Real Madrid: No Rooney bid

January 26, 2010


European giants Real Madrid have ruled out a bid for Manchester United’s star striker Wayne Rooney, despite confirming their admiration for the player.

The England international is having a remarkable season in front of goal, having netted 19 times for the Red Devils which includes his recent four-goal haul against Hull City.

The former Everton player has been credited with single-handedly maintaining United’s title charge following last summer’s world-record sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.

It had been thought the Spanish giants were weighing up a move for the 24-year-old in order to reunite him with ex-Old Trafford team-mate Ronaldo.

While Real president Jorge Valdano concedes Rooney is an extraordinary player, he does not believe he would adapt to Spain’s top flight.

“He is extraordinary, very, very good,” he told Radio COPE.

“Rooney is English, we all know they find it difficult to adapt to another type of competition other than the Premier League.

“He is a very interesting player but we have not ever been interested.”

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Ronaldo sale boosts Man Utd earnings

January 11, 2010


English giants Manchester United on Monday reported pre-tax profits of 48.2 million pounds (53.6 million euros) for the year to June 30, 2009.

The figure includes the world record 80 million pounds (90 million euros) fee they pocketed for the sale of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and also 41.9 million pounds paid out in interest on a mammoth loan of 509.5 million pounds.

Turnover was also up, from 80.4 million pounds in 2008 to 91.3 million pounds a year later.

The figures were released on a morning when United officially confirmed their intention to raise 500million pounds through bonds in order to refinance their debts.

Without the world record sale of Ronaldo, the reigning English Premier League champions would have been reporting a loss of 31.8 million pounds, a situation that clearly is unsustainable over the long term, hence the bonds issue.

“Manchester United today announced that it will be seeking to raise approximately 500million pounds aggregate principal amount from an offering of senior secured notes due 2017,” said a United statement.

“The notes, whose proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt secured against the club, will be issued by MU Finance plc.”

LONDON (AFP)

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Ronaldo most popular sports star on Facebook

January 7, 2010


Real Madrid’s Portuguese international striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the most popular sports star on Facebook, the sports daily Marca reported on Wednesday.

The flamboyant footballer could count 3.2 million fans on his social network site on Wednesday, putting him ahead of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer with 3.18 million and US swimmer Michael Phelps, 2.86 million.

Ronaldo, 24, arrived in Real Madrid from Manchester United last summer in a world record 94-million-euro deal.

He is also the most profitable player ever in a club which had such stars as Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, generating 80 million euros in advertising revenues per year.

MADRID (AFP)

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Higuain warns rivals of a rising Madrid

December 21, 2009


Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain believes Real Madrid are getting better all the time after they ended 2009 with a 6-0 demolition of Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Even without key duo Kaka and Pepe through injury Madrid were still far too good for sorry Zaragoza, and the game was over as a contest inside the opening 35 minutes after the hosts stormed into a 4-0 lead.

Higuain and Rafael van der Vaart shared those goals equally between them before big-money summer signings Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema added two more strikes in the second half.

Madrid have had their critics this season but last night’s win was their biggest since trouncing Sporting Gijon 7-1 at the start of the last campaign and saw them close the gap on leaders Barcelona to two points.

It also means Madrid have won eight of their last nine games, with their only slip-up coming against Barca at the Nou Camp, and Higuain feels things are now gradually coming together for the Spanish giants, who spent around 250million euros on new talent this summer.

“We are playing better every day,” said the Argentinian, who has scored 10 goals in his last eight league games for Madrid.

“I’m very happy with the result and with the performance of the team. We played a very good match and we hope to continue on this path. We were solid and we took advantage of scoring so early on.

“It was very important to defeat Zaragoza in order to be just two points behind Barcelona. We depend on ourselves to catch up to them.”

World-record signing Ronaldo also feels he is improving.

The £80million summer arrival from Manchester United missed two months of the season due to an ankle injury and was back on the sidelines for last weekend’s trip to Valencia because of suspension.

However, he was back in the side for the Zaragoza match and his second-half goal took his tally to 13 strikes in 12 competitive games this season.

“I’m working well and I will do even better with the help of my team-mates. I want to carry on like this until the end of the season,” he said.

“I’m doing better every day. Two months out is a long time and coming back was difficult. But things are going well for me, I’m scoring goals and I hope to continue like that.”

He added on his club’s website: “It was important to end the year with a victory, so we are happy about that. Now we have to think about next year, which we must start as well as we’ve ended this one.”

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Real Madrid hold upper hand for ´El Clasico´

November 23, 2009


Real Madrid may be out of the King’s Cup but they have made their best league start in 17 years and go into next Sunday’s ‘El Clasico’ at Barcelona with a one-point advantage over the reigning champions.

Real defeated Racing Santander 1-0 on Saturday to wrestle top spot from unbeaten Barca – who drew 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao – and their haul of 28 points from a possible 33 represents their best start since the 1991-92 season.

Last season Real were nine points behind Barca going into the first Clasico in mid-December and lost 2-0 to leave them with too big a mountain to climb in the title race.

This season Real have the upper hand and a win over Barca at Camp Nou would see them move four points clear at the summit, but they have an important Champions League match at home to FC Zurich on Wednesday to get through first.

Real are level on points with AC Milan in Group C but Marseille are just a point behind so the nine-time European champions can’t afford to slip up against the Swiss champions.

“We can’t stop people talking about the Clasico but we must remain cool and concentrate on the Champions League first,” said defender Raul Albiol.

“We are top of the league and have had a good run which is shown by the statistics.”

Real struggled to overcome Racing and the home fans – still angry at the King’s Cup exit to third-division Alcorcon – were not impressed by the workmanlike victory.

Match-winner Gonzalo Higuain admitted Real were still not firing on all cylinders but said there was more to come from the new-look ‘Galacticos’.

“There were a lot of changes at the start of the season and the team is taking one step at a time,” said the Argentine.

“We will find the way we want to play – it is not a question of patience but rather a question of working hard.”

Real have been without world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo for the past ten games as the Portuguese star has been ruled out with an ankle injury, but he is expected to be fit in time for the Barcelona clash.

In contrast Barcelona are sweating on the fitness of their star player Lionel Messi, after he came off in the Bilbao game with a thigh injury.

“I am never happy when someone is injured,” said Albiol. “We may benefit from it because he (Messi) is an essential player for Barcelona and one of the best in the world, but Barca have enough good players to cover his absence.

“We must play well in order to win there.”

Real lost both games against Barcelona last season, tasting a 2-0 defeat at Camp Nou before the unforgettable 6-2 thrashing at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“The Clasico on Sunday is a very important game,” said Real’s Dutch midfielder Roysten Drenthe.

“We have to show what Real Madrid are all about at Camp Nou.”

Real coach Manuel Pellegrini has rotated his squad of late but competition for a place in the starting line-up against Barcelona is sure to be fierce.

“First we have the Zurich match, then the Clasico, which we all want to play in,” said Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay.

“The coach will select those players that impress the most in training.”

MADRID (AFP)

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Ronaldo hopes to play in ´clasico´

November 13, 2009


Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo said Thursday he was recovering well from his ankle injury and hopes to play in the “clasico” match at Barcelona on November 29.

“Everything is going very well, I have started running again and I think I will start training with the team next week,” the Portuguese winger told Spanish media at a ceremony at Real’s Bernebeu stadium.

“Of course, I want to play against Barcelona, but I want to play again before then,” including against Zurich in the Champions League on November 25.

Ronaldo injured his right ankle in Real’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Marseille at the end of September and aggravated the problem while playing for Portugal on October 10.

On Tuesday he was ruled out of his country’s crucial World Cup play-off matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 14 and 18 after undergoing medical tests on the injury in Lisbon.

Both Portugal – World Cup semi-finalists in 2006 – and Real had been locked in a battle over Ronaldo with the club insisting that he was not fit enough to travel.

Ronaldo, bought from Manchester United last summer for a world record 94 million euros, is the top scorer in the Primera Liga with five goals and in the Champions League with four.

Spanish media have reported that Real coach Manuel Pellegrini’s job is in jeopardy after the team was eliminated from the Spanish Cup by third division minnows Alcorcon.

MADRID (AFP)

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Ronaldo doubtful for Sevilla after ankle injury

October 1, 2009


Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is doubtful for this weekend’s league match against Sevilla after suffering a sprained ankle, the club said on Thursday.

The Portuguese star, bought from Manchester United last summer for a world record 94 million euros, was injured in Real’s 3-0 defeat of Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ronaldo scored twice in the match to bring his total to nine goals in seven games for the Spanish club.

“Ronaldo may have to miss the clash with Sevilla on Sunday due to a sprain to the internal lateral ligament of the right ankle,” Real said on its website.

MADRID (AFP)

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Real and Ronaldo under threat from Spanish wizard?

September 29, 2009


An unusual headline in Spain’s El Mundo newspaper caught my eye this morning: “Real Madrid threatened by wizard.”

According to the respected conservative daily, the La Liga club has received a letter from the magician, whom it did not identify by name, warning that he has been contracted to cast a spell that would inflict injury on their Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I can’t promise that it will be a serious injury but he’ll certainly be out of action more than playing,” El Mundo quoted the wizard as saying.

He told the paper he was unable to reveal the identity of his client “because I am a mixture of priest and doctor and I have to respect the confidentiality of my followers.”

El Mundo said it was the third time the wizard had threatened Real after targeting players including David Beckham and Ronaldo (the portly Brazilian version) in 2003 and Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro and Raul in 2006.

The wizard has apparently already begun the process of casting his spell over Cristiano Ronaldo using photos of the world record signing spread out around his “laboratory”.

“It’s a step-by-step process and depends on various factors so the result you are looking for is achieved sooner or later,” El Mundo quoted the wizard as saying.

He pointed out that Ronaldo’s run of a goal-a-game had ended against Tenerife at the weekend and he had been angry at being substituted by coach Manuel Pellegrini in the second half.

Real are not taking the threat seriously and have dismissed it as “the kind of craziness we deal with on a daily basis”, according to El Mundo.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on Ronaldo in the next few weeks but in the meantime can anyone think of anything similar happening in other leagues?

There are plenty of superstitious soccer players out there but someone being targeted by a wizard really is bizarre.

PHOTO: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during their La Liga match against Tenerife at the Bernabeu, Sept. 26 REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

Source

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Rooney – I´d never walk out on Man Utd

September 1, 2009


Wayne Rooney insists there is no chance he would ever walk out on Manchester United.

England striker Rooney saw Cristiano Ronaldo quit Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in a world-record 80 million pounds (129 million dollars) deal during the close-season.

But Rooney, who joined United from Everton in 2004, is enjoying life with Sir Alex Ferguson’s team too much to consider turning his back on the Premier League champions.

The 23-year-old is United’s main attacking threat now Ronaldo has gone and he has responded with a superb start to the season.

Rooney said in The Sun: “I’ve always said I love this club and, as long as I’m wanted here, I’ll play here.

“It’s as simple as that. I can’t see one reason why I should want to move.

“I’ve everything I want. My family are just 30 minutes away, I’m settled and I honestly can’t see me going anywhere else unless I’m told otherwise by the manager.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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Fergie faces up to gruelling Euro trips

August 28, 2009


Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United’s gruelling Champions League trips to Turkish champions Besiktas and Russia’s CSKA Moscow make their group a tough proposition.

United were pitted against Besiktas, CSKA Moscow and German champions Wolfsburg in Thursday’s draw for the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition.

Besiktas won the Turkish title for the first time in six years last season, while CSKA are Russian’s league and cup holders.

While none of those teams have United’s experience in the Champions League, the 2009 runners-up won’t be looking forward to two long journeys and the prospect of having to returning to domestic league action while still drained from the flight home.

“These are difficult ties, especially the trips to Russia and Turkey,” Ferguson told United’s website.

“CSKA have developed strongly in the last few years and games in Turkey are always difficult.”

United, who were beaten 2-0 by Barcelona in last year’s final, avoided a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Old Trafford Real Madrid in a world record 80 million pounds transfer in June.

But Ferguson won’t underestimate any of the teams in United’s group, with Wolfsburg, who won the German title for the first time last season, a particular concern for the Premier League champions.

“We also know the quality that we’re up against with Wolfsburg, with what they achieved in the Bundesliga last season,” Ferguson added.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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