Wasteful Madrid fails to punish an off-colour Barça

The first 'Clasico' of the season is behind us. Here are my thoughts on the game

1. As the title suggests, Real Madrid missed a golden opportunity to beat an off-colour and off-pace Barcelona playing with a lot of players with either little are no preseason action.
2. Real Madrid started brightly with a very high tempo and pressing Barça asphyxiating them.
3. Barça started without Xavi, Pique, Busquets and Puyol. And surprised everyone with Alexis in the starting lineup. My theory on this is that, Pep started the eleven that he thought had the best chance to last 90 minutes.
   
4. It was only a matter of time before Real Madrid went ahead with the beautiful inter play between Özil and Benzema with the former scoring from assist from the former
5. After taking the lead around the 20th min, Madrid took the foot off the pedal, inexplicably.
6. Barça didnt have a shot on goal until David Villa curled an absolutely unstoppable right footer from the edge of the box on the left side.
7. While the game started without incident, it has gotten nastier as the time passed by with the tackles getting more rough and at times reckless after the equalizer.
8. The ref had a decent game in the first half, although he should have given a yellow or two for both sides.
9. Barça continued having problems in controlling the game and Madrid had various opportunities to go ahead.
10. Until the 45th minute when Messi in his first meaningful contribution to the game left Pepe and a few others in their wake and slotted in the 2nd.
    
11. 1-2 half-time, surprise scoreline because Madrid completely dominated the half with ample chances. Valdes was sharp and Benzema, not as much.
12. Barça started the 2nd half much better than the 1st half but Madrid equalized very soon through a well placed shot by Xabi Alonso
13. From here on the game got worse in terms of discipline. More cheap fouls, exaggerated reactions..the usual nastiness that accompanied the Clasicos of last season.
    
14. Both teams had a good penalty shout denied in the process.
15. Every foul is protested by everyone, even the throw-in decisions were not accepted without a protest.
    
16. The referee Texeira Vitienes lost control of the game at this point. Had he shown the early yellow cards in the first half, it would have been a different story.
    
17. Madrid created numerous chances again but failed to finish them off against a superhero-esque Victor Valdes.
18. Barça looked slightly better with Xavi, Pique and Pedro coming on in the 2nd half but Messi looked rusty.
    
19. Alexis had a great debut considering that he is playing just after two practice sessions with Barcelona.
20. Coentrão looked lively in the 15-20 minutes he played but by then both teams were in chaos as far as formations are concerned, a typical phenomenon in the dying moments of the early season games.
    
21. In the end, Barça will be more happy with the result than Real Madrid.
    
22. Madrid needs to try and win in Camp Nou and Barça can lift the cup with a 0-0 or even 1-1.
23. Mourinho excused himself from the presser and consequently the media is talking about this more than the great game overall from Real Madrid. Unfortunate but somethings dont change.
24. It will be interesting if Madrid can play another full press at Camp Nou where the pitch is wider and Barça will start with more regulars and with more minutes of practice.
    

Man of the Match Real Madrid : Özil
Man of the Match Barcelona : Victor Valdes

2nd leg in Camp Nou on Aug-17 at 2300 CET 1700 Eastern/1400 Pacific

Real Madrid Preview 2011

Main Storylines: despite this relatively  quiet transfer market for the club that quite often rules the roost in player movement, Real Madrid have continued the unglamorous task of building a squad that compliments the talent they already have. José had no use for Sergio Canales and Pedro León, so he brought in Nuri Sahin and José Callejon who fit the Mourinho profile a little better. The pearl of the transfer window is Fábio Coentrão however. He´s versatile, tall and offers more defensive qualities on the ball and on the man than Marcelo does, which allows the Brazilian to maximize his potential as an attacker. In a nutshell, José is building a squad that does just that for each other. There is no perfect player, but there are perfect compliments of players. They cover others weaknesses so that they can play at their maximum level. That said, it has been a rather schizophrenic Summer from los blancos. While anyone who has bothered to ask José has come from the meeting with a feeling that Madrid are almost finished other than signing a striker, more than likely bringing an Adebayor who knows Mou´s system and adapted himself to his role last year, the club (meaning specifically his royal highness Don Florentino Perez) have continued on their merry way, negotiating at first with want-away Atléti striker Sergio ¨El Kún¨ Agüero who settled disappointedly with Manchester City because Real Madrid would not come with a serious offer, and then tapped-up Santos´ Brasilian phenomenon Neymar after the Copa Libertadores final. They both serve the dual purpose of great player with the sort of shirt-potential that Perez´s Galacticos usually bring to the club, but neither suits what the club need, nor what José Mourinho is kown for. In Kún you have stocky forward with a low center of gravity that José rarely features and in Neymar a flair-player who rarely tracks back and who isn´t ready physically for the assignment that José requires. The first would likely sit, much as Shevchenko did at Chelsea, and the other would spend most matches fuming as either Di María or Callejon played on the wing in his stead, or Özil or Kaká played centrally. Who do you sit for the luxury of bringing Neymar? Better yet, who do you bring in to cover his weaknesses? It´s why I think he won´t come until after José Mourinho leaves Real Madrid.

Forwards: What is there to be said about there forward line? Cristiano Ronaldo has become one of the most complete forwards in football. He can play on the wings or more centrally and exploits the empty spaces in front of goal better than practically any other forward. He´s no central striker though, holding the ball is not really a job that exploits his considerable skills well, so Benzema and Higuaín will likely cover that role and each other. The player in form will start while competing for minutes, but José likes to spring 4 and 5 attacker sets late in games, so both will play alot. The only negative I can think of is that they are a bit light in terms of numbers, but since for most of the match Mourinho likes to use one guy up top, there really isn´t any real problem. Ones to watch: José Callejón. The former Castilla player who returned after two promising years at Espanyol, gives them more directness on the wing than Di Maria, who is often indecisive and loses the ball in the corner, and can spell the Argentine when he gets tired late in games.

Midfielders:  I think they solved one of their two their most pressing problems in the midfield. Talk is always of Ronaldo-dependence, but what the club have is Xabi-dependence. The former Liverpool is an organizer, a distributor and a leader in the midfield, but his greatest contribution to a club like Real Madrid is springing their deadly counter-attack with those deadly cross-field 60 yard passes. I think that´s why they brought in Sahín who has that sort of game to him from what I´ve seen. Özil was a great find, the central creative force that sent Kaká to the bench. Sami Khedira and Esteban Granero have their roles, but neither is the complete dominator centrally that they need. Lass Diarra is acceptable in that role if he were playing at any other team, but he´s not Claude Makelele. Coentrão and Pepe can play there in a pinch, but you lose what they bring to your club in their primary roles as center-back and full-back. Ones to watch: Everyone is writing off Kaká. I think even Perez wants to see the backside of him, but I can´t help thinking that there is still some gas left in the tank for the former Brasilian great. Whether he shows it for Madrid depends if he stays.

Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho and Fábio Coentrão, with Marcelo to play minutes there, but mainly up the pitch more as a midfielder. Arbeloa can play on either wing and Ramos can play centrally. There is some depth there, but I can´t help but think that Carvalho is getting on with smoke and mirrors. How much time does he have left? I know his positioning is without equal, but he´s the sort who gets beat now that he has lost a few steps and gets carded late in games for those mistakes of age. I like that they bought Varane, but he´s a year away at best to start contributing amongst those physical beasts around him. Ones to watch: Hamit Altintop. I know he has said that he already wants to leave the club for lack of respect, but he´s the sort of grinder that Mou likes. Don´t be surprised if he helps out more than expected.


Keepers: Iker Casillas is the best in the world bar none. He is athletic, a born leader and he makes the difficult save look easy and the easy save look even easier than it should be which is a far cry from many a keeper who loses concentration on the likeliest of saves. With the exit of Dudek, Castilla keeper Adán takes over the role of backup. It is not likely we will see him play much.

Projection: they certainly are better overall, a much deeper and more complimentary squad, but there are still holes to be patched up in the midfield and if this were any other league I would say that Real Madrid would have no problem winning the Premier League by 6 games or Serie A by 10. The league is disproportionately poor at the bottom of the table. There are not a lot of teams at the bottom of the table that can consistently take points off either front-runner so the Clásicos have and will take on more of a deciding role. Unfortunately, they play in a league with FC Barcelona and they have improved immensely. Sure, Cesc and Aléxis Sanchez leave starting roles for back-up roles at Barça but that doesn´t take into the account what modern clubs use their full squads for. Rotation is a bad-word for alot of people, but modern clubs need to rotate players and Barcelona can rotate a different quality of player in than their rivals. Second again in the league, but I think (unlike the blaugrana) that this squad looks like it was built specifically for Europe. I think this is the year that Real Madrid wins their 10th European title.

My Ten Day experience with Real Madrid...

Peggy van Huizen was deputized as an official representative of Forza Futbol for the Real Madrid LA Pre-Season Tour. Here's her amazing daily log. Enjoy!


I’m a Real Madrid fan… For me the following experience was something I would never ever dreamed of having. I’m happy to be able to share this. It was definitely something I will never forget. :D


The Beginning.

It happened in a matter of hours..Elisa from Forza Futbol offering to help get me a media credential with her for the upcoming Real Madrid tour back Los Angeles. Last year I had seen them, only twice though as I am not an autograph kinda person..I want to actually see them play etc. so I went once at a pay-for charity practice, the second time on a Sunday while the LA Open tennis final was on and of course went to the game at the Rose Bowl when they played the LA Galaxy. While that was exciting and all, I had no idea of what I was in for. Elisa sent off the paperwork and within hours it came back.. WE WERE APPROVED!!! Wow!..To say I was floored, excited, thrilled and just plain happy, probably wouldn’t sum it all up how I felt. Media credentials would not only get us in to see practices, we would get to go to press conferences each day, be on the pitch & in press room during the match if we chose to and in the mixed-zone after the matches. Basically we would get to see them up close and live each day..I thought I was in a dream.

They would be arriving on Monday, July 11th, 2011. That Sunday night we got word of the first press conference. It would be Tuesday, June 12th, at 12N at CAA with..gulp.. Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Jose Mourinho, Bruce Arena, Landon Donovan and David Beckham. Wow..They were starting off with a bang weren’t they!! I actually got nervous for a second..Why I don’t know. But again..WOW..This was going to be amazing. And yes, it was. I’ve been in presser’s before with work etc.. But never had I been in one where I was actually truly a fan of it all.

Tons of media from all over the world were there. Of course some Herbal Life people and CAA sports agent, Michael Levine has to talk first and get the rules out. Yes, there are rules to having a media credential. We could only ask questions pertaining to the RM/Galaxy game, the upcoming tour and such. (No, China, we can’t ask Cris if he changes his baby’s nappies because guess what..It doesn’t pertain to anything football/soccer relevant in the slightest ugh!). And Iker would only take and respond to questions in Spanish. Though I did find out he secretly can speak English better than any of us thinks he can, he just doesn’t want to. Ya know, that whole Spanish pride thing they have, but trust me, I was okay with it. :D

Then they all walked in..not gonna lie, I think I stopped breathing for a second or two.
Craziest thing happened next, after all the rules, schmooze talk etc., they announced that the floor was open to questions..and guess what?? No one had any! Maybe they were just all rendered a bit speechless like me, but have to say it was pretty humourous when you are in a room with that kind of star power and no one speaks for about 2 minutes..it really seems like 10.really.long.minutes. Whispers start..I just think no one really wanted to be the first person. But then the ice was broken with a question for…(drum roll) Landon Donovan!! And he broke the ice well with his opening answer of ..’With all the people up here I really didn’t expect to get the first question’..And with a room full of laughter, the conf. proceeded well. A few other highlight moments.. Cris teasing Iker for saying “soccer”, being his usual fidgety self. Iker just sitting there cute as anything while everyone spoke English. Beckham..Well just being the BAMF that is Beckham..No explanation needed on that one.


Day 2 (Wed, July 13th, 2011)

Wouldn’t you know it..Family obligations kept me out for this day…and what day is it..Oh just the day Sergio Ramos is in the presser! UGH! The sacrifices we make for family.


Day 3 (Thursday, July 14th, 2011)

I’m baaaack..::D Missed the morning practice but was there in time for the presser. Carvahlo and Coentrao are in todays. They will take questions in 3 languages, English, Spanish, and Portuguese as they have translators available for both and Fabio does not speak English or Spanish it seems.

By this time I have not only met the lovely Kay Murray from RMTV, but we are having some great times chatting at the practices etc.. She hints that later in the week she might possibly interview us! Very cool. The presser is mostly spent talking about the beginning stages of the practice sessions, how Fabio is adapting to the team, Cristiano helping him to adapt a lot.


Day 4 (Friday, July 15th, 2011)

So FINALLY I make the morning practice. Let me tell you..There is really nothing quite like the sight of these guys arriving to the field. UCLA is a great spot for all this. There is a long winding path leading to the field that the players get driven past with usually a pretty good amount of fans lined up along the drive to try to get autographs etc. But watching them walk on the field was a truly amazing moment for me. Never thought I would actually just be right there for this. They make this an open practice at the last minute I guess, on a 1st come 1st serve basis for the fans lined up outside, so we also get to watch the whole thing. Then move on to the Presser which today was the wonderful adorable Xabi & Granero, both whom can speak English quite well and answer a lot of questions to both Spanish & English press mostly about the game the next day.

We go back for the afternoon practice, which we only get to see 15 min of ☹ Still, to me, anytime I can see them, I will go and be there whether it’s for 15 min. or more. I also got to meet Stewart Wolfenson & Rafael Gomez, both of the Los Angeles Pena they have started and Elisa & I are part of, which was really great! Then Leora Conway, from the NYC Pena came into town and to celebrate an early birthday for her, we (Leora, Elisa & I) decide to go to the Polo Lounge for dinner that night. Not only was the food amazing, but getting to see Sergio, Arbeloa, Kaka, Granero, Albiol and Mourinho wandering around the hotel was pretty awesome also!


Day 5 (Saturday, July 16th, 2011

GAME DAY!!!! So excited for this match. It’s the first time I will ever be at a match with a press credential. It’s also Carmegeddon..Let me just tell you, I wish we had Carmegeddon every weekend!! As long as I have lived here I have never seen the frwy so wide open. It took us 12 min. to get to the Coliseum! Crazy! Went up to the press box to say hello to people, then went down on the pitch as we were allowed to go there. I was in such awe of it all I must say. I have never gotten to see the team walk out of the tunnel being RIGHT THERE..It took my breath away for a moment. Then to be on the pitch watching the game right behind the Galaxy goalie…WHAT!! How lucky could I possibly be..?I was actually dodging balls being kicked. It was possibly the most amazing thing for me ever! The action was literally happening right in front of my eyes. Then of course I get caught on TV tweeting..Oh yes, there I am in these really non-attractive vests that you have to wear, getting the camera full on me, tweeting. Hahaha I guess things could be worse because I loved every second of it. In the 73rd min. though they came and I had to clear off and go to my seat. That’s okay; I had a 6th row ticket so I was fine. REAL MADRID WINS
4-1!!

After the game, and much confusion as remember, this is our first time doing this I finally found the mixed zone area under the stadium where all the players come out of the locker room and do the press line. Mourinho holds a press conference in an area all on its own. I get to see all the RM players, plus Galaxy, whom I like a lot also and like quite a few of their players so this was great. They were VERY strict on the rules though. As a media person, if you do not have photographer credentials you are not allowed to take any picture, and also NO ONE with a press credential is allowed to ask for autographs etc. I saw quite a few people get their press privileges literally ripped off their necks. One girl went to ask Xabi to sign a shirt, and he actually had the pen in his hand starting to sign, and the PR girl ran over and ripped it out of his hand, grabbed the girl and her creds and threw her right out. Scary stuff, needless to say, I was not going to do anything to jeopardize this in anyway. After it was all over, I still couldn’t believe I had actually experienced a game this way. Wow..is all I can say.


Day 6 (Sunday, July 17th, 2011

After all the excitement of yesterday and such a great game, everyone has the morning off. Lounging around, went to Sunday brunch at BHH, and then went to see the afternoon practice which was only a quick 15 minutes they let us in, but still, better than nothing! The presser was going to be the Dynamic Duo!! Arbeloa & Albiol!!! Yay! So we just all hung out waiting for that to start. It was a really slow day there, not a huge fan turnout everyone was pretty laid back so Leora actually got to come into the presser with us..Yes, I think she was pretty happy! Ha! Good day to pick to be there right.. The Duo was just as charming as you would expect them to be. Arbeloa speaks English so answered quite a few questions about the game the day before as did Albiol, though only in Spanish. They were both very happy with the outcome as was the team.


Day 7 (Monday, July 18th, 2011)

I feel like I am getting into a routine now. Get up in the morning, head to UCLA for practice, wait to see who will be in the presser, do the presser, go to lunch, come back in the afternoon for 2nd practice. I have to say, I am liking this routine..ALOT! :D Practice was interesting today as I walked in all 4 goalies were jogging right by me. Grabbed a few pics of that, and then watched as Mourinho puts the team through their stretches & drills. Presser was Benzema & Varane. So basically an all French presser. While I can understand most of the players who speak Spanish, I am completely clueless on French. I know maybe 10 words. But ya know what, it’s still really nice to be there and they have translators so I am good. (Girls—this comment is strictly for you..In person Benzema is just flat out sexy as all..well..you know..Might not be that great in photos..but in person. Uh..wow ☺) Varane is still so shy and so quiet you can barely hear him speak. You can tell he is not used to this kind of thing at all. As well as he has been playing, I think he will need to adapt very quickly! :D

Also, there was supposed to be a big Adidas event open to the public at Hollywood & Highland which they ended up cancelling.


Day 8 (Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

So I get to practice in the morning. It’s the last practice before the game the following day in San Diego against Chivas. Unfortunately Sergio Ramos is injured and is not there along with Sahin who we know injured himself in one of the 1st practices in LA. We also find out that Sergio will not be playing for sure in the match the following day. ☹ From this point we watch for our 15 min. time period and then move onto the presser. It’s our new 2nd goalie today, Antonio Adan, and our comeback from Espanyol canteranos, Jose Callejon. Elisa called it the ‘hair day’ ☺ which was actually appropriate. Jose’s questions/answers were mostly about his goal that he scored, how he likes being back at Real Madrid and that he is adapting well. Adan is of course mostly asked if he thinks he will play at all during the season and he replies how much more he can still learn from Iker.

Also, just a note..I got quoted on the Real Madrid website today. Was pretty cool to see that and give a good shout out for Forza Futbol!
http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/1330062866460/noticia/Noticia/Praise_for_Real_Madrid_in_the_US.htm


Day 9 (Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

It’s the 2nd game of the friendlies. Drive to San Diego which for those of you that don’t live here, is about 2 – 2 ½ hrs away. A lot of the drive is quite scenic as it’s along the coast..But with traffic an always consistent factor here, it took almost 4 hrs to get there. Now that I have had some experience with the LA, I know how it works. Go on the field, watch the game from the pitch, take as many pics as possible and just be awed by this team and that I get to do this! Also, I am going to try and NOT get caught on camera tweeting! Ha! So set up our spot with Leo, Elisa’s husband, who is a fantastic photographer as I’m sure you all know by now as his pictures were great! Kay is next to us, and not only does she really know her football, but she is a hoot as well to hang out with. (Kay this is for you..gum is now and forever a ‘chewy’ ☺ )

So I had a feeling this match was going to be completely different than the Galaxy and I was right. Chivas style of play is completely different from that of the Galaxy and much more challenging to Real Madrid. The 1st half proved that theory. To be honest, I don’t know that much about Chivas and their players, but they definitely played well and even scored a goal, though called offside. It wasn’t till the 72nd minute of the 2nd half that Cristiano scored and then it was all Real Madrid from there on. A hat-trick for Cris just capped off an amazing game. Got to watch the whole thing from the pitch this time, and yes even got hit with a ball and let me tell you.. it hurts! Ha! Real Madrid wins again 3-0.

In the mixed-zone afterwards, I went to the Mourinho conference while Elisa did the press line and spoke with Iker and Raul Albiol. Of course there is always someone who has to ask one really dumb question and this one was if Mou thought he could compare himself to Phil Jackson, basketball coach. *Sigh* with a slight laugh, and look of complete puzzlement on his face, Mou answered with, ‘Basketball is Basketball, Football is Football, you can’t really compare the two. Good job Mou!


Day 10 (Thursday, July 21st, 2011

So there was supposed to be an afternoon practice followed by a presser with Khedira & Ozil. As we know Khedira got injured so I guess they just decided to call the whole thing off. Closed the practice and no presser.

Last day before they leave for Philadelphia is Friday, July 22nd, 2011. Again, supposed to be an open morning practice and presser with Kaka & Marcelo. Sadly, both were cancelled and I never got to ask my question I had ready for Kaka.

So I almost went to Philly, but then realized it would be a 24hr turn-around and just decided not to go. They left LA Friday afternoon and arrived in Philly that evening where then the next day they played and won another game!

My last observations on the whole experience. I met so many wonderful people during this experience and had such a great, amazing time. I will never ever forget it and hope that I can repeat it again next year, though they say your first time doing something like this can never be replicated, I feel it could only get better!

I can never express how grateful I am to Elisa Uranga (Forza Futbol) and her husband Leo, for taking me along on this wonderful ride with them. Thank you Thank you Thank you..I am forever in your debt.

Peggy van Huizen for Forza Futbol

Real Madrid – Barcelona: The Clasicos are back...

...and there is no place to hide.

It was the 3^rd of May; Real Madrid just got eliminated from the Champions League in the semifinals by Barcelona. That game also brought an end to a tumultuous 18 days for the fans of Madrid and Barcelona in particular and the fans of football worldwide in general. A series of four clasicos in a span of just 18 days. It has never happened before. Judging by the tension, unsportsmanlike behavior from players on each side, coaches sniping at each other with verbal volleys and so forth, many a fan wished it never happen again. It was gripping drama that took so much out of the players and fans. It was the theater that showcased some of the best and the worst faces of all those involved. Despite all the negativity (that bordered on nasty at times) that permeated the days in the buildup to the games and the immediate aftermath of them, there was no doubt that the world was watching. It felt like one of those reality shows where you knew what was coming but still wanted to watch it anyway for the evil pleasure.

If you thought you had seen it all, fast forward 3 months to August and we are less than a week away from another Clasico. Madrid and Barcelona will resume their rivalry over two legs for the Spanish Super Cup on August 14^th at the Bernabeu and August 17^th at the Camp Nou. That’s two more clasicos in a span of 4 days. These games can’t come soon enough for hardcore fans. The neutrals are probably grumbling that they have to endure the blanket coverage and all the negativity that is associated with them. Yet, everyone will watch them because Real Madrid and Barcelona are arguably the two best football teams on the planet.

New signings

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona were involved in protracted transfer sagas this summer. Depending on who you talk to, Real Madrid have either missed out on Kun Aguero or it is a smart non-signing. The case of Neymar is a bit more complicated as the player and his current club have been sending mixed signals about when and if the player would move to Real Madrid. The latest on this is that Neymar will join Real Madrid in December after playing the Club World Cup with Santos. Apart from Neymar, Real Madrid have strengthened their side with Portuguese winger/left-back Fabio Coentrão from Benfica, Turkish midfielder Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund and the young French defender Varane from RC Lens. They have also got Hamit Altinop for ‘free’ in the Nuri Sahin deal, who came in injured and after a undergoing a fairly complex back surgery will be about for at least 3-4 months of the season. Bizarre story, but anything is possible in the parallel world of football player market controlled by a few powerful and unscrupulous agents. Making way for them are Sergio Canales (loaned to Valencia), Ezequiel Garay (sold 50% to Benfica) and the impending departures Royston Drenthe, Pedro Leon and Lass. There is also a big question mark on the role of Kaka in this new Madrid but that topic deserves an article of its own. There is also the talk of Mourinho wanting to re-sign Emanuel Adebayor before the end of the transfer deadline.
All in all Real Madrid have strengthened their squad. There are more players that Mourinho can ‘count on’ than last year when he still had to do with mostly signings from a previous regime.

If Real Madrid’s transfer season has been protracted, Barcelona’s is worse. The new regime of austerity ushered in by president Sandro Rosell meant the negotiations for even the smallest of the pickups like signing a player for Barcelona B have taken forever. They signed Chilean winger/forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese after more than a month of negotiations in a very complex deal laden with incentives. And then there is the soap opera of Cesc Fabregas. It feels like this has been running longer than Baywatch or Santa Barbara.

This issue can be explained in 3 simple sentences.

• The player wants to go to Barcelona.
• Barcelona wants to get him but not at any price.
• Arsenal are willing to sell but not at any price.

There hasn’t been a significant change in the positions of any of them for the past 3 years. A poster child of how and why negotiations fail. The United Nations must be proud of how they are trying to not find a solution here. Of all three, the player probably is the least to blame and Barcelona the most. But sadly, the worst affected by the impasse are the player and Arsenal respectively.

Jeffren (sold to Sporting Lisbon), Bojan (loaned to AS Roma), Gaby Milito (let go on a free to Independiente, Argentina) are the players who have departed the team.

While Barça have upgraded their forward line with the addition of Alexis Sanchez, they have done precious little to shore up their defence. But since they tend to dip into their ‘cantera’ (youth system), they might be ok but there is no doubt they have a thinner squad and lesser margin for injury compared to Real Madrid.

Preseason

Real Madrid have taken their preseason very seriously. They have won all the 7 preseason games and scored 27 goals in all. Benzema and Ronaldo are in mid-season form along with Mesut Özil. Fabio Coentrão seems to have gelled with the team quickly and could force either Marcelo or Di Maria out of the starting lineup very soon. One of the few sour notes are the injuries to Sahin, who injured one of his knee on the first day of training and when he was finally ready to play a preseason game last week in China, he injured his other knee. The lackluster displays from Kaka are a cause for concern too. Since he doesn’t have a starting spot anymore, Madrid would probably like to loan/sell him but suitors balk at his high wages.

In contrast, Barcelona’s preseason hasn’t been as smooth. They started the training camp one week later than Real Madrid, probably due to the fact that they played in the final of the Champions League. To make matters more complicated some of their main players like Messi, Alves and Alexis were involved in the Copa America and haven’t taken part in any of the preseason games. They have lost a couple of preseason games and drawn a couple more. All this makes it even harder to gauge their level at this point. Thiago Alcantara was by far their best player in the preseason. But it is evident that they are not at the same level of fitness or rhythm as Real Madrid are. The part about rhythm is very important because if any team needs to have their timing and rhythm going for playing well, it is Barcelona. Their short and triangular passing to move the ball up the field is predicated on timing.

The Games

While Real Madrid seems to have their starting lineup almost decided barring injury, it will be interesting to see if Guardiola will start the likes of Messi or Alves who haven’t played a minute in preseason. The key to the first leg will be the approach of Real Madrid and the tactics of Mourinho. If he chooses to play cautiously as he did in the first leg of Champions League last year, he will play right into the hands of Barça. I believe Mourinho should go for the throat in the 1^st leg as Barcelona will come in rusty and might need a game or two to warm up, especially someone like Messi. I would like to see the Real Madrid of Copa del Rey final. Barcelona would be happy with draw in this game.
Lineup highlights: Neither Messi nor Alves will start; Thiago will start in place of Messi. Coentrão will start in midfield in place of Di Maria.
1^st leg Prediction: 2-0 Real Madrid.

The 2^nd leg will be conditioned by the result of the 1^st leg. If Real Madrid comes in with an advantage, they might lineup very defensively and try to nick a goal on the counter. Since I predicted a Madrid win in the 1^st leg, I expect Barcelona to be much closer to their 100% but I doubt they will be able to overturn a margin greater than 1 goal.

Lineup highlights: Messi and Alves will start. Alexis will get his first minutes. Coentrão will start again ahead of Di Maria for Real Madrid.
2^nd leg Prediction: 2-1 Barcelona.

Conclusion

Real Madrid will lift the Super Cup

Who ever wins, will claim it as a moral victory and emphasize the positive impact it will have on the upcoming season. The loser will try to brush it aside as little more than a glorified preseason tourney. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Drama and excitement are assured. Hopefully the teams will tone down the negativity and the nastiness a few notches.

For more content about the transfers and the Spanish summer, check this out.

First Leg @ Bernabeu 4pm Eastern 1pm Pacific ESPN3.com & ESPNDeportes

Second Leg @ Camp Nou 5pm Eastern 2pm Pacific ESPN3.com & ESPNDeportes

ForzaFutbol Podcast 159 : Elisa & Ravi ~ Spanish football returns!

Hello Forzafutbol followers and listeners!

Feels so good to be back. We hope you all are enjoying your summer. La Liga kicks-off in two weeks and we are kicking-off our weekly podcasts, covering the Spanish League in English like nobody else does.
In this podcast Elisa and I go discuss in depth the major headlines of the summer.

Segment-1
1. The revolution in southern Spain at Málaga
2. The arrival of Marcelo "El Loco" Bielsa to Athletic
Segment#2
3. Spain's domination of the U19 & U21 Euros and the ongoing U20 World cup
Segment#3
4. The transfer news that dominated this summer - Neymar, Kun, Cesc, Alexis and Santi Cazorla
5. How the departure of Santi Cazorla will impact Villarreal and little letter of good luck to Santi from a Villarreal fan
So relax and enjoy this pod interspersed with some nice music and leave a comment or suggestion if you have any.

Football is back, and so is the Forzafutbol podcast.

Download this episode (right click and save)
You may enjoy our pods via iTunes search for "Forzafutbol podcast"
From your smartphones you may also access them at http://forzafutbol.podbean.com/mobile

Chivas v Real Madrid ~ San Diego time!!

This is my last post on RMA and their pre-season in LA. It has been one of the best 10 days of my life. Following your team is just one of the best experiences ever. I got a sense for the trials and tribulations of being associated with this great club and how down to earth the players really are. They are just normal people. I want to thank Peggy van Huizen and Leo Gutierrez for the great coverage and for being part of the Forza Futbol dream team. Hopefully we can do it again next year! Look out España for Forza Futbol La Liga Tour March 2012!




Match Report


Chivas is starting their new season this weekend and have a lot more games under their belt. The crowd was 60% Chivas fans and 40% Real Madrid.

Players missing from the game for Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos (back spasms), Khedira (toe), Sahin (knee), Alonso (back pains)

First half thoughts: Chivas playing a very defensive game. They defended in packs and gave RM very little space in the midfield. They produced continuous tactical fouls, which impeded Los Blancos from playing their game. Chivas stole a lot of balls, and provided several long balls over the top, catching RM unawares. RM was not able to capitalize on their chances. Carvalho looked a bit slow at the back. Kaka appeared to be out of sorts and rather tired. RM passing was a poor. Chivas began the first half at a frentic pace and then slowed the game down, and controlled the tempo of the game.

That said, Adan played done well in goal. Cristiano was his effervescent self and Varane impressed with his speed and ability to make key interventions in front of goal. The 18 year old defender read the game well, had a few close scoring opportunities from set pieces, and performed admirably overall. Still, Coach Jose Luis Real was very happy that his team kept the game at 0-0 at halftime.



Second half thoughts: Wholesale substitutions were made by Real Madrid after halftime. No problem, because they have a solid bench. Some key entries were Pepe, Callejon, Albiol and Casillas. As previously mentioned, Chivas starts the Mexican league this weekend against Atlante, so coach Real made two critical substitutions to preserve his backline from injury. Those two substitutions also allowed Real Madrid to win the game.

Gold cup winner Hector Reynoso was taken off at the 54’. Cristiano scored his first goal, assisted by Benzema, in the 72’. Miguel Ponce, another defender, was substituted in the 74’. A minute later, Pepe was taken down in the penalty box. The referee pointed to the spot and Cristiano converted it easily in the 75’. Steam roller Real Madrid carry on, in their devil may care way, in the 81’. This time Ozil provided an exquisite pass to Cristiano who closed the game with a beautiful finish. Hat trick. Full time RMA 3-0 Chivas.


Kudos to Cristiano: I have really been impressed with Cris’ performances and willingness to please the crowd and put on a stellar display. Some notables:

The versatility of Cristiano Ronaldo. The first goal was scored a la Llorente from Athletic Bilbao. Cris moved into a center forward (no 9) position, between two Chivas defenders and physically muscled his way through to score. His penalty was pure power and his last goal was a work of art.

For Cristiano, there are no friendlies. The Portuguese International put on his A game in San Diego and in LA. He picked up the team by the scruff of their necks in the second half and claimed a hat trick in the process. No surprise, Cristiano was voted hands down the man of the match.


Food for thought: Back to the game, the bottom line, is that Chivas came to play a complete game, not an open game on the counter like the LA Galaxy, but a full on tactical game, and if not for their defensive substitutions in the second half, the scoreline might have been different. Real Madrid without Xabi Alonso, Khedira, and Sergio Ramos is just not at the same caliber or world class level. This was only a friendly and a pre-season game. However, the first half performance is definitely something for Mourinho and staff to take note as food for thought.


Chivas Guadalajara: Luis Michel, Esparza, Reynoso (Magallón, 54 '), Medina (Gallardo, 67'), De Luna, Araujo, Mejia, Fabian (Jesus Sanchez, 78 '), Ponce (Ledesma, 74'), Medina ( Nava, 83 ') and Arellano (Antonio Salazar, 78').

Real Madrid: Adan (Casillas, 46 '), Arbeloa (Nacho, 46'), Varane (Albiol, 46'), Carvalho (Pepe, 46'), Marcelo (Casado 82'); Coentrao, Granero, Kaka (Callejon, 46'), Özil (Joselu, 82'), Benzema (Jese, 78) and Cristiano.

Goals: 0-1 (72') Cristiano. 0-2 (75'): Cristiano, penalty. 0-3 (81') Cristiano.

Referee: Ricardo Salazar. Booked Mejia (35 '), Arellano (42') and De Luna (55 ') for Chivas and Coentrao (40') and Cristiano (55 ') for Real Madrid.

Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium. 38,211 spectators.



Post Game Press Conference: Jose Mourinho



Asked about Coentrao: “ We brought him here because he can play a lot of positions and not just to be competition for Marcelo. Coentrao had never played as a holding midfielder, that position is different for him. Alonso, Khedira and Granero are midfield players, positional, fixed pivots, whereas Coentrao, is accustomed to playing in more lateral positions, deeper, dynamic, something different from what I have in the team. I did not want to play 90 minutes, but 45, because he had already played the whole game against the Galaxy, but the problem of Xabi Alonso has pains in back. The third game against Philadelphia, Fabio will be rested as he has already played too many minutes. "

With the midfield injuries of Sahin, Khedira, and Alonso, do you need another midfield or will you call back up Lass or Gago? "What Sahin has is an injury. We hope that he can play in China or at the start of the season. But Xabi is not an injury, he has back pain, and Khedira is a small thing. The majority are not real injuries. Today we were missing all of them and were able to play with Coentrao and Granero. If necessary, we can play Pepe in the midfield. Varane also told me he has played enough games player in midfield and is available. We have the players we need. There is time until August 31, to obtain one more striker. I don’t want to even think about asking for anyone else, because the club has made great strides in this area. " (So Pepe, Coentrao, Varane and of course Granero are options in midfield to play a holding role.

On Pedro Leon and other players that Mou does not counted on this year. “I do not like to call them "dropped." "That's not a good name, just the coach has a way of working with a small squad, each day I work 10 v 10 drills. I like to have a squad of 21, open to the youth team, when an injury, I want to have a Castilla player step in to play. " He continues: "These footballers have to decided if they want to play at a team, where they will not have a lot of chances to play, I don’t like to call them “dropped” or say they are not good.... The first thing is to be professional, they themselves must be smart and think that if they will not play and do not like this situation, Real Madrid is working to find solutions. Garay understands that playing alongside Pepe, Carvalho, Albiol and Nino, we have enough in that role. If he gets an opportunity to go to another great club or country (Benfica), where there are more options to play, then he will look for a new life or career. For me this is good for him. Because staying in Madrid, to train every week and when you don’t play and go home, this is not good for a professional. The players have until the end of August, to accept one of the many options to go to a great club. But calling them “dropped”, no that is not the right word, the correct word is players who will not get playing time. " (So Mou is encouraging the “lost boys” to accept one of the transfer or loan options to go abroad or to another team in La Liga. Very interesting indeed and well said by Mou.)

Asked about his thoughts on the Chivas game and performances: “It was a great game, fabulous fitness training. For many years I have come to the US with Chelsea, Inter, and RM, every year we play against MLS and Mexican teams, against both Chivas and Club America. These teams play well and with a lot of fouls and this is what we need. We don’t need easy games or boring games. We need to play against teams that give us a difficult time and Chivas was very successful in giving us a difficult time.”

About Kaka: "He had six years without a proper preseason between World Cups, Copa America, injuries, his move to Madrid ... Now he is with us from day one, without missing a beat. He participated in all 12 training sessions completely. He played 45 minutes against Galaxy and 45 against Chivas and I hope he will play 45 against Philadelphia. He has a proper preseason and that is what he needs. His body needs that."

About CR7: "Cristiano is Cristiano, always with ambition, with motivation, with a joy of playing, and pride of playing well, whether in China, Japan or the United States. He always wants to play well and score. He knows how to win and get three goals to score as many points, as the rules of the tournament with 3 points for every goal. He has played with this mission. It's great to have. "

On comparisons to Phil Jackson, coach of the LA Lakers and the fact that Mou has coached many years with big teams and personalities. Should we call him the European zen master? “Noooooo. Basketball is Basketball. Soccer is Soccer. NBA has special rules in the basketball world. Impossible to compare. Of course I have read a few things and I know that he is such a big coach. Basketball coach is a basketball coach…”




For more youtube videos of Mourninho’s press conference, go to Forza Futbol’s youtube page.

As always you can find numerous more photos from the San Diego game day at Forza Futbol’s facebook page.

By the way the mixed zone, where the players come out was great with easy access to the players. I was able to ask both Iker and Chori about Xabi's injury. It made my day.


ADDED BONUS: FORZA FUTBOL ON REALMADRID.COM

Forza Futbol gets quoted in English and Spanish on realmadrid.com. Check this out! Our very own Peggy is a reference for the club!! Incredible!

VARANE & BENZEMA: The French Connection

As part of the Mourinho's new policy of bringing in younger players into the club, today the press conference focused on Karim Benzema and young Rafael Varane. Rafa is only 18 years old, with one senior year at Lens under his belt was a surprise signing, recommended by new sporting director, Zinedine Zidane. He is a central defender, but can also play as defensive midfielder and sweeper. His parents are from Martinique in the Carribbean.

Rafa is a very soft spoken, intelligent footballer who answered each question thoroughly and honestly. He had a translator and took his questions in French and responded the same. Benzema was very brief and curt with his answers, in contrast. He had a strong command of Spanish and conducted his portion accordingly.

Rafa Varane was asked of all the teams in the world, why RM? How do you see yourself developing at RM? Rafa replied, " In this team I can evolve as a player. I also chose RM because of the coach, I can feel I can grow and progress in my career best."

Rafa was then asked to tell us about himself. Why he become a footballer? What defenders or players do you base your game on? Rafa Varane recanted that he was proud to be a part of RM. "It is the greatest club in world." Regarding his footballing history, in 1998 he experienced the world cup in France as a 5 year old boy. "I witnessed the greatest team ever for France, a multicultural, multi-ethnic team, (Love the insight from the youngster.)

Karim Benzema was asked if the money for Cesc would be used for his signing by Arsenal. Arsenal wants you. Have you talked to them? With a smile, Karim answered, "No, I haven’t talked to anyone. I am going to stay at RM and nothing more." (Good answer!)

Rafael Varane – So young what do you think of people comparing you to Fernando Hierro. "I am flattered to be compared to Fernando Hierro, a winner with 3 champions league trophies. I hope to have a great career like him." (I think it is a little over the top to compare him to the Hierro, a RM legend.)

Trainings resume at 9:30a and 5p tomorrow with a press conference at noon. Who is left? I hope to see Kaka and Marcelo. Then San Diego game day against Chivas de Guadalajara, and final training and press conference at UCLA starting at 5pm. Rumor has it that it will be Ozil and Khedira. More to come.

Training/Injury News: Sergio and Pepe missed training. Precautionary measures on Sergio for his back spasms. Pepe hurt his right knee in the game against the Galaxy. He also is being rested.

Per norm, you can find more fotos at our forza futbol facebook page!

Real Madrid 2011 preseason day two 07.13.11

Once again Mourinho limited press access to 15 minutes during the first training session at 9:30am. The second training session at 5pm was still closed to media. Zizou and Sergio Ramos once again signed plenty of autographs for the fans prior to the first workout. There still have not been any announcements by the club, concerning any training sessions open to the public.

This was just another day with a gruelling double session for the boys. The weather was cool and perfect for any type of exercise. More drills intent on gaining back fitness as quick as possible. Xabi Alonso was back. He recuperated from whatever was bothering him the first day. However, the bad news is that Nuri Sahin has injured his left knee (not his right, where he had previous surgery) and will be out for two to three weeks. What a shame. Hopefully he will be go to go for the season.

The highlight of the day, once again, was the noon press conference. This time it was held at UCLA. Sergio Ramos and Pepe were the focus today as they both just recently renewed with the club. Pepe until 2016 and Sergio until 2017, which was brilliant news. One thing I have noticed is that most players from Real Madrid are coached extremely well to not say too much. Iker reminded me a lot of Raúl, who is the king of not saying much. Sergio was Mr. Happy, always putting a positive spin on everything and ignoring any contentious questions. Pepe had a bit more personality to him, but man oh man, he look a like he didn't want to be there at times. Check out the photos on our forza futbol facebook page and below for more tough guy Pepe poses.


Key points:

A lot of questions about Coentrao and young Rafa Varane and how they thought they would fit in the team and their qualities and such? Of course, they both thought they were fabulous and would do well. A lot of concerns and questions about Kaka, whether they thought he would have a good season and get a call up in the future to the National team again? Both had complete faith in the Brasilian.

Pepe was asked about Mou's comment that he needed another striker and whether he personally had any preference between Neymar, Kun or Adebayor? Pepe said that he wanted Manolito back because they like him and know him well. He sounded very sincere and very sweet, like he missed a good friend.

They were both asked about their contract renewals. Pepe was asked if he would have renewed if Mourninho had left the club? Pepe said that he was at the club before Mou and wanted to stay. He acknowledged that the coach was important, but he personally was happy at Real Madrid. He showed that he could play at the highest level, when others doubted him and that he wanted to be at the club, which is why he renewed.

Sergio said it was a dream come true to renew for a long contract and even though there were a few small issues, everything is fine now. He is just wants to be happy and enjoy his football at RM. Sergio was asked what he thought about Di Maria who is asking for a better contract after only one year at RM? Sergio said that he doesn't worry about other players. He just wants to be happy at RM. Sergio later was asked why did he think it took so long to finalize his contract, and whether he felt valued. You know Sergio, he ignored the negative query and stated that he felt valued and what is really important is the renewal and that he has a great year. Pepe was also asked about Chelsea's interest and he basically didn't give it much credence.

Most of the questions were in Spanish or Portuguese. The last question was in English. The guys were asked what they thought of facing the Philadelphia Union and what they did they expect? Would RM be more fit because it was their last game? What do they have to say to the fans? Sergio was honest and said that during the first two pre-season games, they hope to gain their rhythm, but that they did not have much time to prepare for the game back east. They arrive only one day in advance, but they would play the best they could. Pepe actually had researched the Union quite a bit. He acknowledged that they were 2nd in the eastern conference and one point behind first place. That they had a striker who used to play in Spain (Serbian Veljko Paunovic ex Atleti & ex Getafe, among others ) and a goalkeeper that he was familiar with as well (Columbian Mondragon - ex Zaragoza). Pepe has got brains and braun. There you go.


Funny moments:

A journo said he would ask a question to Pepe in Portuguese on Kaka and afterwards the same question to Sergio Ramos in Spanish. After the question was asked, Sergio said he understood the Portuguese and there was no need to ask it again. Everyone was impressed.

Someone had to ask Sergio about the Copa del Rey trophy and how he dropped and destroyed it. They asked if he won against Barca, would the same thing happen again? This question made everyone laugh including Sergio. He assured everyone that there would be no repeat performance.



Other anecdotes:

TV Sports personality sighting: Fernando Palomo from ESPN Deportes and Fuera de Juego was at the UCLA presser.

Fan(s) of the Day: Two girls were holding up signs in Portuguese for Kaka at UCLA. (See facebook photo) Here is the translations:

Girl Number One: "We have a present from you from Jesus, do you want to pray with us?" (lol)

Girl Number Two: "Kaka, I am not ashamed to believe in Jesus." (I bet not)

Mourinho: Reasons for Success

Apart from needing such a long title to describe the content of this article (Mourinho and The Reasons He Will Be A Success at Real Madrid), Jose Mourinho could possibly be the best thing that could ever happened to Real Madrid in the last 10 years or maybe even more.

Here is way in my opinion:

1. Jose Mourinho is the first manager since Vicente Del Bosque, who managed the club from November 1999 to 23 June 2003 , to stay for two consecutive years. Consistency is something that Real Madrid have failed to find and Mourinho might just make it happen this time around.

2. The Special One's media handling style, albeit controversial at time, is exactly what Real Madrid needs. Los Blancos have come under scrutiny after a few years of under-performing and titles dry spell which made a few media outlets and some idiots try and belittle the entity of one of the world's most respected sports entities, Mourinho's no holds barred approach meant that everyone must think twice about mouthing an insult at him, as a Real Madrid coach and to the club's entity.

3. Although I did not agree with how the club saw the departure of club long time servant Jorge Valdano, all sporting matters are now in the hands of Jose Mourinho. That is a good thing for Real Madrid where the club for a point in time had two many captains sailing the ship.

4. Jose Mourinho's eye for talent means the clubs is going to have no shortage of talented young players joining the club, where they will be used for sporting matters not milking-the-franchise type of things.

5. He is Florentino Perez's ultimate gamble; if he fails, Perez chance of a re-elections goes with the wind. This was evident after the departure of Valdano, Perez's long-time right hand and friend. He wants Jose to be a success at any cost.

6. Mourinho being the awesome man-manager he is makes every one of his players give their all on the pitch with his father figure approach. Every single player of his feel as important as the next guy.

7. Some people just pisses me off when they attack Mourinho's "real" approach. He understands when the match can be difficult to win when you play open, direct and flowing football. This could add a whole lot of seriousness to Real Madrid's repertoire; no match is unimportant.

And last but not least, he makes every Barcelona fan wince at the very sight of his confident smile, hehe .. sorry couldn't help myself. :P



Hamdi Al-Haddad

Another Portuguese to Madrid?

The actual start of the transfer window hasn't yet begun, but Jose Mourinho has certainly been busy bringing a few players to the Real Madrid. Nuri Sahin, Hamit Altintop and Jose Callejon have already been picked up by the club looking to build on the Copa Del Rey success this season. Most followers agree that it was a great piece of business considering the money he payed for Sahin (10M), Altintop (free) and Callejon (5M). Does Jose has the highly rated left back amongst his plans for next season, is the crucial question as Fabio Coentrao won't be allowed to leave unless Real meet Benfica's asking price( believed to be around 30M).

In a recent interview, Coentrao stated his desire to play for Madrid, saying that its his only destination if he was to leave Lisbon, he added that its up to Madrid and Benfica to reach an agreement on his hefty price tag. By the look of things Madrid may get their man if Mourinho shows interest and Real agree on a fee with Benfica.

As always, with a new player coming into the team, the speculation starts to surround current left back Marcelo. The Brazilian has been spot on this season and is one of the most improved players this season. However Jose is sure to be aware that he can play just as good in attack as in defense. With this option, he can choose to play Marcelo higher up the flank to support the striker and at the same time drifting back to help out Coentrao when they come up against a team with a dangerous right winger. Whatever happens throughout the summer, one this is certain, Mourinho looks to have a plan for next season, learning from the failures against Barcelona this season. Comparing November's 5-0 beating back in November to the 1-1 draw in the league, then a victory in the cup final, he has definitely made progress for Madrid this season. With regards to Fabio Coentrao, the decision all rests on Jose Mourinho whether to take the decision to pull out 30M for him or whether he finds the price tag too hefty for the player who has already stated his desire to be a Blanco.

Real Madritis?

by Raül Pope Fargüel for Forza Futbol: 

Football fans are notoriously fickle and the more successful a club is, the more fickle the fans. This is no more clearly manifested than in the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona, while Liverpool, Chelsea and Valencia fans seem to believe they’re successful.

This week Real Madrid sacked Jorge Valdano, football’s very own philosopher, no matter what Ibrahimovic says. While Guardiola is pragmatic and level-headed, I would argue, Valdano’s prose and beauty when he speaks leaves you slightly drunk, hanging on his every word and mesmerised just as I imagine Socrates may have left those he defeated with his words.

Since the sacking I have done my best to speak to Madrid fans, something I try to avoid as I really can’t stand the blinkered mentality of most merengues, but there’s a definite split in the camp. Valdano was the last bastion of the beautiful game at Real Madrid and José Mourinho, who has seemingly gotten his own way with Valdano’s sacking, is now the sole proprietor of Real’s future success and this sits uncomfortably with those (fickle?) fans that want success and good football, something Valdano, for them, embodies. Florentino Pérez disagrees and has gone with the results-based Mourinho to guide his latest galáticos project to victory.

The decision to go with Mourinho over Valdano is an obvious one but it is contentious. Alfredo di Stéfano, Madrid’s honorary president, has been critical of Mourinho and his tactics this year, the sports papers, both Marca and AS, have on occasion questioned Mourinho when they haven’t won. If Madrid wants success, is there a better man than Mourinho? He won’t play the tiki-taka like Spain or Barcelona as we’ve seen with Inter and Chelsea, but he will win things, however for some this is not enough. The fickle nature of some fans means that now Madrid are winning the style needs to evolve into something like Spain and Barcelona which could make things interesting next season if the status-quo is maintained.

Why is this the right decision? As a culé I am more afraid of Mourinho and his effective, work-until-you-drop style. It may not sit well with the fans that want sexy football, but Mourinho’s determination to succeed should not be underestimated. I don’t expect Kaká to be at Real next year and the only thing keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid is his goal tally, without that he’d be a stroppy Joe Cole who Mourinho, amongst others, grew impatient with and side-lined. Mourinho will make the difficult decisions, driven by writing his own legacy and continuing to create his own cult of the personality and that’s a dangerous combination.

You can’t have a dog and a cat working together to catch a bird, they’re too different. The dog will charge the cage and knock it over before trying to get at the bird, while the cat will wait and toy with the bird, seduce it into opening the door and walking into its mouth. The determination of Mourinho, this time, means he’s boarded up the cat flap and will surely have to batter the bird into submission next season to please those who demand success and appease those who want the football.

Jorge Valdano sacked by Real Madrid

I know it is de riguer to bash Jorge Valdano in these parts. It’s easier now as he’s been given the heave-ho, so-called madridistas coming out of the woodwork to criticize the man for his lack of support for Jose Mourinho this past term, and it would be easy to fall into that trap wondering why someone would question that Portuguese tactician for his team selection and for his negative style, famously calling it shit-on-a-stick I might remind you, and dismiss the Argentine football intellectual as a footballing light-weight. You could go that route and you’d be wrong.

Jorge Valdano was hired at Real Madrid at practically the same time that President Florentino Perez announced his candidacy. Since Perez ran uncontested it was a given that Valdano would begin the new Galactico Project 2.0 from that moment on. They bought Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and a slew of shining lights, brought in Manuel Pellegrini to bolster the sort of flashy, attacking style that Valdano likes and consequently won nothing, losing to Barcelona in the league, for the seventh year in a row in the semi-finals of the Champions League and to lowly second-division rivals Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey. In typical knee-jerk, Florentino Perez style, Pellegrini was shown the door, the flashy, self-professed Barca destroyer Jose Mourinho was hired and from that moment on, the project that Valdano had implemented (and that Florentino Perez hired him for) was done for.

In a world that values recent events over history, form over class, bluster over confidence, it is no wonder that Jorge Valdano is gone. Valdano however, is an integral part of the DNA of Real Madrid. He won three leagues and two UEFA Cups as a player for los blancos. People bring up the ghost of Juanito during every match, but Valdano played with him, and played for another fallen Madrid legend Luis Molowny. He played alongside Santillana, Jose Antonio Camacho, Hugo Sanchez and the rest of what would later be called La Quinta del Buitre - Emilio Butragueno’s band of vultures. He scored 40 goals in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. He took his game elsewhere of course, all players do, but he would return to Real Madrid on many occasions, first with Real Madrid youth team and then with the first team in 1994 where he gave a very young Raul Gonzalez Blanco his first taste of first-team football. He won a league title taking over for Vicente del Bosque; essentially breaking the four year hegemony of Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team. His career as a player, manager and executive spans the full range of Real Madrid in the modern era; like Six Degrees of Separation with Jorge Valdano in the Kevin Bacon role. Not impressed? He won a World Cup playing alongside Diego Maradona. His qualifications are impeccable. His only negative in this sense is being diametrically opposed in the footballing argument to Jose Mourinho; they can’t exist in the same philosophical space; one is a footballing purist like his mentor Cesar Luis Menotti and the other a deep-rooted pragmatist like Menotti's rival Carlos Bilardo.

Mourinho won the battle. He'll be in charge, sole arbiter in footballing matters at Real Madrid, and just like he wanted, but he didn't get everything. He wanted Luis Figo as his intermediary to management. That role went to Zinedine Zidane. Figo was never going to be given that role in a Florentino led Real Madrid, but Valdano isn't the loser here. The loser I'm afraid is Real Madrid itself. They sided with their mercenary coach over one of their own. They invested in the moment based on the track record of a tactician that exemplifies this era, one small blip in history, over someone who brought with him the experience of a generation defending the shirt of Real Madrid. 

I can’t help but feel that they have made a mistake in the long-run, trading in a bit of the senorio, that nobility or distinction that Real Madrid have fed off of for generations, for a short-term gamble at silverware.

Is The Special One Becoming Unhireable?

He is the self proclaimed Special One. He has won pretty much everything at club level. And yet is Jose Mourinho in danger of alienating himself from every big job in the future?

His rant after last week's Champions League first leg defeat to FC Barcelona was at best ill-advised. One can only speculate how vitriolic it would have been had both clubs not been locked in their dressing rooms for ten minutes after the match!

He has always said he wants to return to England, and to Old Trafford in particular when Sir Alex retires. But can you see Manchester United wanting to bring in such a maverick manager and risk sullying their good reputation within the game?

The English press have always loved him for some reason, but this is not the case in Spain, just as it wasn't when he was in Italy with FC Internazionale. And he seriously damaged his reputation at the Bernabeu over the last fortnight when forfeiting both La Liga and the Champions League. Real Madrid have sacked recent manages for similar.

Another club that has been linked with a move for him are the blue side of Manchester. But then they already have a negative, defensive manager at Eastlands. Why would they want to hire a manager who starts with three top strikers and a former FIFA World Player Of The Year on the bench in a crucial European match?

As for Chelsea, last week will only have served to remind Mr Abramovich why he dispensed with the Portuguese coach's services back in 2007. I have always thought it would be a mistake on both sides if he returned to West London. The old cliche "you should never go back" has never been more appropriate.

I don't think there are many, if any, other options. Liverpool won't be looking for a new manager, and he doesn't play football to suit Arsenal's style, even if Arsene Wenger left The Emirates this summer. He wouldn't be too welcome back in Italy, no other club in Spain is going to be able to afford him, and Portugal isn't an option as it isn't high profile enough for him.

Therefore, his only option as I see it, is to stay at The Bernabeu and try to rebuild his reputation, and repair relations with the Madrid hierarchy, which are sure to have taken a battering this week.

Will Kaka Leave?

On June 9th 2009, Ricardo Kaka becomes a Real Madrid player after siging for a fee around £57 million. This marks the begining of what looks to be a huge spending spree by returning president Florentino Perez. Perez pledges big money transfers to the fans to bring back European and domestic glory after a disappointing season for Madrid and also the treble winning season by rivals Barcelona. Players like Ronaldo and Benzema soon followed although Real Madrid failed to win a trophy that year. His season wasn't the best either having to miss some of it with injury.

His second season with Madrid saw the arrival of new manager Jose Mourinho having just won the Champions League with Inter. (beating Barcelona along the way was a key reason for his appointment according to others). The spree continued with Angel Di Maria, Sami Khedira, Sergio Canales, Pedro Leon and Ricardo Carvalho. Mesut Ozil was bought by the club after having a good World Cup with Germany. He was considered to be the best rising star out of the tournament . August 5th 2010 and Kaka had undergone surgery for yet another injury initially believed to keep him out for four months. Mesut Ozil began to show what he was bought for with some key dazzling performances for Los Merengues. Mourinho seems to have gotten the best out of the young German for the season in place of Kaka. Ozil has had times drifted out to the right with his left foot, something we rarely see Kaka do. After a lengthy eight months out, Kaka returned to action coming off the bench against Getafe in January. He soon scored against Villarreal in a 4-2 win. In March however, he picked up another injury which kept him out a few weeks. He made his return in style scoring two goals in a 3-6 win over Valencia. Despite his performance, Ozil was still given the nudge ahead of him in the champions league classico in which Madrid lost 0-2 to Barcelona. Kaka stayed on the bench for that game and people began to question why he was never used. Mourinho was sent to the stands for comments to the referee for a red card on Pepe. After the match he said that the sending off did not enable him to complete his game plan. He said that Kaka was supposed to be substituted later on in the match.

One may question that will Kaka be happy at Madrid even if it means sitting on the bench? Mourinho looks as if he prefers Ozil to Kaka for that attacking midfield role and Kaka may not be given as much chances as he would have thought. We have to remember that this is the former World Player of the Year that we are talking about and he may choose the choice of leaving to get more first team opportunities in the latter stages of his career. My view is that the decision is in Kaka's hands. If up to Madrid, he most likely would not be sold as Mourinho sees him as a super sub in games. Also with Kaka possibly on the bench, he gives Mourinho one of the strongest benches in football with plenty of talent to choose from. If he chooses to leave however, the papers are saying that there are about two or three possible suitors after the player. Both AC and Inter Milan are said to be interested in the player. One may question if Milan will really try to acquire a player that they let go of only a few years ago. Inter looks the more realistic option as Sneidjer may be out this summer and the Nerazurri may look towards Kaka. Chelsea are also said to be in the race. Manager Carlo Ancelloti knows the player well from their days at Milan. There also looks like Chelsea will be having a makeover this summer with new players to come and some to leave. However the fact that Kaka is already 29 years old may not convince Roman Abramovich to splash the cash for a player whose best years look behind him. My guess on this is that it's all up to the player himself. Will he choose to stay on the bench or leave to get more playing opportunities. Real Madrid will certainly not want to let a player go who cost them alot of money and also who has only been around for two years.