Post-match comments
Jorge Valdano offered his thoughts following the match and explained how the team needs to overcome the situation. Manuel Pellegrini expressed his disappointment following the match and analyzed his team’s performance. Claude Puel was basking in a “great achievement” as Miralem Pjanić’s late goal took Olympique Lyonnais into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Casillas, Guti, Granero, Arbeloa and Ramos expressed their thoughts after being knocked out of the Champions League.
Valdano:
We are very sad, but it is time for restraint and to cheer the players up. They are great professionals and we have complete faith in them.
Lyon stuck to its plan and played a tough game. In the second half, Real Madrid mixed fatigue with ambition, which led to the defeat and elimination.
Real Madrid didn’t play with drive, but rather with the natural innate ambition of many talented players who wanted to win the tie. Only a matter of days ago we gave a schooling on what being a team means and we lost that in 48 hours.
This project is barely under way and tonight was a sad night because we had placed a lot of hope in this competition. We need to be as united as ever now, to cheer the players up and to prove who we really are in order to get over this situation and take on the criticism that lies ahead.
Pellegrini:
The first responsibility is mine, but we have to overcome this blow and keep fighting for the Liga title.
It is a very big setback. We played well in the first half but had two chances and failed to convert them. After the break the team were growing anxious until the Lyon goal came. It was a dream for all of us to play the final at the Bernabéu. The players are hurt by a painful elimination, but we have to lift our mood and keep working. That’s all I can do; keep working. It’s a big blow but we must look ahead.
We had a great first half and could have scored a second. That would have opened Lyon’s defence and made things easier. In the second half we tried more individual actions but that was because we were concerned about it only being 1-0, and then we began to feel the effort of the first half. The chances we missed in the first half are really to blame. It’s a very strong setback suffered by Madrid for the sixth consecutive season but we have to keep fighting.
Real Madrid 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais
The dream is over. Real Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the first knockout phase for the sixth year in a row and for the fourth time in a two legged competition by French opposition as Olympique Lyonnais got themselves that crucial away goal and the lead on aggregate through Miralem Pjanić in the seventy fifth minute after Cristiano Ronaldo brought Real level (on aggregate) through a goal in the sixth minute. Real Madrid will not play in the final at the Bernabéu as Lyon won the clash 2-1 on aggregate.
Defining moment: Higuaín hits the post in the 25th minute.
One of the most highly anticipated clashes at the Bernabéu this season kicked off in Real’s favor as Kaká’s shot in the first minute was saved by Hugo Lloris. Real replaced the suspended Xabi Alonso and Marcelo with Granero and the in-form Guti and payed rich dividends immediately. Ronaldo latched on to Guti’s lofted through-ball to beat his marksman and slot the ball through Lloris’ feet with a powerful left footed shot that ended the French number 1’s 626 minute clean sheet.
Real continued to dominate the game despite taking the lead as they were searching for the second goal that would’ve sealed the game and would have piled the pressure on Lyon. Kaká, Higuaín and Ronaldo tested Lloris repeatedly with shots on target – something that kept piling on for the home side throughout the game.
In the twenty fifth minute of the game a threaded ball from Kaká sent Higuaín through on goal. He managed to beat the keeper who was out of his line but could only manage to hit the post with the shot. The situation was similar to the goal he scored against Germany for the Albiceleste recently but this time luck did not favor him. He tested Lloris on yet another occasion but then a pass to Ronaldo would have been the wiser choice.
Lyon rarely attacked in the first half and were playing the waiting game as they were happy to see Real dominate possession. But Real failed to capitalise. And soon the referee blew to end the first half with Real leading 1-0 at the break.
Claude Puel made two changes to the side when they returned for the second half. Makoun and Boumsong made way for Gonalons and the veteran Kallstrom and Lyon started the second half in a different fashion. They dominated the possession and kept the ball with themselves despite not testing Iker Casillas that frequently. They pressured Real inside their own half and all that the home side could was clear the ball whenever they got it. Real wasted the little possession of the ball that they were allowed to have.
Saturday’s hero Van der Vaart came on for Granero in the sixty second minute and the game became a little more balanced. Real got back some possession and continued to test the opposition keeper through frequent set plays but missed the target on more than one occasion.
Cristiano Ronaldo played more as a provider than as a striker as he supplied Kaká and Higuaín with more chances and took a few himself. But nothing changed. And then came the telling blow. Cesar Delgado made a low pass into the box for Lisandro, whose touch was perfect for the incoming Pjanic to march onto, take a touch and smash into the net. Real now needed two goals to go stay alive in the Champions League and had only fifteen minutes to do so.
Raúl came on for Kaká to everyone’s surprise and tried to use his experience to get Real back on track. But it wasn’t to work. And the last fifteen minutes saw Real dominate the ball again but this time no one dared to test Lloris. It was disappointing to say the least.
Lisandro could’ve worsened he situation, if that was possible, as he missed a clean one on one with Iker Casillas, failing to even test the keeper after being put through by the ever menacing Delgado. Momo Diarra came on for Arbeloa and Ederson came for Pjanić but the final score remained the same.
Real Madrid are out of the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid vs Olympique Lyonnais | UEFA Champions League | Last 16 | Second Leg | Preview
No page has gone unturned leading up to Wednesday’s Real Madrid-Olympique Lyonnais match. All the Whites’ fortes and OL’s weak points have been analyzed. Statistics have been read over once and again and matches gone by have been remembered. But little of it will help once the ball is kicked off. Twenty-two players will do battle for a coveted berth in the Champions League quarterfinals. Another night of magic awaits at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The return leg of the Round of 16 has finally arrived. Almost a month has passed since Real Madrid lost 1-0 at Stade Gerland. But fans, the club and most importantly, the players are convinced the aggregate can be turned around. Manuel Pellegrini hasn’t overlooked a detail, and in order to take care of business called up every healthy Madridista including Castilla’s Pedro Mosquera. Those not available include Benzema, Drenthe, Xabi Alonso and Marcelo. The former two are still recovering from injury, while the latter duo must serve one-match suspensions after being booked in the first leg.
Real Madrid:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Ramos, Albiol, Arbeloa, Metzelder, Garay
Midfielders: Diarra, Gago, Lass, Granero, Kaka, Guti, Van der Vaart, Mosquera
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Higuain
Scoring early is crucial if Los Blancos are to accomplish their goal, but it won’t be an easy task. Olympique Lyonnais haven’t conceded a goal in six straight matches; 620 minutes of shut out action by Hugo Lloris. While OL’s goalkeeper has certainly taken center stage, Claude Puel will have his full squad on hand with the exception of Bastos. Lissandro and Cissokho made the trip to the Spanish capital despite suffering bumps and bruises during their last Ligue 1 match against Boulogne.
Lyon:
Goalkeepers: Lloris, Vercourtre
Defenders: Cris, Boumsong, Gassama, Reveillere, Cissokho
Midfielders: Bodmer, Kallstrom, Gonalons, Toulalan, Makoun, Belfodil, Pjanic, Ederson, Delgado, Govou
Forwards: Gomis, Lisandro Lopez, Tafer
The Santiago Bernabeu will be Real Madrid’s best ally come kick-off. Site of the 22 May final, Madridistas will fill the stands to support their players, who have committed to leave their hearts and souls on the field of play. Hopefully as Pellegrini predicted, fans and team will turn the table on Olympique Lyonnais.
Referee: Mr. Nicola Rizzoli
Finale Madrid – Lyon pre-preview
If this team cannot turn the tables, then no other team can which is why I am going with a Real Madrid victory.
Les Gones will be bygones by this time day after tomorrow. And with that hope I start this post of mine today.
Its a do-or-die clash against the French giants Olympique Lyonnais in the second leg of the first knockout round of the Champions League. Real Madrid are required to overturn a 1-0 deficit on home turf, their fortress, the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. The fans believe they can do it. The players believe they can do it. I believe they can do it. The game probably will be the turning point of our season irrespective of the result. Good or bad it will turn our season around.
Its time to abase our critics by abating the anathema that has been laid upon us. In anathema, I mean the solemn curse that has been haunting us for almost a decade now – the curse of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid C.F. have more European cups to its name than any other club in the World, nine in all, and are looking to make it ten this year especially with the added advantage of playing the grand final at home. And with our current form there needs to be very little doubt as to whether we are good enough to do the job when needed.
Real are finally fulfilling the expectations of the fans and the linchpin behind all this success, President Florentino Perez, who turned the club on its head after becoming the club president for a second term last summer and injecting more than €250 million on getting in Los Galacticós.
Our previous game against Sevilla spoke a lot about the team as a whole. Overcoming a 2-0 deficit, they not only displayed the strength of the squad but also displayed what we Madridistas call Madridismo – spirit of Real Madrid. The result was 3-2 when the final whistle was blown and it saw Real become leaders by virtue of a superior goal difference over Barça. With the second leg of Él Clasíco to be played at the Bernabéu our destiny lies in our own hands. Now with La Liga future secured its time to focus completely on securing Champions League progression.
Posttraumatic stress is a bitch
Screw you ref! This calls for nudity!
You know that Real Madrid can turn a tie around from any given situation.
You definitely know that Real Madrid can turn a tie around from any given situation if the game is being played at Fortress Bernabeu.
And that is exactly what happened in the weekend’s game against Sevilla. We go not 1-0 but 2-0 down and stayed that way with just 30 minutes left on the clock. The fact that Barca dropped points added the pressure that a win would see us on level with them and ahead on goal difference. What did we do? We scored three goals, the first two coming in 4 minutes and the winner in the second minute of added time. Now, we’re on top of La Liga and beaming with confidence with the all important midweek game to look ahead.
Like all the others who saw the game live, I too am suffering from PTSD. And it is a bitch, mind you. My heart rate went up and down like an Alpine pass and I would’ve lost a few hundred calories during the post-match celebrations especially with all the jumping and dancing. I think it would be safe to say that it was one of my all time favorite Real Madrid matches and the one of the most exciting games ever from a neutral’s perspective. Though I’d any day prefer a nice comfortable win over such a nail biting encounter as a Real Madrid fan, the football fan in me would love to see a few games now and then which is as exciting as this one. Of course either ways Real Madrid should win all of them.
Real Madrid started preparing for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Olympique Lyonnais just hours after the Sevilla game. The starters jogged and did stretching exercises to recover from last night’s strain. Guti, Gago, Diarra, Van der Vaart, Granero, Raul and Metzelder played piggy-in-the-middle and tackled an obstacle course devised by fitness trainer Jose Cabello. Dudek and Real Madrid C keeper Tito (Adan was playing a match with Castilla) trained under the supervision of Xavier Mancisidor. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ramos did recovery exercises in the gym with the injured Benzema and Drenthe. Pepe was watching Castilla play Alcala at Alcala.
Lets get ready to rumble!
I… SHOULD… NOT… BE… NERVOUS…
…I am not sure about the players, but I am nervous. It is a must win game tonight which will be followed by yet another must win game. And that is just making my fears worst. It could be the best week ever or the worst one ever. A bit of both could also happen…
I… MUST… HOPE.. FOR… THE.. … …BEST…
…Hopefully there will be no injuries and we’ll go into the midweek game with loads of ketchup and squeeze more out of Lyonnais cunts. Then probably we’ll draw Man United and smack them around the park like we always do and then maybe we’ll draw Barcelona in the semi-finals and beat the livin’ crap out of them like last time and progress to the finals where we will have Bayern Munich and big mouth Van Gaal. A neat 6-0 win in the finals would just be the icing on the cake. By then we’ll be the kings of …
I… MUST… FOCUS… ON… SEVILLA… NOT… LYON…
…As far as the game tonight is concerned, Xabi Alonso has made himself available despite having some trouble in the abdominal region yesterday after training. Marca has said that the Spanish midfielder will feature tonight. He has to. He won’t be available for midweek…
Just keep it going lads
Hola,
I am sorry guys. My OS got completely screwed up and I had to live without a computer for two days which meant I missed both blogging and more importantly the Villareal game. So I just managed to post the pre-match press conference, the official preview, the report and the post-match comments as usual today and now that my computer is back I can assure you that I shall maintain whatever I had been doing for the past month successfully. A post per day.
I cannot say much about last night’s game itself as I have just seen the highlights and not the match itself. I am glad that we proved a point. And I am sure that this doesn’t mean we will rest on this win for and not look ahead. We have now scored more goals than Barcelona – 2 more to be precise – though they have conceded 4 less than us. Higuain is just two short of Messi in the race to win the Pichichi. Cristiano Ronaldo continued his splendid form and has definitely been the signing of the season for any club in the world. 18 goals in 19 appearances speaks for itself. That too on a day when his home town was affected by a devastating flood, to come up with such an all round performance is no easy task. He played a part in every single goal of ours and is showing signs of getting back to his Manchester United best. Kaka grabbed a brace and that should do some good to his confidence levels. Xabi Alonso scored his first goal in White from the spot late on (something which I thought was won by a very astute Cristiano Ronaldo). People might wonder why Pipita didn’t go for his hat-trick, instead why did Alonso take the penalty – but then again Alonso scoring meant two things. First, he opened his account as this was his first goal in White. Secondly, we now hold firm the record of having the most number of distinct goal scorers in the side. Pipita I guess took one for the team. It was sad to see Raul, Guti and Benzema miss out on the party. If they too had contributed to the success it just would’ve been the perfect night. Anyhoo, alls well that ends well and this is indeed well.
Disappointing to say the least
So much for the hopes and expectations that I had on this team. Even though I have not lost it yet I still feel ashamed, disappointed and above all deeply hurt. This club means so much to me. The Champions League, this season more than any other means so much to me. I must admit that I did not have the same expectations last year when we got Liverpool in the draw. I understood that our squad was not prepped for such a match at that point of time. The depth just was not there. But this season and that too right now, I had very few doubts about us going into the Gerland and coming out with a favorable result.
I expected a tough game. But then I thought, when the going gets tough the tough would get going. But it didn’t look that way. Real succumbed to Jean Il Makoun’s once in a blue moon strike from range to trail 1-0 on aggregate at the end of the first leg. Real failed to get an away goal – the one that makes a difference almost all the time. And that means we have to win by at least 2-0 to avoid extra time and more importantly we must not concede a single goal. Lyon I am sure will not sit back and rest on the lead. They will give it a go even in the Bernabeu. They will make sure that they can do all that they can to make sure that we stay down. They will try and be even more physical. They will use every single set play to the max and exploit our aerial prowess. We will miss Xabi Alonso. We surely will. We will miss the organizational look that he brings to the side. We will miss his passes, his experience and above all his presence. I am not so sure about Marcelo, though. No offense meant. I am unsure as to who will bring in that edge that Xabi Alonso brings to the side. Whether it would be the attack oriented Rafael van der Vaart, the unpredictable Guti – considering the fact that they recover on time – or would it be either of the defensive options in Lass or Gago. And moreover I wonder how much sense it would make to play Mahamadou Diarra yet again. No doubt that he has the experience to play at this level. But to come in all of a sudden into a match of this magnitude is a lot to ask from any player. I question Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to bring the Malian international in as much as I question his decision to not bring back Albiol. Sergio Ramos was in fine nick, but for how long would you make him stay there? We should have played our best four defenders which would be the one that we played after an hour into the game – after we went down 1-0. And as far as the goal is concerned I do not know why even a single player didn’t bother to challenge Makoun while he strolled down the park to hit that thunderbolt he hit from his right foot. I blame the on field players for the goal. St.Iker could have done nothing. But the defenders or the midfielders surely would have been able to do something about it. And then there is the attack. Cristiano Ronaldo is trying too much. He tried too hard to do everything on his own against Xerez until he starting interchanging the ball with Kaka and that brought him two more goals to his impressive tally. But against Lyon he didn’t do that. He tried to do it singlehandedly for us but it didn’t work out. Kaka was better of the two. Pipita looked completely out of sorts just like the Xerez game. He needs time I guess. Benzema looked Benzema – not the one we signed from Lyon but the one which plays for Real Madrid. Everyone has their fair share of the blame. But now is not the time to sit and worry over what has happened. It is time to move ahead but not forget the past but to use the past to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes again.
I believe that we can make a comeback. I believe that it is destiny that we will break the knock-out round jinx this season if not any other. I really do. We were not good at all last night. At least as far as the standard expected in the Champions League is concerned. With the strike force that we possess we just had to score. Lloris might have been in the form of his life and maybe Il Makoun’s strike just had to reach the back of the net, but we just had to score. No excuses can be given here. We just have to show our grit and determination. The Madridistas watching the game should show them why the Santiago Bernabeu is one of the most intimidating grounds in world football.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Post-match comments
Director General Jorge Valdano analysed the team’s defeat against Olympique Lyonnais after the match was over. Manuel Pellegrini analysed his team’s defeat for the media in a press conference. Ronaldo and Kaka are optimistic with the team’s chances of reaching the next round. Alonso and Ramos keep their hopes up of turning the score around in the return leg at the Bernabeu. Arbeloa and Albiol believe concentration is the key to winning at the Bernabeu.
Valdano:
It’s been a bad night overall, especially given the final score. We had ups and downs during the match, but we weren’t ourselves.
The score forces us to really concentrate during the return leg at the Bernabeu. The absences of Marcelo and Alonso will be very important because they help our game flow better. This squad is nevertheless large and capable of winning the match.
Olympique rarely stepped out of their half of the pitch in the final minutes, but they made things very difficult for us for a long time, especially in midfield.
Pellegrini:
This isn’t a good result for us because we lost and failed to score an important goal. I nevertheless think it is possible for us to make a comeback if we play in an orderly fashion at home.
Hope and excitement musn’t be lost just because of a deafeat. We always knew the game would be difficult. The important thing is not to despair, find balance and try to net a strike to the very end.
We played well, especially in the final minutes, during which we were superior. I think we responded well.
Olympique had a strong start to the match and played a very physical game. We weren’t very effective. Lyonnais have a solid aerial game and used it as much as they could throughout the clash. Diarra was a starter because he is very tall and helped us in aerial plays.
Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Real Madrid
Neither the match nor the outcome was exactly what Real Madrid had bargained for. Olympique Lyonnais took the first leg of the Round of 16 tie with an authoritative first half and an early second half goal by Makoun. But all is not lost and the teams will meet again on 10 March in the Santiago Bernabeu.
There were few changes to the starting eleven that took the field last Saturday in La Liga. Albiol replaced Garay and Mahamadou Diarra stepped in for Lass. Real Madrid created few clear cut scoring chances in the first half, while OL pressured the Madridistas with or without the ball resulting in several near misses on goal by Govou, Delgado and Lisandro.
The French forward had the first look on target with a volley that struck off the side of the net. Two minutes after Higuain failed to reach a heal pass by Cristiano, Cesar Delgado sent a shot over Iker’s crossbar. Lisandro also tried his luck with a shot that sailed wide. Two of Real Madrid’s few chances were products of a cross by Marcelo that never found a finisher and a strike by Granero from the top of the box that Lloris trapped with little trouble. Lisandro had another go from distance to no avail and Delgado closed out the first half with a volley that struck off the right post.
Pellegrini changed up the defense by replacing Marcelo with Garay, thus displacing Ramos to the right wing and Arbeloa to the center of the back line. But the sleet that fell on Stade Gerland was the prelude to the glass of cold water that would soon drench Real Madrid. One minute into the second half, Granero turned the ball over in the midfield and Makoun steered it to the top of the box, where he struck a bending ball into the corner and beat a stretching Casillas. Real Madrid were forced to mount a comeback and Kaka layed out for a header following a Granero free kick, but Lloris made the save.
With lines maintaining close contact and control of the midfield in hand, OL presented more danger with Lisandro as its primary threat. The Argentine first sent in a low shot that barely missed the post and followed it up with an assist to Cissokho, who found himself one-on-one with Casillas. Lyon wouldn’t settle for a victory by the bare minimum while Real Madrid couldn’t find any space to contemplate the equalizer. Higuain had a rare opportunity all alone in front of Lloris, but his shot caromed of the keeper’s glove.
Stade Gerland gave a warm welcome to Karim Benzema, who stepped onto the pitch in search of glory, but it never came. Sergio Ramos’ header sailed high, Kaka’s pass into the box went untouched, and Cristiano’s last ditch effort didn’t find its target. OL resisted Real Madrid’s late surge to hold on to the win, but both sides still need to suit up in the Bernabeu.
Olympique Lyonnais vs Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League | Last 16 | First Leg | Preview
Fans have waited since 8 December for the Champions League to kick back into action. The day is here and Real Madrid open up the Round of 16 with a visit to Olympique Lyonnais. The Whites have yet to lose on the road in this year’s European campaign and hope to keep the streak intact tonight.
Real Madrid closed out the group stage of the Champions League in France and just happen to open the Round of 16 there as well. Two months after defeating Olympique de Marseille to lock up the top seed, the Whites head to Olympique Lyonnais’ Stade Gerland in search of a win that will put them well on track to May’s final in the Santiago Bernabeu.
Manuel Pellegrini travelled to Lyon with 19 Madridistas on board, with one player having to be cut from the squad list prior to the match. Karim Benzema made the trip and returns to his former stomping grounds having recovered from an adductor injury. Guti, Van der Vaart, Dudek and Metzelder, however, stayed in the Spanish capital. Hats off to Castilla’s Pedro Mosquera, who after finding his way onto three squad lists in league action makes his European debut.
Besides having qualified for the Round of 16, both Real Madrid and OL are right in the thick of things in their domestic competitions. The Madridistas are second and two points off the lead, while Lyon are fourth in the Ligue 1 with an eight point deficit.
Karim Benzema and Mahamadou Diarra return to their former stomping grounds where they helped bring Olympique Lyonnais to prominence. They both won four league titles and three French Super Cups, to which Benzema can add a French Cup and the 2008 Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.
Real Madrid are undefeated as visitors in this year’s edition of the Champions League, a streak they intend on keeping intact tonight against OL.
SQUAD LIST:
- Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan
- Defenders: Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Garay, Marcelo, Albiol
- Midfielders: Gago, Diarra, Lass, Kaka, Drenthe, Xabi Alonso, Granero, Mosquera
- Forwards: Raul, Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema.
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Referee: Mr. Martin Atkinson
Its now or never
Real Madrid kick off the Phase II of the UEFA Champions League later tonight in a highly anticipated clash against French giants Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de Gerland in the 20:45 CET game in Lyon. Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Roma and Liverpool have all added the fact that they have knocked out Real Madrid from the first knock-out round of the UEFA Champions League. The million dollar question is whether Lyon too is capable of doing the same. Hell no. If this Real Madrid team cannot over come Lyon then I am afraid we will never be able to over come them and they’ll thus be given the same status that Juventus holds in the book Learn about Real Madrid in 30 days.
We have to show just how much we want to play the final at our stadium. We are in good form and I’m sure we’ll reach the next round.
So said Esteban Granero to Marca, who has been a starter in two consecutive games and probably should start tonight as well. He emphasized on the same point that I have mentioned above. If this Real Madrid cannot do it, no other probably can. Its now or never.
This match comes at the best time for us. We are anxious to play it. It is our duty to win and we will show everyone what Real Madrid is all about.
And finally he gave a personal touch to the interview by mentioning how much he likes to be a starter etc. We all like it Esteban but I suggest you get used to the rotation policy else survival here would be tough and you might end up like a cunt in Robinho. I ain’t scaring you, but you can see it for yourself.
Champions League is back – Lyon pre-preview
Hola,
Now that its just down to two points between us and the league leaders Barcelona, its time to focus on the Champions League fixture. That’s right Liverpool fans. The UEFA Champions League. The mother of all club tournaments.
It will be Olympique Lyonnais vs Real Madrid in the 20:45 CET (1:15 IST) kick off at Stade Gerland as the home side will be looking to complete a hat-trick of home victories when the teams contest the opening leg of their first knockout round tie. Lyon beat Madrid on the last two occasions the clubs met in France although Real are unbeaten away in this season’s competition.
Real, as we all know very well, are seeking their first quarter-final place since the 2003-04 season and have already won once on French soil this season, coming from behind to defeat Marseille 3-1 in the final group game which ensured first place in Group C. Like us, Lyon too claimed 13 points in their section but finished second behind Group E winners Fiorentina. The French side have been knocked out at this stage in the past three seasonss, going down to Barca last year.
Coincidentally or should I say tragically Real have lost their last three two-legged contests with French opposition – going down on away goals to Monaco in the 2003-04 quarter-finals and losing to PSG in the last eight both in the 1992-93 UEFA Cup and the 1993-94 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Manuel Pellegrini though has had better luck with his counterpart Puel whenever they’ve faced each other. He got the better of Puel when they met previously in the Champions League in the 2005-06 group stage. Pellegrini’s Villarreal earned a goalless draw at Puel’s Lille before a 1-0 home win earned them progress as group winners and eliminated Lille. Puel has had little joy against Spanish sides, suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Mallorca in the 1999-00 UEFA Cup fourth round while at Monaco. With Lille though he enjoyed a 1-0 win against Sevilla in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage but suffered a round of 16 elimination by the same opponents in the 2005-06 edition. As a player too he hasn’t had that much luck against Spanish opposition.
Sunday round up
My name is not Khan. I am not a terrorist either. So lets move on and get over with this friggin post.
Xerez made us realize that we have got to work to earn three points from any game no matter who the opponent is. On any other day I would’ve blamed the woeful nature of the pitch for Ronaldo not scoring earlier than he did but then again, some pitches are bitches and we’ve got to live with them irrespective of whether we like it or not. I wasn’t very comfortable with the way in which we tried to whip in crosses so that we can out muscle them in the air in order to score a header or two. We do have a few right and left foots in our team. Van der Vaart is a specialist in that art. So is Granero. Kaka’ too can cross. He proved that through Ronaldo’s first goal, even though that was a kind of a cross that even Darren Fletcher would’ve come up with given the same amount of time and space that the Brazilian created for himself. I felt that with Pipita playing alone up front in front of a wayward Ronaldo (I use wayward with reference to the position in which he plays) we had to play either through low hard crosses or through the center. Low hard crosses was nullified by the wet condition in the Chapin, so it had to be the center.
All our three goals came through the center but that was only after 65 minutes. Arbeloa finished Granero’s threaded pass clinically, something that I didn’t expect from him. Ronaldo’s goal started in the center until Kaka’ made himself space on the wings, showing his masterclass, and crossed perfectly for Ronaldo, so much that he didn’t have to jump to head the ball in. The third goal yet again involved the two with Ronaldo putting Kaka clear on goal who went too close to Renan that he had to get clear of the custodian to deliver a cross that would see Ronaldo score into an goalkeeper-less (not empty) net. It was all beautiful. But what took us 65 minutes to realize the mistake is what bothers me. The first half saw Marcelo, Granero and Arbeloa trying to cross the ball for Ronaldo, who head butted Higuain more than he headed the ball. It never worked. Granero played a Dirk Kuyt role and worked his heart out. His set plays though were as bad as Kuyt’s – something that I didn’t expect from him. Pipita thus had nothing to do with only useless crosses to work upon. We’ve got to admit it. He’s no Raul when it comes to heading the ball. Raul, as short as he might be, knows the right place and the right time that he has to get to in order to nod one in. The crossing should have started when El Siete came on in. It was the other way round. We started playing quick through balls when he came in making him look useless.
Fortunately, these mistakes can be worked upon. And even more fortunately these didn’t cost us three points which has now reduced the deficit to two points though Barca have a game in hand.
Now stop talking about Lyon will you? – Zaragoza pre-preview
Real Madrid will face Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16 of the Champions League. The first leg of the tie will be played at Stade de Gerland and the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid’s Director of Institutional Relations, Emilio Butragueño was responsible for drawing the balls out of the pots. Yes, Karim Benzema and Mahamadou Diarra return to Lyon. Qualifying as group leaders has given the Whites the home advantage. The first leg will take place at their opponent’s stadium either on 16, 17, 23 or 24 February. The return leg will be held at the Bernabeu on 9, 10, 16 or 17 April.
Note: Real Madrid and Olympique have met on four previous occasions in Champions League play. L’OL own the upper hand having defeated the Whites twice and earned two draws. The French side has scored eight goals against Real, who have only netted three against OL.
Verdict: This team knocked the stuffing out of Liverpool. Their style of play is brilliant – quick passes involving quick players. In all a tough draw.
Manuel Pellegrini, Jorge Valdano, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain, Esteban Granero and several other Madridistas offered the team’s first reactions after learning that their next Champions League opponent is Olympique Lyonnais.
Pellegrini:
They are a difficult opponent just like all the other possible teams we could have drawn. All that matters is what kind of shape you are in heading into a match. We hope to be in top form and to qualify for the quarterfinals. Past history is important and you must take it into account, but it is not a decisive factor. Lyon have won the Ligue 1 many teams in recent years and have performed well in the Champions League. Any opponent at this stage would have been tough, so I am fine with the outcome.
We don’t play for another two months so we should be focused only on Zaragoza. We cannot think about the Champions League or our vacation time. Zaragoza won’t be easy because they aren’t doing that well and they have a new coach.
Forget Inter, Bayern and Lyon – think Valencia
After a good victory in the southern coast of France, Real Madrid now sit on top of Group C. We scored three goals, three good goals that too, two coming from Cristiano and one from Albiol, his first in Real Madrid colors. We now have to wait for the draw on December 18th to decide whom we will be facing in the knock-out stages. Potential opponents include big name teams like Internazionale, Bayern Munich and Olympique Lyonnais and other decent teams like Stuttgart, CSKA Moscow, Porto and Olympiacos. Though initially we might feel that one of the latter would be ideal last 16 opponents once you contemplate you definitely realize that it really doesn’t matter whom face in the next round. Inter and Bayern – the so-called big names themselves are not in the kind of form that creates any havoc in the opposition camp and facing them at home in the second leg should give us that edge we need in case they turn the tide. Then again we don’t have to worry about them until mid-February.
What we do have to think about now is the game against Valencia. We will be without the services of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time this season in the league. Cristiano is back to his best after scoring 3 in 3 since his comeback from injury. He will be suspended for the clash after being expelled against Almeria in the previous matchday. What comes as a major blow now is the latest news that Xabi Alonso is doubtful for the game at the Mestalla. The player trained in the gym yesterday along with the other injured ones like Metzelder, Van Nistelrooy, Kaka and Guti, but according to Marca Xabi Alonso might just not make the cut against Los Che. It is also reported that Xabi has been injured ever since the Almeria game and that he played with the injury for 79 minutes against Marseille as well. Sergio Ramos too stayed in the gym after picking up a minor knock against Marseille.
Say Xabi Alonso too misses out on the game then who will replace the trinity?
Karim Benzema becomes a Madridista!
Karim Benzema has become the latest player to join the ranks of Crisitiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Raul Albiol at the helm of the Santiago Bernabeu. He was the obvious choice after Floretino and co. missed out on Villa. The player had been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United but it is a known fact that Benzema himself preferred Real Madrid over other clubs in the world.
A statement on Real’s website read:
Real Madrid C.F. and Olympique Lyonnais have reached an agreement for the transfer of Karim Benzema. The player will have his medical examination in the next few days, which will be followed by the signing of the contract with his new club. The 21-year old French international striker will play six seasons for Real Madrid.
The player like the other acquisitions this season will spend the next six seasons at Real and the deal is said to be worth upto 41 million euros.
A statement on Olympique Lyonnais’ official website said:
Lyon announces the agreement with Real Madrid of the transfer of international attacker Karim Benzema for a net minimum value of €35m. It will also be possible to add various no-claims bonuses related to athletic performances, allowing the deal to reach a maximum amount €41m. A few days ago, Karim Benzema informed president Jean Michel Aulas of his wish to join Madrid, which has always been his preference after Lyon, quicker than it was initially considered. The player wished to seize the opportunity that was offered to him by Real, which was to be one of the major elements of the club’s new, ambitious policy built around some of the largest players in the world. Lyon accepted the decision of Karim Benzema and negotiated the conditions of a transfer which satisfy the various elements. The club wishes Karim the greatest success with Real Madrid.
He now becomes the sixth striker in our squad following Raul, Higuain, Huntelaar, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Negredo. This means only one thing. Players will be sold!
Para Siempre Blanco!
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!!
36, 42, 27, 194, 185…
Morning all,
I’m sure the title of this post caught your eye as you saw it. If thats the case then its job is done. I remember when I was in my 8th standard (not Grade, We don’t call it grade here in India) I remember this guy who took a few classes to help us with our public speaking skills. The first thing he said were a few random numbers which no one understood as to why he was doing so. And it was then that he said “It caught your attention didn’t it? That’s the secret behind public speaking.” and the rest was all blah blah and more of blah to me as I went back to what I was actually doing. What a loser!
Anyhoo, moving on to the post itself, it has been a dull weekend with all the people involved in the transfer market spending time with their families, girlfriends or all alone. Spain played South Africa and won on Saturday snatching the World record for most consecutive wins which Brazil held for quite some time now. Brazil beat Italy comprehensively last night knocking them out of the tournament. At their expense the team that went into the semi-finals to meet Spain was the U.S.A who beat Egypt 3-0.
The Transfer Market itself has been quite dull lately. The David Villa saga is still going on. Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema are being linked with us just for the heck of it. All the dutch starlets are linked with a move away from the club along with Fernando Gago. And we are planning to swoop both maico and hell Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
On Friday Valencia’s president Manuel Llorente declared that David Villa will not be sold in this transfer window. Manuel Llorente has said that since there aren’t any good offers currently David Villa will probably continue his career at the Mestalla next season but that would be the case only if there aren’t any amazing offers.
Llorente said:
We have taken the decision to not sell David Villa. We’ve taken this decision after some days of thought in which we studied the advantages and disadvantages. We think David Villa is the best striker in Europe and we have the fortune to have him in our team and we are going to fight to keep him.
Gaizka Mendieta, a few years ago, too was almost assured of playing in Real Madrid when Valencia blocked his transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu. Instead it was to Rome that he went to don the colors of Lazio who paid a record sum at that time to gain the midfielder’s services. Ofcourse he went and ruined his career there. Valencia, according to reports from Spain, are supposedly doing the same thing here. Llorente though insists the current move is not a ploy either, saying:
It’s not a strategy, but to avoid all the rumours. Because they affect Valencia, the media and the player. We have to be calm and think about the project. When we talked of selling it was because we thought that some players could bring in a lot of money, like Villa. But it’s not been like that.
Llorente did admit though that the decision taken by Valencia does not necessarily guarantee Villa will still be at the Mestalla next season.
I cannot say that because there could arrive an amazing offer.
The striker’s agent, Jose Luis Tamargo, said:
They [Valencia] have put us through a situation that is, sadly, very unpleasant because this is no good for anyone. Valencia have changed their minds and they are telling us they don’t want to sell the player after, as everyone knows, having talks with three of the four top clubs.
The player himself is unsure of his club future but he insisted that he wouldn’t let this uncertainity affect Spain‘s Conferderations Cup campaign. But one thing is for sure, Villa will remain in Spain, is atleast what his Fernando Torres thinks.
One other Spaniard who is linked with Real Madrid is Xabi Alonso. The Telegraph and The Daily Express reported that Xabi might be on his way out of Liverpool. But on Sunday the player himself said that he is not planning on leaving the club this summer. But then according to The Mirror Chelsea have joined the £18million race to grab Xabi Alonso.
Karim Benzema too has been linked with us. Jean-Michel Aulas hinted that he could be powerless to keep Benzema from leaving Lyon. But The Telegraph insists that Karim Benzema will not leave Lyon before the next World Cup.
Manchester United are rumored to make an offer that Real can’t refuse for Iker Casillas. Well, forget Iker Casillas, WE WON”T SELL A VIRUS TO THAT MOB.
Fernando Gago is worth 20 million euros apparently and Juve are interested. Read this.
Going Dutch, according to The Daily Star, Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Dutch compatriots to move on if they do get a chance. Hahahahaha!
Royston Drenthe is linked with a move to Italy to Fiorentina but ON LOAN which is really really good. NOTW says that Aston Villa have lost the race to sign the Dutch youngster and are now onto Jurado.
The Guardian has an article that says Real Madrid have warned Arjen Robben that they are prepared to leave him out of their squad next season if he refuses to leave the club this summer whereas The Dutchman himself is not keen to leave the Santiago Bernabéu (which is wonderful to hear as we will need him). As to the whole banishing thing: BULLOCKS!
Another Dutchman who doesn’t want to leave Real is Wesley Sneijder. Speaking to AS he said:
I have no intention of leaving Real Madrid. Nobody called me to speak about that and what I want to do is stay at Madrid because I battled hard to join this club and being successful in this shirt is my aim. No doubt about it. I am pretty much relaxed and cannot wait to get back to work. Playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka or Franck Ribery is an honour for every player.
Does that mean Ribery is in?
There is another rumor that says Frank Rijkaard wanting Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to link up with him in Turkey. Bullocks again.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is desperate to leave Inter and to move to Real Madrid, is what Marca says. According to Marca, negotiations are going on between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Real Madrid. Inter in return want Mahamadou Diarra, Sneijder, Robben and Higuaín. And I want to whip Massimo Morati’s arse all around Milan. Personally I am no believer of Ibracadabra. I don’t like his attitude. We already have Ronaldo to do the tricks. We don’t need the Swede. But if I am proved wrong…
According to Corriero dello Sport, Marco Branca, the technical director of Inter Milan, is in Madrid to discuss the possible transfer of the Brazilian full-back Maicon. Why do we need a right sided player again?
And about someone who will surely wear Real Madrid colors next season in Cristiano Ronaldo, The Mail says that Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract dispute with Real Madrid is understood to have been resolved which means the record deal will be completed soon. Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he made up his mind to leave Manchester United last summer. And according to The Mirror Sergio Ramos and co. are OK with Ronaldo’s wages.
And finally Vicente Del Bosque speaks about Raul‘s possible return into the Spanish National Team.
Thats it. End of post. More from me soon.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
P.S: Our kit for next season has been released. The serigraphy on the shirts have also changed.
Peace Cup 2009
While the primary goal of the Peace Cup is to promote world peace, the attention of this year’s edition will no doubt be centered on the twelve participating teams, who have over 1,130 years of combined history.
The twelve participating teams will be divided into four groups of three, in which each team will play at least two matches and a maximum of four. The top team of each group will automatically qualify for the semifinals.
This year’s participants include Real Madrid, Sevilla, Malaga (Spain), Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Aston Villa (England), Celtic (Scotland), Fenerbahce (Turkey), Juventus (Italy), LDU Quito (Ecuador), Olympique Lyonnais (France), Porto (Portugal) and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (South Korea).
The venues for the competition include the Santiago Bernabeu, La Rosaleda (Malaga), Chapin (Jerez), Nuevo Colombino (Huelva) and the Sanchez Pizjuan (Seville).
Pedja Mijatovic commented on the importance of the Peace Cup and the draw which took place on Thursday and pitted Real Madrid against Liga de Quito and Al-Ittihad.
It’s a very prestigious tournament. Just look at the teams that are participating. These matches will help our coach prepare for the start of the new season. Football fans will be very happy because they get to see some great matches over the summer.
The tournament has always been important because bringing teams together during their preparations stages is very difficult. Real Madrid would like to congratulate the organization.
The Peace Dream Foundation and the Peace Cup have created a great idea to help the world through football.
We will do whatever we can to win the tournament, which grows in prominence every year. The Peace Cup will be one of the world’s most important competitions. I am sure we will see some good football.
Real Madrid to face Liga de Quito and Al-Ittihad
Representatives of the twelve teams participating in the 2009 Peace Cup gathered at the El Gran Hotel Renacimiento in Seville on Thursday for the draw ceremony, which pitted Real Madrid against Liga de Quito and Al-Ittihad in Group B.
Real Madrid will play there first match against Liga de Quito on 26 July and two days later will face Al-Ittihad. If they finish top in Group B, the Whites will qualify for the 21 July semifinal against the Group A winner to be played in either La Cartuja (Seville) or La Rosaleda (Malaga), the former which will also host the final on 2 August.
President Vicente Boluda was accompanied by Vice-President Amador Suarez for the draw and the former discussed why Real Madrid is partricipating in such an important competition. According to Boluda,
The tournament follows the same philosophy as that of Real Madrid. We also have an important Foundation that carries out social work with more than 50,000 kids on three continents. Anything that entails the promotion of peace is important. Real Madrid has participated in many important causes. Two years ago we were in Tel Aviv to play against a team comprised of Palestinians and Israelis. We are proud to be here and happy to be in Andalucia.
Just another Madridista
Hala Madrid 
Its the press and not the fans
The truth is that Manuel Pellegrini has scored with the fans.
If you know your way through the Footblogosphere or do a lot of online reading then you’d have probably read most of what the Spanish press had to say regarding the sucker punch we received last night at the hands of Lyon. For the benefit of the others, being a rational man, I’m forced to share what I know with them.
Marca, from this morning, had this on it. “Adiós Champions, Adiós Pellegrini. Fuera“, which translates as “Goodbye Champions [League], Goodbye Pellegrini. Out.”
El País‘ columnist José Samano spoke like any Liverpool or any-other-club-that-doesn’t-have-the-money-nor-the-players fan, saying:
Orfeo Suárez reached a new height in Real Madrid criticism when he wrote the following on El Mundo:
ABC wasn’t further behind. Julián Avila wrote about the “stratospheric spending” accompanied by the headlines “Sixth galactic failure.” Avila said:
Elsewhere, Carlos Marcote, writing in El Periódico, said Florentino Pérez had failed in his attempt to:
AS were the only ones to have been a little mature in their approach and simply labeled the knockout a “catastrophe” on their front cover. Columnist and fellow Madridista Tomás Roncero wrote:
If the press were after Pellegrini’s heads Guti talked about the lack of a team ethic openly to the press, Pellegrini complained later that the side had been individualistic and Ronaldo went straight off without a word. When Kaká was withdrawn, his press agent and adviser attacked Pellegrini on Twitter as a “coward who hides his own inadequacies by pointing at others“. Kaká’s wife retweeted the remark. Ronaldo has been declared blameless but not Kaká.
Kaká, did not exactly react to Roncero’s claims, but decided to apologize to the fans “on behalf of the players” and assured us that they will come back and get past this dreadful moment in Marca. And with reference to his reaction after being substituted out for Raúl, the Brazilian like we all know him, had only kind words to say.
Everyone went after everything and everyone they could possibly go after. The brunt of the accusations was Manuel Pellegrini though as its the press who are control of what is being published. They want him out more than any other Madridista as they feel that a Rafa Benitez (who is struggling to keep a Liverpool side in the top four of a weaker English Premier League) or a José Mourinho (who just can’t maintain a 100 point lead at the top of the table no matter what happens despite having one of the best squads in Europe) would do a better job.
Manuel Pellegrini failed to do what the likes of Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, Juande Ramos failed to do and that is go past the first knock-out round of the Champions League. Pellegrini unarguably has the best squad of the three and still failed but Pellegrini had to start a new project from scratch with a bunch of players playing together for the first time. No matter how astronomical they be they still need time to gel. Benitez, Mourinho, Wenger, Sir Alex, hell even Don Alfredo cannot manage to produce a dream title in their first season as coach with a newly assembled team. Guardiola did it. But he did the magical treble with a squad which just needed a little bit of changing here and there and above all man management. Their mainstays had been playing together for a few seasons and were at the peak of their careers at the same point of time. This doesn’t happen to every team. Unfortunately for us it happened to Barcelona and fortunately for us its what is happening to Spain now.
We fans understand this. We are willing to give Manuel Pellegrini – a man who made us earn two points more than what Barça had earned last season at the same point of time – the time and space he needs to make this team fulfill our dreams of getting La Décima. Doing so in hour home ground in front of the home fans would just have been the icing on the cake. So what if it is on a neutral turf? Would it be any less special? Hell no! Why doesn’t the press understand this?
Both Alcorcon and Lyon are disasters. No doubts about it. But was it because of Pellegrini or the players? The players failed to step up. We did not lose to either of the team strategy wise. We lost a 11-on-11 on-field battle. Do you blame the manager for that?
The press agency, touted to be our President’s unofficial mouthpiece, conducted an online poll today apropos the current situation and raised a question as to whether whom the fans wanted to see as the club’s manager after the tragedy. Former Madridista and current manager of Getafe, Michel came third with 8.8% of the votes while press-favorite Mourinho came second with 14% of the votes. Manuel Pellegrini, with a whopping 65% of the votes, showed what the fans really wanted as far as the post of the boss was concerned. In the other polls that were conducted the fans wanted out Dudek, Metzelder, Drenthe, Gago, Diarra and to everyone’s surprise even Raúl next season while they wanted to see David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas more than the likes of Ribery and Rooney at the Bernabéu.
The press are supposed to be the voice of the people. They are supposed to tell the rest of the World what the people in their region are really saying. But that isn’t the case here is it? The press wants to have fun. They want to see new faces all the time. They need something to argue, talk and speculate all the time. While its fun on one hand, so many fallacies can do a lot of harm to the population. I’m not being political here. I am just saying what I’ve really wanted to say for a long time.
The truth is that Manuel Pellegrini has scored with the fans. The loss last night was damaging. I cannot deny that. Its a fuckin’ fact. It hurts not to be a part of the Champions League’s last few rounds again and again. But it isn’t the same story again. Unlike last time this is not a team that no one had hopes about. This is a side that has been created to achieve great stuff. And I believe it will. I always have believed in Real Madrid and right now my belief has not dropped a bit. Everyone were talking about the miracle comeback or Remontar as they call it yesterday prior to the game, I never did. But now I am willing to talk about it. Coming back from this defeat would be the best thing that we can expect from the club we love. And I am sure we will get what we want this time.
The next league game is on Sunday against a struggling Valladolid side. I thought yesterday was more important an issue to address rather than the upcoming fixture itself. But tomorrow is a different day. And we shall forget Lyon right now and look ahead because the future only looks green for us.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
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March 11, 2010 | Categories: Comments, General, News | Tags: Caroline Celico, Cesc Fàbregas, David Silva, Diogo Kotscho, Florentino Perez, Kaká, Manuel Pellegrini, Olympique Lyonnais, Raúl González Blanco, Tomás Roncero | Leave a comment