is a hard place to play and win in. Madrid has had great teams and has not won. This is a tough field. TheTifosi help their team a lot. I am sure Milan fans are worried because Real Madrid can win here. We can win. It will be a great match; perhaps the most watched on European televisions. And the referee is fantastic. We are all obligated to perform well.
YES WE CAN. And if we do then the two games left in this phase of the competition would be dead rubber as Real would already be through as Group Leaders. But JM insists that shouldn’t be the case.
If we qualify for the next round tomorrow, some coaches may believe that the next two matches are not important and that they can put the Champions League on hold until February. Real Madrid is always required to play its best. We cannot play those next two matches thinking that we have taken care of business.
Milan on the other hand need a win tonight and possibly on the next match day as well. They are just coming out a loss against Juventus in the weekend in what was an important tie with respect to their title race. But Massimiliano Allegri insists when a team like Milan loses the criticism is almost ensured. This came from a man who has even fewer Champions League games in his pocket than Tottenham Hotspurs have:
We lost an important game in the league, but we had won the previous four. It’s OK to emphasise the fact when a team like Milan lose, and of course we can improve on many things, but there are also many positive signs that make me optimistic. This is a strong group of players, playing at a good level, so we have everything needed to win. We have to keep Real Madrid under pressure – we can’t repeat the technical mistakes we made in the first leg.
And under pressure we shall be. Returning from injury from them are key players like Massimo Ambrosini, Thiago Silva and Ronaldinho who can possibly make a difference. And Sergio Ramos was quick to acknowledge the talent that Milan possessed in their ranks and the difference that they could make. Speaking to the press ahead of the clash, the right back who missed the previous tie with the Rossoneri said:
No one questions the talent of players like Ronaldinho or Robinho. They are game-breakers, but I am more concerned about the entire squad. They have very talented and experienced players. We all have so much at stake.
AC MILAN SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Christian Abbiati, Marco Amelia;
Defenders: Luca Antonini, Marek Jankulovski, Alessandro Nesta, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Thiago Silva, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mario Yepes;
Midfielders: Ignazio Abate, Massimo Ambrosini, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mathieu Flamini, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf;
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Filippo Inzaghi, Alexandre Pato, Robinho, Ronaldinho.
As far as the absentees are concerned Massimo Oddo has been ruled out for four to six weeks after sustaining a left thigh problem in training on Friday. Daniele Bonera was replaced before half-time in their game against Juventus after picking up a knock to his left shin.
Like me Jose too does not care about the way they will come at us. But come at us they will with all the vengeance that their old bodies can muster. In the previous tie they preferred to use their old warhorses against our young guns and paid for it dearly. This time I am sure that will change. Thiago Silva will probably play and he should if you ask me. This is the time of the season when we need to be challenged and this is time to prove ourselves to the rest of the world. If I were to be Allegri, I’d play all the four Brazilians along with Ibrahimobitch and Captain Planet and the Planeteers and bring in the Swat Kats if I must to try and stop Real from giving my team a footballing lesson. But hell Allegri is not all that smart or at least doesn’t seem that way.
Amidst all this Sergio Ramos also spoke about Karim Benzema (a topic which I have covered enough about) and Howard Webb as well who will be officiating the game. Ramos called him his lucky charm but I am not sure Xabi Alonso would agree with his fellow Spaniard. The last time Alonso and Webb were on the same field Alonso almost left with a broken rib courtesy Dangerous De Jong. I sure hope we return with nothing less than tired legs back home. An injury at this point of the season can cripple the team’s form.
Talking about injuries, (in what could possibly be a move to unsettle Milan’s tactics devised by none other than Professor X himself) Angel Di Maria, I heard, apparently faced a late fitness test to determine whether or not he was fit to play tonight. The high-flying Argentine apparently suffered a bruised knee in training on Monday but was included in the squad as the coach was confident that he would recover in time. Pedro Leon or Karim Benzema were touted as being his replacements in case he had failed to recover in time.
The only ones still injured are Kaka, Garay and Gago. The latter is almost fine again as he trained with the squad on Monday. Lass, who had been injured for the past few weeks, is fine once again. But the Frenchman has not travelled with the side as Mourinho insisted that players not fit enough for a weekend game cannot be fit for a midweek clash. The rest 21 have all made the cut.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Mateos, Carvalho.
Midfielders: Khedira, Alonso, Ozil, Diarra, Canales, Granero, Pedro Leon, Di Maria.
Forwards: Benzema, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo.
I am confident that Real will be playing the same formation as they have been playing till this point of the season – the 4-2-3-1 convertible. But what can possibly change is who plays and who doesn’t. Knowing Mourinho I don’t think there will be any but something tells me that Arbeloa might just get a game. Apart from that I don’t think there will be any changes to the side. Ozil, Di Maria and Ronaldo should give their defense a handful and hopefully get the better of the Milanese cunts.
Moving on and in case you didn’t already know Ruben De la Red has officially retired from all forms of the game and will take up a coaching role with the side. The player had remained optimistic of eventually making a return to the game, but Marca reports today that De La Red has accepted a coaching role at the club until his contract expires. Reports suggest that Florentino Perez had promised De La Red that the club would not leave him after the incident against Real Union, and now as promised the club have given him a role which can develop his coaching abilities alongside Jose Mourinho and Castilla boss Alejandro Menendez. De La Red’s position is thought help him to progress into working with one of the youth teams at the club and help players progress through the ranks. Sad but I am happy for the player. He was arguably one of the best midfielders that Castilla had ever produced and definitely would have played a vital role in the team if not for the condition that he suffers from.
And that brings this post to an end.
Hoping for a Real win.
Until next time,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Ruthless Ronaldo and Milan
Happy November to all!
The Golden Month of October is over and what a beautiful month it has been especially for football’s version of Shawn Michaels – Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese HBK has had a tremendous October and probably one of the best he will ever have at least when it comes to the footballing point of view. He might score a lot more socially but 13 goals in nine games is no easy feat. Real too have been in scintillating form, winning all their La Liga and Champions League games and drawing the Copa tie away at Murcia. We have scored 6 goals in a single game twice this month and have beaten a quality Milan side comprehensively at home. Anyhoo, continuing what I was saying about Sexy Boy, he just needs one more goal to beat Puskas’ record of 13 goals in 9 consecutive matchdays which I am sure he will.
November will be a really crucial month for us. We start this month’s fixtures with a trip to the San Siro tomorrow where we will face off against Milan again in the Champions League. On Sunday will be the first El Derbi Madrileno of the season when we welcome (well, not exactly) Atleti to the Bernabeu. Next midweek will be the return leg of the Copa against Murcia, the consolation being that the game is at home. Following weekend we travel to Gijon – those with a good memory should remember what happened there last time around when we could only manage a point with their keeper being in the form of his life. This time around a draw would not suffice especially considering the fact that our next three fixtures in the league would be against Bilbao at home, Barça away and Valencia at home (which falls in December). If all is well then come the second week of December we should be through to the next round of the Champions league and the Copa Del Rey and should be comfortably sitting on top of the La Liga table having beaten two of our closest rivals. Fingers crossed for that.
But its of course better to take one thing at a time and our most immediate worry should be Milan. The players got together yesterday at the Valdebebas to train for the fixture. I would have loved to give you more information about the same but the session was closed to the media. But later in the evening, it was Carvalho’s turn to entertain the press and the Portuguese concurred that Milan would be waiting to avenge the pain that was inflicted upon them by us mid-October. The veteran defender rightfully said that securing pole position in the Group is critical and that’s why its important to get a good result in Italy.
He said:
It’s important for us to be group leaders after our game in Milan. Our goal is to secure the first position as soon as possible and that’s why it’s important to earn a good result there. We were better than them at the Bernabeu and they will want to prove they can defeat us.
As usual the club’s website came up with the necessary permutations and combinations that it generally comes up with at this stage with reference to the possibilities of Real sealing the passage to the next stage.
The boys were of course better than Milan. The aging midfielders that the Rossoneri had was no match to the creative strength and the young legs that Real possessed. Allegri was completely out-witted and his team was outplayed so to speak by JM and his players. But this time around it probably would be different. Its a whole new situation and a whole new playing field. Milan is no stupid team even though they possess smelly cunts like Gattuso and Ibrahimovic. They can beat any team on their given day. Considering the form that Khedira was in against Hercules (concurred here by Jose himself) we must be having no problem in midfield again. But at the same time the way the defense dealt with Hercules’ wingers we will probably have problems at the San Siro if we continue the same way. Robinho/Ronaldinho/Pato are the dirtiest of Brazilians there have ever been. As miserable as they are, the trio is dangerous, not only because of their ape like natures (nothing racist here), but also because of the cunt-like trickery that they possess. If Ramos or little Marcel try to attack too much we might really have a pain in the backside (pun intended). Now, Madridistas might raise a point saying we should probably go for Arbeloa over one of the two as he provides us with the defensive stability that a full back needs. Point taken but its Jose’s decision to make. Considering the fact that Pato was completely silenced by Arba the last time the two sides met in Milan it wouldn’t be a bad choice after all.
Talking about last time, Karim Benzema was the one who scored our only goal in the 1-1 draw that we managed at the San Siro last year in the same phase. There had been a lot of talking going on over the last week regarding the Frenchman’s death but all that was silenced when he walked in a quarter of an hour before full time at the Jose Rico Perez and produced two assists that won the game for Real in what was a poor game for the team as a whole. Carvalho, like the rest of the team, was quick to praise the former Lyon striker as well, saying:
We are all very happy for Benzema. I believe he is in good form. It’s important for a player to build his confidence and these games help to do so. He played very well yesterday and he is training well too.
I doubt if he has done enough to earn himself a starting spot. But I do believe that he will definitely be playing a role later in the game as an impact player. Considering Milan’s age, there will be a lot of tired legs on the field in case Allegri decides to line up his has beens again and Benzema could really do them with his speed and agility.
Like I already mentioned November is going to be one hell of a month. Xavi has already waged a war against us and it is our duty to respond. Of course they are no match for us off the field. Mourinho’s bad mouthing can not be matched. Its all about what we can do on the field now.
In case you are looking forward to the complete press conference to be posted here, I am sorry to disappoint you. There shall be no more pressers posted here on Hala Madrid here on. I am thinking of revamping the whole structure of the website as I am looking at an improvement in the ratings. As a fellow Madridista I request you readers to recommend this site to fellow fans and others as well. I hope you will. If you don’t, then I hope at least you will continue reading.
Until next time,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
And we meet again…
Real Madrid will face AC Milan yet again in this year’s edition of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages after it was decided at Monaco gala earlier today. The other two teams in the group would be AJ Auxerre from France and AFC Ajax from The Netherlands of course. Real have thus been pitted into what can be called the Group of Death considering the result of the rest of the draw.
Ironical or not ironical, it had to be FC Internazionale Milano’s Brazilian defender Maicon who picked the lot containing Real Madrid. The Right Back who won the Champions League with the Nerazzuri last season under Real’s current coach, Jose Mourinho had been linked with us throughout the summer but the move collapsed due to more than one reason. The player was awarded UEFA’s Club Defender of the Year award for his stellar performances for Inter last season.
Real’s Champions League campaign under Mourinho begins at home against Ajax on the 15th of next month and ends again at home against Auxerre in the first week of December with the Milan games falling right in between just like last season.
Our record against our opponents is nothing to be proud of either. Milan beat us 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu last season, drawing 1-1 in the return fixture at San Siro, but much has changed since then, with both sides going into the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League campaign led by new coaches. The two teams will of course be wary of each other, yet Ajax and Auxerre will pose just as big a concern, with the Amsterdam side having won their last four games against us and lost just once.
Speaking after the draw, sporting director Emilio Butragueño said that the third and fourth teams in our group will be complicated, but that he believes that the will pull through. He said:
Our bad luck came from the third and fourth pots. The fact that we drew Milan doesn’t worry me as we knew we were going to get a difficult or very difficult team from the top seeds. What I don’t like at all in there is Auxerre: they were the trickiest team from pot four.
And it is not a surprise that he picked the French team as the trickiest of the four. Ajax and Milan are threats, no doubts, but the mere fact that Real have to play in France itself makes the group tough for them considering their poor history on French soil.
On the other hand, Milan definitely would be our toughest rivals in the group considering the fact that they are not the same ‘old’ side that they were last season, but have made a few good signings during the summer and are probably on the verge of taking back Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Spain back to Italy. Their new manager, Massimiliano Allegri, well known in Italy, is an unknown commodity in the Champions league. Speaking to the press after the clash, he admitted that this was definitely at least one of the Groups of Death, saying:
Our group is the toughest one, along with Inter’s. We are both up against strong opponents. Playing against Real Madrid is something special for us and inspiring for sure. San Siro and the Santiago Bernabéu will be full for those games and we’ll witness an extraordinary show in both stadiums.
This would be the ideal opportunity for Real to break their Champions League jinx and prove their critics wrong. Like every other season this Champions League campaign too begins with a lot of hope and belief along with the dream that this will be the year in which we will lift the tenth. But then again, its again a new manager and a new team and the settling allowance factor starts creeping in with the only difference is that this new manager is better known as The Special One and is well known for producing when needed.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Get Silva for Silverware
An even shorter post today as I am totally swamped.
Raúl will leave the club at the end of the season if the club agree to pay out the last remaining year on his contract, according to AS. Why? His worst goals to games ratio in 16 years in the first team.
Its AS again. And Real Madrid have reportedly identified Valencia star David Silva as the prime transfer target for next season. They feel that it is our midfield that needs strengthening considering the possible departures of Guti, Lass, Diarra and Gago. They even went on to say that we almost signed him towards the end of last season.
Zinedine Zidane does not have any doubts about Kaká, thinks Franck Ribery was born to play at Real Madrid, feels Benzema has the talent, but he needs do what Madrid demands of him, thinks Raul is an example and that his attitude is phenomenal and finally even though does not know Pellegrini very well he would maintain him as the coach. Phew!
Milan want Sergio Ramos. Ramos is currently in talks with Real over a contract extension to his current 2013 deal, but the club have deferred a decision because he is asking for €6million per annum. Enough said. Give him what he wants.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Post-match comments
Director General and Presidential Aide Jorge Valdano was satisfied with the good impression Real Madrid made in Milan. Manuel Pellegrini praised his men’s performance and said he believes Real Madrid should have won the match. Kaka returned to San Siro tonight and received a warm welcome from Milan fans. The Brazilian was happy with Real Madrid’s performance. Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy were very satisfied with the team’s performance in Milan. Xabi Alonso felt Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at AC Milan was a good result. Arbeloa and Pepe were happy with the team’s performance but sad with the final score. Both men believe the team deserved more.
Valdano:
We had clear chances on goal. The periods of good football in our game are gradually longer and the team is improving. The squad’s attitude has always been good. I’ve never complained about it. We play better at times, but our men have always been professional. We have to pull thorugh. Making a mistake at home brings these things on, but impoving is what really counts and it can help us reach the next round because it makes us more confident.
Pellegrini:
We took one point at an important stadium, but it’s a shame we didn’t win because we could have. I think we deserved to seal our pass to the next round. Both results against Milan don’t correspond with what happened on the pitch.
I will not question the referee’s decisions. We played well in the first half and had 16 shots on target. We wanted to win from the start and we dominated the match. Milan kept more possession in the second part, which prevented us from reaching their goal so frequently. We nevertheless had our chances and we came close to scoring through shots from Raul and Marcelo.
The men who played against Getafe showcased great spirit when we were one man down. I believed they deserved to be starters again. Rotations aren’t compulsory.
I feel calm when I see my men’s attitude. We are just one point behind the leaders in La Liga and we are leaders in the Champions League. We improve on a daily basis. I would have preferred to win because I believe we deserved to. I would have liked my palyers’ efforts to have been rewarded with a victory. Milan have important players capable of defeating you at any given moment.
I’m not satisfied because I believe we deserved to win, but I also think it was important not to lose. We failed to win because Milan scored from the penalty. They hardly had any chances on our goal.
AC Milan 1-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid owned the match against Milan in San Siro on Tuesday, affixiated the host on several occasions and displayed some of their best football of the season. They controlled possession of the ball as well as scoring opportunities and Benzema knocked in his first goal in Champions League action this year. But the Whites were unable to walk away victorious after the hosts equalized by way of a Ronaldinho penalty. The pace slowed in the second half and the scoreboard didn’t budge, but Real Madrid are one step closer to the Last 16 after the 1-1 draw.
The Whites played an impeccable first half with splendid passing and pressure against an opponent that looked uneasy on its own turf. The Rossoneri relied on the counterattack by capitalizaing on Pato’s speed, but it was Real who created one opportunity after the next. Lass from long range (9’), Higuain from the top of the box (13’), Xabi following a free-kick (16’), Benzema with a against-the-grain strike (19’)… With twenty minutes off the clock Real Madrid led 4-0 in shots on goal.
Milan’s first clear chance came off the boots of Pato, who feinted inside the Madridista box only to be stymied by Casillas. The visitors needed to settle down and were able to do so on 29’, when following a shot by Kaka, the ball deflected off Thiago Silva and Dida cleared. Benzema scooped it up inside the box and curled in a low burner for his first goal in Europe this season (29’).
Just when Madrid hit cruise control, Zambrotta’s cross hit Pepe’s forearm while inside the box and the referee called the penalty. Ronaldinho took the spot kick and put the equalizer on the board with a shot into the corner (34’). Two minutes later, Pato had a goal disallowed after being called for a hand-ball. By halftime, the best way to sum up the first 45 minutes was 16 shots for Real Madrid and only three for Milan.
The second half saw more of the same from Milan and a less intense Madrid side. Both teams had opportunities to take the lead, although the Whites still controlled possession. Ambrosini’s shot sailed wide following a Pirlo cross (59’), Kaka had a go from outside the box (69’), Higuain was unable to meet a center put in by Arbeloa (71’) and Casillas trapped a cross that Borrierllo attempted to get a foot to. Raul came on for Higuian (76’) and Benzema was replaced by Van Nistelrooy (83’).
Milan had two close encounters down the home stretch. Inzaghi sent a Pato cross over the woodwork and on 84’ the Italian forward sent another ball into the stands. Real Madrid responded with a shot by Marcelo that Dida got a fingertip to and a strike by Raul, who was centimeters away from giving the Whites the lead. The final score saw each team earn a point despite overall superiority by the Madridistas.
AC Milan vs Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League | Group Stages | Matchday 4 | Preview
The Champions League returns with another star-studded matchup on Tuesday as Milan host Real Madrid at San Siro stadium. It’s a rematch between the two winningest sides in Europe and a special encounter for Kaka, who returns to the stomping grounds he called home during six seasons. The winner will be on a crash course into the Last 16 as sole possessor of the top spot in Group C.
Real Madrid and the Rossoneri have met on twelve occasions. Tonight the Whites hope to level the playing field after losing the first leg of the tie two weeks ago at the Santiago Bernabeu. Pellegrini’s men seek their third Champions League victory of the season, an outcome that would carry the team to the top of the Group C table. It would also mark the first Real Madrid win at San Siro in official competition.
With an impressive League record of seven victories, one draw and one loss, Real Madrid hope to carry their momentum into European play. Twenty players traveled to Milan, although one will have to be scratched before kick-off. After such an intense workout on Monday night at San Siro, the team is anxious to get the ball rolling against the Rossoneri, who since leaving the Bernabeu with a win have drastically improved their domestic situation in the Calcio. Leonardo and company have climbed into fourth place following their 2-0 victory against Parma and are just two points off second and third place Juventus and Sampdoria.
There will be mixed emotions on the field for several players, but for Kaka it will be especially poignant. Tonight marks the first time that the Brazilian returns to the stomping grounds that he called home for six seasons.
Few changes to the 20 call-ups for Getafe
Manuel Pellegrini released his 20-man squad list for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Milan at San Siro. Drenthe will make the trip to Italy, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Garay will stay in the Spanish capital due to injury and Guti and Metzelder because of a coaching deicision.
Payback is a bi*ch – Milan pre-preview
So finally it is here. Real Madrid face AC Milan at the San Siro on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League 2008-09 Group Stages. Kaká returns to the San Siro where he served loyally until he found himself a better life at Real Madrid during the summer of ’09. And he is a part of the Real Madrid side which will be looking to get three points out of a game by the end of which they could be topping the group at the expense of their opponents if all goes well.
Pellegrini post-match press conference
Manuel Pellegrini analysed the match against Milan in a press conference.
Do you think the team lacked pace? Why did it lose control in the last 30 minutes?
We had control over the game until Milan scored the equaliser. I guess the 2-1 score despaired us and made us play in a disorganised way.
Your two games against strong teams, namely Sevilla and Milan, have ended up in defeats. How much does that worry you?
Every defeat is something to worry about. Both teams are better established and their players have been playing together for a longer time. I don’t think our defeats are normal. We hope to continue to improve. Our two main goals right now are to make it to the next round and to keep our performnaces up in La Liga.
Several things surprised us, like Raul serving a corner or Drenthe taking a free-kick. Was that rehearsed or was it a result of desperation?
It was not desperation nor chance. The corner served by Raul was preceded by a previous one served by Xabi Alonso. He wasn’t going to cross the entire width of the pitch, so Raul took it. We have several free-kick experts and Drenthe has good touch on ball, as proven by the goal he scored.
Real Madrid have hardly delivered what was expected of them so far. Does that worry the Club?
I have understandable worries, but I’m not going to value what’s happened. I think we just played badly for five minutes, but they were very noticeable. I think the team is performing adequately and we hope to improve.
You called up Arbeloa to face Valladolid despite the fact he was niggled. You called up Higuain tonight but had to drop him right before the match. Have you ever thought about using academy players?
Arbeloa was niggled but could play, though we nevertheless decided he should completely recover. Higuain had to be dropped following doctor’s recommendations and we didn’t think it was necessary to call up a youth teamer. You can’t use an academy player as a last resort in the Champions League in any case.
Pepe was involved in a tense moment of the match that started when Ronaldinho hit Raul with his hand. Have you spoken to him about that given what happened with him last season?
I didn’t see what happened. I’ll have a look at it and will talk to him about it if somehing tells me I should.
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano analysed the Real Madrid-Milan match. Kaka shared his own personal view of the entire match against his former team, Milan. Defender Raul Albiol lamented the chances the team missed to win the match against Milan and the mistakes made in the final minutes of the clash.
Valdano:
It was important for us to put the authority we have in the Champions League to the test tonight, but we faced a veteran side that capitalised on its chances. This forces us to work harder and blend better in order to be ready for this championship. We must be ambitious in Milan to seal our pass to the next round.
We played very well at times, with our best men connecting well with each other, but we also had some downs. These things happen when a team is in the process of being built and work is the only solution. I guess this is why the squad sometimes seems to be too anxious to score early on in the game. I have faith in this professional group of players and I know the team will soon be balanced, but I also know it’s hard to get there.
I’m not going to talk about men who didn’t play today; eleven played today and they should all be praised for their efforts. Cristiano is recovering and we hope he returns soon, just like the rest of our injured men. The team is all that matters for good and bad.
Kaka:
This was a very important game for me because I came face to face with my former team-mates, but I am not happy with the score. We tried to win, but we have to improve more.
We played very well in the first half. Benzema was tackled inside the box; I don’t like to talk about referees, but I think it was a clear penalty this time. Raul scored a very clever goal. He is always amazing. He’s broken every single record and he is the smartest at netting strikes. He never gets tired and he is the hardest worker; that’s why he is still essential.
We had chances to score more goals; Marcelo had a powerful shot, I forced Dida to make a save… But Pirlo’s strike surprised everybody. It was a trademark shot of his. The Champions League ball curbs a lot and Iker failed to read its trajectory accurately.
Milan grew confident. They are always dangerous because they have excellent players. We should have controlled the game then; we needed to stay calm, especially against such a strong side. We were at our worst when we conceded Pato’s goal. We didn’t know how to control the situation and several details ended up making all the difference.
Hope returned with Drenthe’s strike; we wanted to win to seal the pass to the next round. It wasn’t to be. We have six points and we’ll have to try to seal it in Milan. We focused on attacking in the final minutes and left open spaces. They did too, so anyone could have scored. They did so through a great play by Seedorf that was finished off by Pato. All that’s left for us to do is to continue to improve and to win in Milan.
Raul Albiol:
Everything changed as soon as Milan scored their first goal. They became more confident in attack and we just couldn’t control them. They have quality players that can change everything in just one second.
A draw wouldn’t have been a bad result for us. They were very lucky to score the equaliser and we had chances to seal the match when when the score was 2-2. We must learn from the mistakes we made and look ahead. There are three games left we’ll have to win in order to qualify as group leaders. It’s a shame to lose this way and you feel bad about it. I don’t think we deserved to lose, but they played better than us in the final 30 minutes.
Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan
AC Milan leave the Spanish capital with three points in tow after displaying tremendous efficiency on the pitch. The first half was all Real Madrid, who went into halftime with a one goal lead thanks to Raul. The second half saw both teams increase the tempo, and in a three minute span the visitors managed to turn around the score with goals by Pirlo and Pato. Drenthe pulled the Whites even, but Pato knocked in the winner near the end of regulation.
With Kaka the only new face in the starting eleven with respect to last weekend’s match against Valladolid, Real Madrid needed just twenty minutes to take the lead against the Rossoneri. Raul anticipated a hesitant Dida as he trapped the ball following a shot by Granero and the captain knocked it in for the first score of the night.
Benzema was subsequently sent to the turf by Zambrota but the referee failed to call a penalty. Granero and Real Madrid later had up to seven chances to pad the lead before halftime but weren’t able to penetrate a retreating Milan side.
Real Madrid maintained possession to start the second half, while the visitors waited for counterattack opportunities. On a play that initially looked to be harmless, Pirlo fired in a bullet from thirty meters out that Casillas had no chance of saving.
Three minutes later, Pato capitalized on a Casillas error following a deep ball sent into the box. But Milan’s advantage was short-lived as Drenthe, who replaced Granero, found the back of the net from the top of the box for the equalizer. The match was wide open for the taking, and Milan’s man-of-the-match, Alexandre Pato, hammered home the winner with a brilliant strike near the end of regulation.
Lineups
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Lass, Xabi Alonso, Kaká, Granero (Drenthe 68′), Benzema, Raúl;
Milan: Dida, Oddo, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Seedorf, Alexandre Pato, Inzaghi (Borriello 61′), Ronaldinho (Flamini 93′);
Goals:
Referee: Mr. Frank de Bleeckere (BEL)
Booked: Albiol, Marcelo, Raul, Nesta, Zambrotta.
Notes: Matchday 3 of the Champions League played at a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. UEFA President Michel Platini observed the match from the Presidential Balcony.
Real Madrid vs AC Milan | UEFA Champions League | Group Stages | Matchday 3 | Preview
The Champions League returns to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, where the two most heralded teams in European competition square off. It will be Kaka’s first appearance against his former side since making the switch over the summer. Real Madrid can take over the driver’s seat by notching their third straight victory in Group C. Milan have never won in the Bernabeu and are without key players including Gennaro Gatusso.
Real Madrid and Milan meet for the most anticipated game of Matchday 3. Although they haven’t measured forces in seven years, they have produced some of the most memorable highlights ever.
The teams have very different needs heading into tonight’s showdown, but both have the same objective of winning. The Whites sit atop Group C having defeated Zurich and Olympique de Marseille. The Rossoneri, however, lost their last match at home to the Swiss side and need to get back on track if they intend to move through to the next round.
Milan has had a tumultuous start to the season. They are currently eighth in the Calcio table and seven points off the leader, Inter Milan. Last weekend’s victory against Roma gave the team a bit of breathing room, but heading into the Bernabeu they are without the services of Storari, Onyeweu, Gatusso and Di Gennaro.
The Whites have a much different tale to tell. Pellegrini’s men have eight victories in nine matches, and with the Last 16 nearly within reach, they are the highest scoring team in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Manuel Pellegrini called up 18 players including Lass Diarra, who did not train on Monday as a precautionary measure. Guti will not play as he has yet to recovered from a sprained ankle. Cristiano Ronaldo, competition’s top scorer, Van Nistelrooy, Metzelder and Gago are also unavailable.
After spending six seasons in Milan, Kaka will play his first match against his former team. “I will do my best so that Real Madrid win,” said the Brazilian during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. But he won’t be the only player up against his former side. Seedorf and Huntelaar also return to their former stomping grounds.
Lass available against Milan
Manuel Pellegrini has made public the names of those players called up for Wednesday’s Champions League match against Milan. Lass has been given the green light after spending Monday working out in the gym, but Guti is still unavailable due to a left ankle sprain. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gago, Van Nistelrooy and Metzelder will also miss the match due to injury, while Antonio Adan was left off the squad list due to a coaching decision.
SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Drenthe, Albiol, Garay.
Midfielders: Diarra, Kaka, Lass, Xabi Alonso, Van Der Vaart, Granero.
Forwards: Raul, Benzema, Higuain.
Milan, Marseille and Zurich: Easy or tough?
The Champions League draw is over. We are in Group C along with AC Milan, Olympique Marseille and FC Zurich.
Huntelaar finally has a chance to hunt us down. He can learn from Fernando Morientes on how to do it. Morientes will be yet another former Madridista returning along with Heinze when Marseille face us. Also, from our side, Kaka will make an emotion return to the San Siro.
It sounds more like an emotional group stage than a competitive one doesn’t it?
We shall wait and see.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
P.S: Barca drew Inter. Bayern drew Juve. Hahahahahaha!
Santiago Bernabeu trophy against Rosenborg BK
This year’s Santiago Bernabeu Trophy which was to see Real Madrid play AC Milan against each other has had to be postponed due to a change in opponent following security measures provoked by the Atletico Madrid-Panathinaikos Champions League qualifier.
AC Milan have been unable to accept any of the other suggested dates for the clash due to the changes in the schedule of the Italian league. Thus the game will now take place on 24 August at 22:00 CET against Rosenborg BK, the most successful and honoured Norwegian team.
The club announced that tickets already purchased for the cancelled game against AC Milan will be valid for the new clash. On the other hand, Club Members and Madridistas who wish to be reimbursed for their tickets will be able to get their money back between today and 21 August at the ticket offices of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium between 15:00 and 20:00. Tickets purchased through phone or internet sales will be reimbursed on +34 902 40 30 60.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Milan for 15 million euros
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will play in Milan next season, following an agreement between Real Madrid and the club rossonero for 15 million euros plus a bonus payable in three years. The Dutchman, who arrived here last winter, is leaving after being told he was not a part of Pellegrini’s plans for the upcoming season. I would like to thank Hunter for his services for Real and would like to wish him luck for the future.
Update:
Official statement, just for the sake of it:
Real Madrid C.F. and AC Milan have reached an agreement for the transfer of Klaas Jan Huntelaar to the Italian club.
Hala Madrid!!
The Spanish tinge to Real Madrid
Note: Spain lost to the U.S.A. You can read the match report which is right below this post. I am on the verge of tears. If I talk anymore about the defeat I will cry. So I shall zip up about Spain and all the talk shall be about Real Madrid alone.
Hello,
It has been quite a decent day at the transfer market for us. There are quite a few rumors on hand right now. And I must say that they are good ones. Good as in good for the club not the ‘Stephen Lichensteiner is wanted by Real Madrid’ kind. OK. Time to kick-off.
Raul Albiol has been signed by Real Madrid. The actual signature nor the medical hasn’t taken place but MARCA reports that Valencia and Real Madrid have agreed upon a deal worth around 15 million euros which sees the young Spaniard play the next five seasons at the Bernabeu if alls well. It also says that a week long negotiation has been going on between the two clubs and that the deal is finally complete. The player though is yet to comment as he is away on international duty with the Spanish national team. If all has happened as reported then Albiol will be the second Spaniard to be signed by Florentino following Sergio Ramos (in his previous stint as President) and his third acquisition of his current spell. Both AS and MARCA had earlier said that Albiol was close to signing for Real Madrid and this news comes in as a little less of a surprise. There are no official statements out from either camp yet.
One other Spaniard who just might wear white next season is Alvaro Arbeloa. The versatile full-back who is currently plying his trade with Liverpool is being rumored to be on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. With Liverpool signing Glen Johnson this week and with only one year left in the player’s contract it was said that his agent was in Madrid to conduct talks with the Bernabeu officials. Arbeloa welcomes the transfer talk and concedes that it is not certain he will be plying his trade with Liverpool next season. He said:
I am especially proud of what the club is doing. It is a big project with the return of Florentino (Perez) – and obviously if Madrid is fixed on you it makes you proud.
Arbeloa added in Marca:
I would be lying if I said I was sure to start the season with Liverpool. I’ll be able to think about all this by next Monday.
We have also been linked with Liverpool’s midfield pair of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso. The Argentine is flattered about the rumors linking him with us and Barcelona. He has been tipped to join the Camp Nou outfit this summer while his representative, Walter Tamer, is understood to have jetted to Catalunya to hold talks last week. But it is Alonso on whom we are keen on. Valdano while speaking to AS said:
We have possibilities there but I don’t want to say anything that will make the negotiation more difficult. We will wait a reasonable amount of time.
Valdano had a few words to say about Arbeloa as well. He added:
The lad only has a year left on his contract with Liverpool and this gives us more possibilities. He can play in two or three positions and this versatility is good. He is another option to evaluate.
The arrival of Arbeloa and Alonso could spell the exits of one Gabriel Heinze, who admitted that he would consider moving back to the Premier League if we are looking at selling him. Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham are the clubs which are said to be interested in him. Please take him. I beg you. Continuing with England, there is a rumor about Michael Essien saying he would find it tough to resist a move to Real Madrid. The arrival of either Xabi or Essien would spell the exit of Rafael van der Vaart who might just go back to where he came from, HSV, only after a year that too. At least that is what MARCA says. But this they’ve been saying for ages.
One player who is definitely staying is Iker Casillas. He was behind the microphone of Al Primer Toque, where he made it very clear that his future is with Real Madrid following reports linking him with Manchester United.
I am very happy at Real Madrid and thrilled with the project. I have no intention of leaving. I was raised at Real Madrid and it is where I want to be. I worked hard to reach the first team and have been here for ten years now.
The long wait to decide the future of Franck Ribery could soon be over after the player’s agent revealed that the Frenchman wants to sign for Real Madrid. Ribery has his pick of Europe’s top clubs this summer, but appears set on a move to the Bernabeu. This is some fantastic news. I will wait till I hear more on this.
But he isn’t the only Frenchman who wants to be come to Real. With having ended the David Villa pursuit Real were planning to spend the money that Valencia was supposed to get on Lyon’s Karim Benzema, who has been a target for sometime now. However, the French striker will prove to be a difficult target for Perez and co. Lyon have insisted that they will keep hold of Benzema, but their statements have always ended with a ‘but anything is possible’. president Jean-Michel Aulas said:
Karim has long expressed his desire to remain with Olympique Lyonnais. The club wants him to stay and restructure around him. Now it’s true that the transfer market is very surprising and the news from Real, Chelsea and Manchester United makes me very perplexed. No-one is in-transferable, but knowing Karim, if he did leave, it would be to Real Madrid. For the moment, we are not talking about transferring Karim.
Benzema is valued at €40 million, with rumours indicating that Lyon would have to take on a cash-plus-player deal Arjen Robben or Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. BOLLOCKS!
Fiorentina are believed to be keen on signing Dutchman Royston Drenthe, initially on loan for a season with the option of a permanent deal at the end of the 12 months. His agent Ernesto Bronzetti claims Real would be happy to let Drenthe leave, but only for a considerably higher fee. He explained:
I had a chat with Pantaleo Corvino and he admitted he wants Drenthe. They want to loan him and then buy him for £6m. Real Madrid are OK with the loan but they would like more money for the permanent transfer.
Bronzetti also warned Fiorentina they could face competition for Drenthe, who has been linked with Genoa and Tottenham. He said:
Royston is young and talented. Perhaps he is Real Madrid’s most wanted player so Fiorentina will have to make an effort to buy him.
BOLLOCKS again!
One person who has left officially is Julen Lopetegui. He has been fired by Real Madrid as the coach of Real Madrid Castilla. An official announcement on the club’s website read:
Real Madrid CF wishes to announce that it has reached a deal with Julen Lopetegui for the latter to leave the club. Lopetegui signed on in 2008/09 to coach Real Madrid Castilla, who he nearly led to the playoffs of Segunda Division B. Real Madrid would like to thank the coach for his services and expresses its best wishes for future success.
Away from transfers, the 30th edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy will be contested by A.C.Milan. Yeah. It was confirmed on the official website here. I just can’t wait for that! I just can’t! Kaka versus Milan!
Oh yeah, there is a rumor or two about the prospective signing of either Godin or Gonzalo from Villareal. But nothing solid can be said about it yet.
I’ll post as soon as anything about the Albiol move comes out.
Till then,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Ronaldo edges closer to a move & other stuff
Hola,
Let me get done with this fast cause I haven’t had my breakfast yet. I just sipped a cup of coffee and I am super hungry now. So here we go. We don’t have much to brag about today. I guess Valdano and Florentino have been on a holiday at least for the past week or so as we are being linked with the same players again and again and… wait for it… again. Ergo today we have more of genuine stuff than rumors. More of quotes than fantasies and more of sugar than spice. Lets get started with the post damnit!
Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. Well that has been the case for a year now. But this time, according to MARCA at least, he is just days away from being presented at the Presidential Balcony at the Bernabeu. Speaking to the press in Portugal, where he is on a holiday, Ronaldo revealed that although negotiations are still ongoing with Madrid, he is eager for his new life to begin at the Bernabeu.
As I’ve already said in every interview. Real Madrid is the club in which I’ve always wanted to play. It will be good to play with Kaka, a player who was the Ballon d’Or, the best in the world, but also with Raul, (Iker) Casillas and Guti. If I’m allowed, now I want to rest, because the negotiations are still not concluded. I want to start pre-season well, that’s what I really want. The truth is that I’m eager to start.
He added that he is still looking out for a house in Madrid and is eager to learn Spanish. He doesn’t know Spanish!?! Ronaldo also confirmed that he had undergone medical tests with Real, saying:
Everything went perfectly.
Ronaldo admitted that it may take him a while to adapt to life in La Liga after so long in England, but that he is confident of a successful switch. He also said that does not yet know what shirt number he will wear at Madrid or when he will be officially presented. I guess Ronaldo doesn’t read MARCA (not even when it is translated into Portuguese). It says that Cristiano will be presented on July 6.
The Spanish U21 team was knocked out of the UEFA U21 European Championship despite winning against Finland by a two goal margin. Amongst others representing the young La Roja squad is our very own Miguel Torres. The player in an interview with Realmadrid.com has said that he would return to pre-season training on time even if it would mean giving up on holidays. When asked whether it was normal for a person to give up on his holidays he replied saying:
I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s what I’m going to do. I haven’t been lucky enough to play in the Under-21 Euro yet, so I must think about my immediate future, which involves returning to Real Madrid in the pre-season. I will rejoin the team on 10 July, like many of my team-mates. I don’t want to miss a single minute.
That probably is because of Alvaro Arbeloa. According to MARCA the representative of Arbeloa is in Madrid. Now that Liverpool have signed Glen Johnson I am sure Arbeloa is looking for other options. Don’t blame him, anyone would prefer warming the Real Madrid bench to warming the Liverpool bench. Money people!
The reason behind Miguel Torres’ reply might also be Maicon. According to reports emanating from Spain, Inter sporting director Marco Branca held talks with Real Madrid executives last week. And Inter President Massimo Moratti brushed aside speculation that those negotiations involved Zlatan Ibrahimovic‘s possible transfer to the Bernabeu.
Branca’s trip to Madrid had already been fixed for some time and the reason was Maicon.
But what he also said was:
But Florentino Perez is not that interested in defenders, fortunately for us, because Maicon is one of the best in the world.
Classic Perez isn’t it? Not interested in defenders. Haha! One defender who is linked with us is Juan of the AS Roma fame. The player himself later denied it.
In other news, Real’s first pre-season friendly will be against Shamrock Rovers from West Dublin which, if all goes well, would be the debut of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Talking about Kaka he has suggested that Andrea Pirlo could be joining him at the Bernabeu. But that I am sure he meant it to be a joke.
Another Real Madrid player at the Confederations Cup who has been speaking is Iker Casillas. Amongst other things he spoke about how only the best can play for Real Madrid.
I think it’s fantastic to sign great players because the best should play for Real Madrid. Such an amount of money was paid in the past for men like Zidane, who was an amazing player and a great person. The same goes for Beckham. I don’t know Kaka, but I’m told he is a great guy and that’s important.
Talking about Iker Casillas, Realmadrid.com rubbished the rumor that Man United are trying to sign our Saint.
Sergio Ramos too took time to speak to Cuatro about Spain reaching the semi-finals where they will face the U.S of A.
We are happy with the situation we’re living on the Spanish national team. We are concentrating on the Confederations Cup and we’ll fight to reach the final. We have deep respect for USA, just like for any other team, but we’ll try to play as well as we’ve done so far to be in the final.
With that the post ends. I shall post the preview for the Spain game by tonight or tomorrow morning.
Till then,
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Profile: Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, best known as Kaká, was born on April 22, 1982 in Brasilia to Simone Cristina Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite (a civil engineer). He had a financially-secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time. His younger brother, Rodrigo (known as Digão), is also a professional footballer.
When he was seven, his family moved to São Paulo. His school had arranged him in a local youth club called “Alphaville,” who qualified to the final in a local tournament. There he was discovered by Brazilian side São Paulo, who offered an assignment. At the age of fifteen, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.
São Paulo (2001-2003; 59 appearances; 23 goals)
Kaká began his club career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at fifteen and led the São Paulo youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. Kaká made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored twelve goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship. He scored ten in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 58 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 23 times.
AC Milan (2003-2009; 270 appearances; 95 goals)
The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with Italian club A.C. Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million euros, described in retrospect as “peanuts” by club owner Silvio Berlusconi. Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored ten goals in thirty appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup.
Kaká was a part of the five-man midfield in the 2004–05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored seven goals in 36 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up in the Scudetto race. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool on penalties, he was nonetheless voted the best midfielder of the tournament.
2005–06 saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic competition. On April 9, 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo; all three goals were scored in the second half. The following season, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over the Belgian side Anderlecht.
Shevchenko’s departure to Chelsea for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan’s offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 Champions League campaign with ten goals. One of them helped the Rossoneri eliminate Celtic in the quarterfinals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semifinals despite Milan losing the first leg.
Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool on May 23, 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi’s two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans’ Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. On August 30, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 CL season and Club Footballer of the Year.
He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Catania on September 30, and on October 5, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year. On 2 December 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon d’Or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, long ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo. He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on February 29, 2008.
Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world’s 100 most influential people, on May 2. On October 14, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã’s sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country’s top players. He won the honor again in 2009.
Brazil (2002-present; 63 appearances; 23 goals)
Kaká was called up for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship but the Brazilians crashed out to Ghana at the quarterfinals. Few months later, he made his debut for Brazil in a friendly match against Bolivia on January 31, 2002. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes[31], all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica.
In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil, competing as with their Under-23 team, finished as runner-up to Mexico. He scored three goals during the tournament. He was included in Brazil’s squad for 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany He appeared in all five matches and scored one goal in a 4–1 win over Argentina in the final.
Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup finals in 2006, scoring his first and only goal in a 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazil’s opening match. He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals. On September 3, 2006, he received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and outran Lionel Messi while taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.
On May 12, 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League and national team play, Kaká openly bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won. After missing out on the Copa América, he returned to play in Brazil’s friendly match against Algeria on August 22, 2007.
Personal Life
He lives a healthy lifestyle. He doesn’t drink alcohol, he doesn’t party at night and he dribbles past temptation as easily as he does past his markers. He is a good person, an exemplary husband and he leads his life based on strong religious convicition. He belongs to the Evangelical Church and one more than one occasion has confessed to wanting to be a minister once he hangs up his boots. That is Kaka.
Kaka once explained during an interview on Brazilian television that his life revolves around religion and that it is the secret of his success being that God shows him the way. Faith is such an important aspect of Kaka’s life that he contemplates becoming a minister of the Evangelical Church once he retires. At the age of 18 he suffered a career-threatening and possible paralysis-inducing spinal fracture, but according to Kaka, Jesus allowed him to recover and become the footballer player he is today. It’s not about the fame, money or glory for Kaka.
An emblem on his boots reads Dio e fedele (God is faithful), but it isn’t the only religious reference Kaka has made during his football career. During the 2007 Champions League final between Milan and Liverpool, Kaka knelt down on the turf and removed his shirt to reveal a t-shirt reading I belong to Jesus.
Kaka and Carolina Celico met and began dating in 2002. The relationship remained intact when Kaka left Sao Paulo for Italy in 2003. She was still in school and they would only see one another when Kaka returned home for short visits, but Carolina’s plan was to move to Italy. Although he began thinking about marriage when he was 20, Kaka had to wait another three years because Carolina was too young. The couple finally tied the knot on 23 December 2005 in an Evangelical church in Sao Paulo. Their first child, a boy named Lucas, was born on 10 June 2008.
His nickname is pronounced as it is spelled, with stress on the second syllable, and is a common term of endearment of “Ricardo” in Brazil. In Kaká’s case, it was born from younger brother Rodrigo calling him “Caca” due to his inability to pronounce “Ricardo” when they were young; it eventually evolved into Kaká. He is occasionally called “Ricky Kaká” by the European media.
Honours
- Copa São Paulo de Juniores: 2000
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 2001
- Super Campeonato Paulista: 2002
- Serie A: 2004
- Italian Super Cup: 2004
- UEFA Champions League: 2007
- UEFA Super Cup: 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
- FIFA World Cup: 2002
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
- Revista Placar Bola de Ouro: 2002
- Campeonato Brasileiro Bola de Prata (best player by position): 2002
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2003
- Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007
- Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2007
- UEFA Champions League Bronze Top scorer: 2005/2006
- UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder: 2005
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2007
- FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007, 2008
- UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2006–07
- UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006–07
- UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007
- FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007
- Ballon d’Or: 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2007
- Toyota Award: 2007
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 2007
- Onze d’Or: 2007
- IFFHS World‘s Best Playmaker: 2007
- IAAF Latin Sportsman of the Year: 2007
- Time 100: 2008
- Time 100: 2009
- Maracanã Hall Of Fame: 2008
- Samba d’Or: 2008
- FIFA Team of the Year: 2008
Kaká becomes a Madridista!
YES. IT IS TRUE.
THE MAN IS HERE.
REAL MADRID CF HAVE SIGNED BRAZILIAN MIDFIELDER KAKÁ FROM AC MILAN IN A REPORTED €65M DEAL FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS.
THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON OUR WEBSITE:
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, Kaka, now plays for Real Madrid following the deal reached with A.C. Milan. The Brazilian footballer satisfactorily passed a full medical checkup. Kaka has signed a contract linking him to Real Madrid for the next six seasons.
THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON AC MILAN’S WEBSITE:
From next season, Kaka will play at Real Madrid. AC Milan thanked the man and the great champion Kaka for his decisive contribution to the many victories achieved in the six years of his commitment. The loss of technique, while serious, can be remedied. It will be very difficult to fill the void that will be left by Kak, a shining example of professionalism, commitment and professionalism. AC Milan, (according to) the wishes of the managers, players and supporters of the Rossoneri, offer him the most cordial and affectionate wishes for the continuation of his sporting career.
A press conference with the 27-year-old is planned for 0100 BST on Tuesday. The fee is reported to be £56m, which would be a new world record in pounds, surpassing the £45.6m Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001. The official unveiling though would have to wait till the end of the month as Kaká would be on international duty with Brazil in South Africa at the Confederations Cup.
Para Siempre Blanco!!
Hala Madrid!!
From next season, Kaka will play at Real Madrid.
“AC Milan thanked the man and the great champion Kaka for his decisive contribution to the many victories achieved in the six years of his commitment
“The loss of technique, while serious, can be remedied.
“It will be very difficult to fill the void that will be left by Kak, a shining example of professionalism, commitment and professionalism.
“AC Milan, (according to) the wishes of the managers, players and supporters of the Rossoneri, offer him the most cordial and affectionate wishes for the continuation of his sporting career.”
Every player priced above £100m is linked with Real Madrid
I like gossip. I am talking in terms of football obviously and I find it funny when these press people start off with all their links between different players with different clubs. One think that I have been noticing thee days is that ever since we said we’d pay 100m whatever for Cristiano Ronaldo every other player who has been slapped with a price tag of more than 100m has been linked with us. The latest player to be linked is Kaka who has followed Franck Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester City who are linked with everyone including me and you have been wanting Kaka lately and decided that they’d pay AC Milan anything they ask for in order to get the Brazilian. The fat cunt in Berlusconi initially agreed that he’d accept the cash and allowed them to speak to the player. But soon his hollow head realized that AC Milan was not capable of doing anything in any league if it wasn’t for Kaka and thus decided against selling the club. Meanwhile just to spice up things the press decided to include us in the act and started spreading rumors like these in their tabloids:
- Real Madrid are lurking should Kaka reject City’s overtures, but their highest offer still comes in £30m below City’s latest bid. (Daily Express)
- Manchester City’s £107m move for AC Milan’s Kaka could be hijacked by Real Madrid, who are desperate to sign the Brazilian. (News of the World)
But Kaka wasn’t the only one with whom we were linked with. Wigan’s Antonio Valencia too had his share of the limelight.
- Manchester United have Wigan’s Antonio Valencia in their sights, but Real Madrid have also been linked with a £15m bid for the winger. (Various)
- Real Madrid could offer Wigan Javier Saviola, plus £15m for winger Antonio Valencia. (Daily Star)
And all this while like it has been for more than 6 months now there was the Ronaldo saga…
- United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says not even £120m would be enough to buy Ronaldo. (Sunday Express)
- Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has quit the Spanish champions and it could end the club’s interest in Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Telegraph)
- Real Madrid have made a fresh move to sign Liverpool winger Jermain Pennant on a six-month loan until May, when he will make way for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (Daily Mirror)
- Winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who wears number seven at Manchester United, has trademarked CR9 in Portugal. (The Sun)
There was the odd one about Ashley Young as well.
- Unless Real Madrid bid £27m or so for Ashley Young, the flying winger is staying put.
The following rumor was the one that I enjoyed the most. That bloody Brazilian cunt.
- Kaka’s agent says he would not go to Manchester City purely for the money. “He would never do something like Robinho, who, just to earn more, contented himself with a solution that was not a winning one,” said Diogo Kotscho. (Corriere dello Sport)
Probably the only rumor which had some truth in it was this…
- Portsmouth are also close to agreeing a loan deal for Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola. (The Sun)
- Portsmouth boss Tony Adams wants to sign Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola on loan for the rest of the season. (The Sun)
And this is something I really wish would happen..
- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and midfielder Cesc Fabregas are being lined up by Real Madrid. (Daily Star)
Funny aren’t they? Its good fun to keep in touch with rumors. There are a few more but since they aren’t as funny as these I decided against publishing them. Kaka to Real Madrid, Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Fabregas to Real Madrid, My Heart is for Real Madrid.
Hala Madrid!!
Where are They Now: Fernando Redondo
Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri, Redondo played for Real Madrid for six years during which he scored 4 goals. The man known for ‘The Backheel of Trafford’ moved from Real to Milan in the year 2000.
Redondo made his debut in Spanish football playing for CD Tenerife under the management of former Real Madrid player Jorge Valdano. Twice during this period Real Madrid lost La Liga title to arch-rivals FC Barcelona on the final day of the season in matches against Tenerife. When Valdano was subsequently appointed manager of Madrid, Redondo made the move along with him for a fee of US$5 million dollars in 1994.
At Real Madrid, he spent the key years of his career, where he won the La Liga twice in 1995 and 1997, also adding two Champions League medals in 1997-1998 and 1999-2000. It was during the second Champions League victorious campaign that Redondo arguably turned in his finest performances. His contribution to a 3-2 quarterfinals victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford will live long in the memory of Madrid and United fans alike. He was the best player of the game, and was the author of a spectacular play (The backheel of Old Trafford), in which Redondo backheeled the ball through the legs of defender Henning Berg before recovering it and assisting Raúl for Real Madrid’s third goal. The performance is also of note because of the way Roy Keane, was completely overshadowed by Redondo’s display. Sir Alex Ferguson said after the game:
What does this player have in his boots? A magnet?
We went on to win the final against Valencia that season and Redondo was named the Champions League’s MVP.
In 2000, Redondo transferred to AC Milan in a highly controversial £11m move, which left many Madrid fans perplexed. Redondo was consistently injured, most notably with knee problems, during his first two seasons there, and in fact managed to injure his knee just three minutes into his first treadmill session. As he was unable to play for 2½ years due to consistent knee problems, he suspended his £2.74m-a-year salary, and even tried to give back the house and car which the Milan board had given him, showing great ethics and principles rarely seen in professional sports today.
In 2004, at the age of 34, Redondo retired from professional football following yet another knee injury. Following his retirement, he moved back to Buenos Aires to be closer to his family.
Redondo played for Argentina 29 times, the bulk of his appearances coming during the years 1992-1994.
What a player!
Hala Madrid!!
AC Milan 2-2 Real Madrid
The Road Runner (in white) and the Hungry Coyote (the old smelly cunt in red and black)
Real Madrid qualified to the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions League thanks to Pedro Leon’s 92nd minute equalizer last night at the San Siro. The substitute’s goal could well have been the winner if not for some poor refereeing and surprisingly poor goalkeeping from none other than St.Iker which saw Milan come back after going down to a Higuain goal just before half-time through a Filippo Inzaghi brace.
As expected Real fielded the same XI that faced Hercules last weekend while Milan made two changes to the side that started a fortnight ago in Madrid bringing in Ignazio Abate and Kevin-Prince Boateng for Luca Antonini and Clarence Seedorf. Real started the game positively created chance after chance testing Abbiati repeatedly mostly from range. Milan did put up a good fight literally with the likes of Gattuso, Pirlo and Nesta bullying around with us throughout the game. Gattuso, in particular, was totally fired up and was at his Wolverine best.
The first chance of the game fell to Gonzalo Higuain who received the ball on the edge of the box from Marcelo to drill a shot which was saved well by Abbiati for a corner in the 4th minute. Real continued to dominate and probably the best chance of the half (apart from the goal) fell to Angel Di Maria. The Argentine was set free of the defense when his compatriot flicked a Sami Khedira clearance only for the little Argentine to blow it despite faking off two of their defenders. He could not even hit the target. Higuain had the next chance with Di Maria involved again. This time the winger’s cross was headed goalwards by Pipita only to be cleared off the line by Pirlo. His clearance fell straight to Di Maria whose half-volley was yet again blocked by the Italian international. The Argentines were awesome in all in the first half and always looked like they were going to score. And score they did. Sergio Ramos’ stole the ball from inside our own half to start a counter attack. His eventual pass to Angel Di Maria let the angel fly free into the other half. Di Maria twisted and turned and then made a stunning dissecting pass to Higuain when everyone thought he was going to shoot. Pipita made no mistake finishing aplomb to score Real Madrid’s 700th goal in European competition. Real thus took a well deserved lead going into half time leaving Milan trailing and with a lot of thinking to do.
The second half was more open with both teams wanting to attack. Ronaldinho, who until then had had a poor game, was replaced by Filippo Inzaghi with the 37-year-old Italian coming in seeking an equalizer for Milan at the hour mark. Inzaghi was irritating our defense, our midfield, our forwards and our fans with his constant pestering of our players and foul play. Gattuso continued to assault our players and with Howard Webb, apparently England’s seniormost referee, doing almost nothing about it the former Rangers midfielder was at his best. Eight minutes on Milan would get their first. Pepe slipped while attempting a clearance of a long ball and Ibrahimovic was quick to latch on to it. The Swede’s cross was completely misjudged by St.Iker who spilled the ball only for a rushing Filippo Inzaghi to score and start off with his weeping celebration. I hate footballers who cry after scoring a goal and this man has a doctorate on such a celebration. Milan were back in the game and Real decided to change things around and attack a bit more. JM brought in Karim Benzema, the hero from the weekend, to replace the man who had given us the lead, Higuain At the same time Ambrosini replaced Pato showing the contrasting attitudes of the two managers. But it would be Allegri who would celebrate as Filippo Inzaghi scored again from an offside position to give Milan the lead in a game which they were trailing only ten minutes ago. Gattuso’s ball over the Real defense was received by Inzaghi who was waiting behind our last man. The Italian surged into the box and slotted it underneath a rushing Iker Casillas for Milan to lead 2-1 after 78 minutes.
JM then made his master move. Pedro Leon was brought on to replace Pepe leaving only three defenders in the playing XI. And the former Getafe man was fantastic. He ran continuously not ceasing for a second and fought for every ball in his region. With time running down it looked as though JM’s homecoming would end in a defeat and thus end Real’s current undefeated streak under Mourinho. But that was when JM’s subs came into light. In added time Benzema made a clever reverse pass to Pedro Leon who shot low and hard for the ball to pierce through Abbiati’s legs to save both Mourinho and Real the blushes leaving the San Siro crowd silent. It was Pedro Leon’s first goal in Real Madrid colors and afterwards he said:
Mourinho then brought on Albiol for Ozil immediately so as to avoid a disaster. Real thoroughly deserved to win the game but in the end had to settle for a draw. We played an excellent first half and probably should have finished off Milan when they were on the back foot. We wasted several chances and in the end we paid for it. The other thing I noticed was that Real was careless at times. Milan were given the ball too easily when we had to keep them under pressure. The manager was quick to acknowledge the fact that the game was rightfully ours in the post match presser. He heaped praise on Pedro Leon and Benzema and said that he will be forced to start Karim if he goes on playing the way he is playing at the moment and I concur. He also said something that really interested me:
And it couldn’t have been put in a better way. We haven’t played in a Champions League quarter final since 2004 and what he just said says it all doesn’t it? We really don’t seem to know how to play knock-out football. It speaks a lot about our Copa record as well.
Casillas had an awful day considering the standard which he usually sets. He lacked judgement and I realized that that’s a mistake even the best of players can make. Sergio Ramos was good. He kept Ronaldinho out of the game and forced him to make long balls and was pretty good in attack as well. Pepe I feel was not all that great. I don’t know whether it was the pitch or lack of concentration – the Portuguese was not as solid as he usually is. On the contrary Ricardo Carvalho was fantastic. We might have conceded two goals for the first time this season but I have to say that I was totally impressed with the way he controlled our defense. Marcelo I felt was playing like the Marcelo of last season. Attack more and defend less. It probably was because Ronaldo was on the left most of the time which meant that there was virtually no one there. Alonso was just Alonso. You just couldn’t see him but he was behind everything. Khedira I felt was not present in the fixture. It is very important that a holding midfielder makes his presence felt unlike Alonso. But it just was not his night. Ronaldo was OK. Then again, its only because of the standards he has set for himself. I felt that a few of his claims for a foul were pathetic. Ozil had a poor game. He virtually had no effect on the game and I was surprised to not see him subbed earlier. Its probably fatigue and that’s just my gut feeling. Di Maria and Higuain were fantastic. And I mean Fantastic. They virtually created all our chances. Di Maria would have been the standalone Man of the Match if only he had scored from the vital chance he had in the first half. But sadly that wasn’t the case. Benzema came on late and was really good. He created Pedro Leon’s goal from a zazzy reverse pass and worked really hard just like the other difference maker from last night Pedro Leon. Both the subs were running hard, going for the ball as though it was a matter of life and death. He had defensive duties as well considering the fact that he had replaced Pepe and he did that too with perfection. Hats off young lad.
Its easy to say that Pedro Leon would be my Man of the Match because of obvious reasons. But it wouldn’t be a whole hearted decision considering the fact that Di Maria and Higuain too were awesome. Yes, our official website handed them the honor of being the men of the match and I too will do so but will be adding the names Pedro Leon and Ricardo Carvalho along.
Its now time to shift our focus to the Madrid derby and Pipita came straight at it.
And that we should. Its derby time!
Match Stats:
Lineups:
AC Milan: Abbiati, Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Prince-Boateng, Pirlo, Gattuso (Seedorf 84′), Ronaldinho (Inzaghi 60′), Pato (Ambrosini 72′), Ibrahimovic;
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe (Pedro Leon 80′), Carvalho, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Khedira, Di Maria, Ozil (Albiol 93′), Ronaldo, Higuain (Benzema 74′);
Goals:
0-1, 45′: Higuain;
1-1, 68′: Inzaghi;
2-1, 78′: Inzaghi;
2-2, 92′: Pedro Leon;
Referee: Howard Webb (ENG)
Booked: Gattuso, Ibrahimovic, Prince-Boateng, Abate, Carvalho, Pepe;
Venue: San Siro
Attendance: Full house
Men of the match: Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Ricardo Carvalho and Pedro Leon
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November 4, 2010 | Categories: Match Reports, Post-match Comments, UEFA Champions League | Tags: AC Milan, Filippo Inzaghi, Gonzalo Higuaín, Pedro León, San Siro | Leave a comment