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

ADAN & CALLEJON~ Cantera Hour!

Yesterday night the boys got to live a little bit of the glamours life. They attended a gala party to promote Spanish and Madrid travel and the Ineedspain.com website. Chef Jose Andres tweeted a video and about the party with celebrity guests Paz Vega and others. Good promotions, publicity, and have some fun.






TRAINING 07.19.11


Madrid had a double training session today. Only the morning was opened to the media for 15 minutes. Sergio Ramos was still in the gym and not available for training due to back spasms. Most likely he will miss the Chivas game in San Diego. Pepe returned to training, looking fine and fit. Sami Khedira had to leave training due to a toe injury. He went to the hospital for tests.




PRESS CONFERENCE - CANTERA HOUR


The stars of the press conference today was 2nd Goalkeeper Antonio Adan and Winger extraordinaire, Jose Callejon, just re-signed from Espanyol. Callejon seemed to be more worried about his hair than the press conference. Adan got a bit miffed about the constant questions about his future and having to play behind San Iker Casillas.





Antonio Adan was asked about his feelings about all the Goal Keepers from the RM youth system and who he thought would be the future no 1. Adan replied, " Since 1985, this is the first time that four goalkeepers are all canteranos. I am glad to be working with Tomas and Iker. We are all working hard. I can’t really say who is going to be the future goalkeeper. All 3 of them and Iker are really good."


Jose Callejon was asked how he felt returning home back to RM, the first Spanish winger to come back. Also what does Mou expect of him? . Callejon said, "It is a dream to return home to RM, a real privilege to be home. It is a luxury to work with this team and staff. The mister has the same goals for me that he has for all the other players, to win titles. But it is a long season and we have to work hard. I feel really comfortable coming back to RM, after playing at Espanyol playing for several years."


Adan was then asked is it impossible to replace Casillas as the starting GK? "If it was impossible, I wouldn’t be here. I know that it is difficult and complicated, and that I will need to work very hard. But it is mot impossible. It can happen in the future. I am confident one day I will replace Casillas."


Callejon was asked what was his opinion on the youth system. He came back, similar to Granero, did he feel that canteranos had to leave RM and then come back to be noticed and break into the first team? "The cantera of RM, is the one of the best in the world. In my case, I had to leave RM and go to another team, but it’s fine because I received good experience. I grew footballer and as a person. I am coming back strong and willing to work hard."


Adan was asked if he had a time frame in mind, when he should be replacing Casillas as the no 1 goalie? Especially if Casillas continues to play at this level for 5 or 6 years. Adan stated, "I don’t have a time frame. My plan is to stay hear and play behind Iker. I am the 2nd goal keeper and I want to give my best. I am happy at RM and I am willing to work hard at my maximum effort to earn the no 1 spot. (Adan tired of answering these type of questions).


REMAINDER OF THE WEEK

Wednesday is the Chivas v RM game in San Diego at the Qualcomm stadium. Thursday training is late afternoon and rumored to be open to the public. No confirmation as of yet. 7pm Press Conference, rumored to be Ozil and Khedira. Friday morning training and noon press conference before they fly out to Philadelphia.


As usual you can find more fotos on the Forza Futbol facebook page.

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!

ARBELOA & ALBIOL: the dynamic defensive duo!

Post game day and the squad gets to relax a bit and take it easy. Only one training session required, along with the daily press conference. The media was only allowed to watch training for 15 minutes. Mou continues to control the press as much as possible. The first fifteen minutes was predominantly stretching exercises.

As we waited for the press conference, news arrived that Sergio Ramos left training early as a precautionary measure for back spasms. Alvaro Arbeloa also confirmed this in the press conference, but added that it wasn't anything serious, in his opinion.

It was nice to see the BFFs in the backline together at the presser: Arvalo Arebeloa and Raul Albiol. The questions asked were a bit repetitive (Don't they think that the players talk to each other? Maybe the media think that they will get a different answer?) Well, they didn't ask about Kaka (who has dispelled all concerns with his performance at the Galaxy game.) They also didn't ask about Zizou. (thankfully)

But the Spanish press did ask a few silly questions. They asked what was their preference for a new striker (recall Mou said he needed one)? I really enjoyed Arbeloa's spunky attitude and honest retorts, especially if he thought the question was silly or inappropriate. Arbeloa boldly stated, "This is a something that you should ask the coach. If the coach thinks we need another player, then we will welcome him."

Albiol tried to address all the questions in a positive manner. Both players were asked if the team was complete? Arbeloa said, "I don't know." Arbeloa was also asked if this is best Real Madrid team ever? Arbeloa replied, "I haven't seen all the teams that have ever played for Real Madrid. But this is an improved team. We have two players per position and we really need that with a game every 4 days. We have a lot of games and tournaments and the fans and organization are very demanding to win. This is a very good team, one of the best."

Both players were asked about Rafael Varane, the new French player, how was he performing? How was he fitting in to the team? Both Albiol and Arbeloa stated that he has a lot of potential, but that it would take awhile for him to fit in with the language barrier and that he is very young. What they have seen so far, they have been impressed. They welcome him
to the team.

Raul Albiol was asked if he thought he would get more playing time this year and be in the starting 11? Raul answered, "This year will be much better. Last season I was injured and that affected my form and performances. I will do better now because I am fit and playing at good level. Pepe, Carvalho and Rafa Varane provide lots of competition which is good. I need to fight for my position to be a starter. I will do everything I can to play as much as possible. I need to be prepared because there are a lot of games." I really hope Albiol does get a chance to prove himself this year.

The translator was decent, even though he did call Alvaro, Raul. I really do admire when Arbeloa called out the reporters when they asked questions that the players really couldn't or shouldn't answer.

As always you can find more fotos on our Forza Futbol facebook page.



PHOTOS BY LEORA CONWAY (RMNYC) FOR EXPRESS USE OF FORZAFUTBOL.COM

The Fabio Coentrao & Rikki Carvalho Show

You probably have figured out that Forza Futbol has been following Real Madrid in LA in full force, there are three of us taking turns going to training, taking photos, meeting people, attending the press conferences, meeting fans and reporting on the pre-season. We are just living the life and loving it. I apologize to the non Real Madrid fans. I know this is a La Liga and Spanish Football website, but just bear with us over the next two weeks because Forza Real Madrid Futbol has temporarily taken over your football blog, until our boys leave town next Friday!


I am going to delve into today's press conference first and comment on some of the craziness that occurred around the UCLA training, and then give a tribute to some of the loyal, dedicated and crazy fans in LA.


THE PRESSER AT UCLA

The press conference stars were new boy Fabio Coentrao, the new left back, Portuguese International, with el abuelo aka Football veteran defender, Ricardo Carvalho. (Many refer to him as the guy who looks least like a soccer player.) Portugal in da house!

A translator was provided who attempted to convert everything from Portuguese to Spanish & English, from Spanish to Portuguese & English and from English to Spanish & Portuguese and had a very difficult time. Portuguese and Spanish are very similar and really don't require translation, in my opinion. Plus,her translations were not very accurate. I don't understand why tri-lingual Ricardo Carvalho ex Chelsea, ex Porto, in his 2nd year in Spain, needs a translator. What can you do. The translator missed questions, sometimes failed to translate or address questions. She even translated Kay Murray of RMTV's question asked in English to English.

Some of the more interesting questions were "Why is Mou's 2nd year his best year?" Rikki said he didn't really know, but maybe it was because he knows the players and we know his system and methods. Also the fact that we keep improving and doing everything to win.

Fabio was asked if being signed for 30M euros is an honor or a bit of pressure? Fabio answered that he was going to work hard to prove that he is worth 30M euros.

No new revelations at the presser. Fabio commented that he was acclimating well. They were asked about Kaka again (this will be a daily question), as well as their thoughts on the friendlies. Rikki said that it was kind of early to train for just a few days after a long vacation and then to play a game, but they would do their best.

Rikki was also asked to comment on his role as a veteran and he refuted that he didn't like to be called a "godfather", but that that he, Pepe, Cristiano and Fabio were all from the same cultural background and that they would do whatever they could to help Fabio out, just like they would do for any other player.



TRAINING MISHAPS & ODDITIES


So.....soccer balls are hard. One of the foreign press guys got hit, with a shot gone wide, when he wasn't looking and got knocked down cold, flat off his feet. (Ow!)

We really didn't notice that USMNT coach Bob Bradley was in attendance (again), until we uploaded the pictures. The most important thing to note is that, Bob Bradley was watching the Real Madrid training session. GOOD. We hope he is learning to train and manage creative players and is changing philosophy, instead of the stilted robotic college style of play the USA have now.

As and Marca didn't have much to report on today, so the headliner was "Fan run over by golf cart at RM training!" You gotta check out this video. This crazy fan walks straight into Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso's cart and falls flat to the ground. The players all yelled "Heeeeeyyy!" But she just was so determined not to walk through their golf cart. The cart stopped. They saw that she was okay and drove away. Lots of chuckles from the other players in the RM golf cart procession. Sergio Ramos seemed more concerned about his teammates. Marcelo and Pepe gave another nearby student, who was walking on the golf cart path, a hard time a la the Marx brothers. Crazy brain dead UCLA student! Oh and great security too.





More injury news: Casado, el canterano has been training in the gym, with a groin knock.



ODE TO THE LOYAL (LOCO) FANS


I mentioned in a previous post that we are in the midst of forming our official Real Madrid penya in LA. We have a little community on facebook (La Peña Madridista de Los Angeles) where we post articles, pictures, videos, and chat about the club etc. Well there is a big group that goes to UCLA in search of an open training session, picture or autograph. (I met Bryan there on Tuesday). There is also a hardcore group that hang out at the Beverly Hills Hotel for their idols too. They get their very early, some of them have hung around for 6 - 12 hours a day!!! A lot of them have been quite successful, others not. It really is just random luck. Well here's to loyalty, dedication and madriditis. A shoutout to Rafael, Karina, Andres, Spartak, Jordan, Priscilla, Martel, Bryan, and all you stalkers in the RM LA peña!


As always you can find plenty of pictures from the training, press conferences, and fan atmosphere this whole week 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)

La Copa del Rey - It's not what you think

The Copa del Rey trophy was destroyed the very night Real Madrid won it. News programs snatched up footage of Sergio Ramos dropping the trophy from atop the team bus, only for the prize to become lodged between the front wheel and bumper as the unwitting busdriver kept the vehicle in motion. Within hours, jeweler Federico Alegre emerged with a backup copy, an exact replica of the trophy. It is this backup (pictured right) that now sits behind glass for Madridistas and reporters alike to glare upon and snicker at. But I ask you, what will happen to the original Copa del Rey? 

Despite Ramos' lighthearted claim that the trophy leapt from his arms to greet excited fans, an examination of several facts makes the action of dropping it a bit more understandable. First, the Copa del Rey is made of silver, not merely silver-plated. Including the wooden base, it stands at 75 cm (about 30 inches) in height and weighs 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds). Then, the air was humid that night in Madrid, something many rain-soaked celebrators would attest to. And finally, lest we forget, the bus was moving, and even at a slow rate of speed, the ride gets bumpy. Reportedly, the trophy was recovered in 10 pieces. Based on the photo Ruben de la Red tweeted of the destroyed trophy, and comparing it side-by-side with an earlier image of the same item (below), I would venture to guess that seven of the ten pieces were either wood chips or those tiny rectangular plaques from the base. In addition, at least one of the handles is severely bent, the cup itself is dented, and that once mirror-like surface has suffered the abrasions of metal against asphalt.

Bobby Jones with the Southern Open trophy.

Believe it or not, though, the damage is pretty mild. If you're into history across sports, you might remember the case of the Southern Open Golf Trophy. Won by Bobby Jones in 1927, it was stolen from the Atlanta Athletic Club in 1979. The motive for the thieves? Rising silver prices and sterling silver: 113 troy ounces (10 lbs.) of it, to be exact. A year later, police recovered the trophy in a mangled state. The thieves had crushed it, presumably to prepare for melting into scrap metal. So bad was the damage that the first silversmiths approached about restoration declined the offer. Finally, a company named Estes-Simmons took on the project, and a team of experts brought it back to its original state after “approximately 100 man hours.”

Federico Alegre now faces a similar task, to take a destroyed silver trophy and breathe new life into it. Unlike the golf trophy, the Copa del Rey has a wooden base, and again, looking at all the cracks and pieces to it after the fall-n-drag, a new base seems more likely than a patch job. As a jeweler, Alegre probably doesn't even own a wood shaper (why would he?), so the work on the base will probably be hired out

The same trophy in 1980.

to a machinist. Meanwhile, Alegre will turn an eye to the scuffed up engravings and use an engraving machine to reproduce each one; that is, unless he does the job by hand, which would require using magnifying glasses and special tools to trace every line and curve that make up each letter, gauging individual length and height for later transcription.

Because the silver part of the trophy, the actual cup, appears to be in one piece, it may not be necessary to remove the stem from the upper portion, the bowl. Either way, the crooked handle will be removed rather than bent back once the metal around the joints is hot

The restored trophy as it appears today.

enough. For that matter, even if the other handle were perfectly intact, it would also be removed to make it easier to hammer out the dents in the bowl. This itself is a slow and tedious process, the hammering. An abbreviated version is that the silversmith fits the object over a mold and then turns it about a fixed axis, much like a sculptor might do with a potter's wheel. With the object in motion, he'll tap out the damaged areas using any of several highly polished specialty hammers. The worse the damage, the more taps required. (The Southern Open Golf Trophy took more than 500,000.)

Once the shape of the trophy is back to its original form, Alegre will buff the silver and reattach the base and handles. Even the solder he uses at the joints will be a silver compound, an expensive fix for an expensive item. After additional buffing, the engravings will be redone and, you guessed it, the trophy will be polished again. I mean, you wouldn't want silver shavings to get stuck in the lettering and read “Peal Madrid” or something embarrassing. Finally, after all this work, Alegre will have produced an object of art.

… Or, looked at through another lens, he'll have toiled for hours on end to get a piece of metal back to the way it had looked before a defender named Ramos, a damp Madrid night, and the laws of physics had intervened to crash the party and turn the first work of art into a laughingstock. I'm hedging my bets on at least a week's worth of labor. A quarter-million taps, anyone?

Data Head also writes for Fantasy Football Stats.

The Most Expensive Spanish Player Transfers of All Time

In honor of the 2011 Winter Transfer Market, I thought that I would do some anoraking and find out who are the most expensive Spanish Player transfers ever. Some of them are the well know Spanish Internationals, others hit the highest heights, but fell tragically short over the span of their careers.


So who are they?


1) El Niño Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea - 58M - 2011

The new obssession of Roman Abramovich was purchased this January for a cool 58 million. The star of Euro 2008 left in search of trophies, Champions League football, and a new life. Let's hope Torres can find his health and form in London. This sale broke the bank and the record for Spanish player transfers. A brilliant bit of business for Liverpool, who purchased the striker from Atlético Madrid in 2007 for 36 million. That's a profit of 22 million!


2) Gaizka Mendieta from Valencia to Lazio - 48M - 2001

Back in the day, when Italy was the king of football and Lazio was a big spender, Valencia did a good bit of business by selling their star player, Gaizka Mendieta to Lazio. Real Madrid was also interested in the Basque player, but their 24 million offer was no comparison to the Roman team's. Unfortunately, Mendieta never quite hit his stride in Serie A and returned back to Spain on loan in the 2002-3 season and never quite settled thereafter.


3) El Guaje David Villa to from Valencia to Barcelona - 40M - 2010

The tug of war between Real Madrid and Barçelona over Villa lasted way too long and even affected the striker's Confederation Cup performance back in 2009. He did not end up moving that year, due to low ball offers from both clubs. Real Madrid ended up with Benzema and Barçelona with Zlatan. Well, Los Culés learned their lesson and offloaded the big Swede and bought Spain's number one. He has fit into the team like a glove.


4) El Niño Torres from Atlético Madrid to Liverpool - 36M - 2007
See no 1) above. Double Ca-Ching!


5) Xabi Alonso from Liverpool to Real Madrid - 34M - 2009

The apple of Florentino Perez' eye, ever since the first Galactico era, Real Madrid's jefe finally got his man. Alonso is the engine of the Real Madrid midfield and team. He is probably the most important and intelligent player on the pitch.


6) David Silva from Valencia to Manchester City - 30M - 2010

Valencia is a selling team and desperately needed the money from the sale of the midfield magician. Mourinho passed on the Gran Canarian, so City swooped in. He is combining brilliantly with Carlitos Tevez.


7) Sergio Ramos from Sevilla to Real Madrid - 27M - 2005

A shock to the system back then, as Florentino Perez dared to open the coffers for a Spanish defender! The versatile player now looks like money well spent as he can play at right back, central defense and even as an attacking winger.


8) Joaquin from Real Betis to Valencia - 25M - 2006

A record sale for Real Betis and the beginning of the end of free spending Valencia. A bit overrated and overpriced, the speedy winger is now captain for Los Che.


9) Gerard Lopez from Valencia to Barçelona - 21.6M - 2000

Part of the Valencia team that reached the Champions League final, he was one of the best at his position in midfield. Barça won the auction over the player the summer after. Though a regular during his five years at Barçelona, he was never in the starting 11 consistently. The player never really reached those same early heights and was plagued with injuries and personal tragedy. Lopez is still only 31 and is currently playing for Girona FC in the second division.


10) Jose Marí from Atlético Madrid to AC Milan - 19.2M - 2000

Prolific with Los Colchoneros, he was part of the team in 1999 that beat Real Madrid twice (in two separate seasons), AC Milan came a calling for the Andaluz striker. Marí failed to settle in Italy. He soon found himself loaned back to Atlético, then Villarreal, then Real Betis and so on. The 32 year old is currently playing for Xerez in the second division.


11) Francisco Javier Farinós from Valencia to Inter Milan - 18M - 2000

A contemporary of Gerard Lopez and part of the same Valencia team who were sub champions in the 2000 Champions League final, the midfielder caught the eye of Inter Milan and signed a contract for 5 years. He too was injury plagued and did not have much success in Serie A. He became a journeyman, moving from team to team. The 32 year old currently plays for Hercules in La Primera.


12) Dani Guiza from Mallorca to Fenerbache - 17.4M - 2008

Desparate for money, the Islanders sold the Andaluz pichichi to Fenerbache, where he has been inconsistent and plagued by injuries. I expect him to return to Spain soon.

13) The 15M club: Jose Antonio Reyes (Sevilla to Arsenal - 2004), Albert Luque (Deportivo La Coruña to Newcastle - 2005), Raul Albiol (Valencia to Real Madrid - 2010), Alvaro Negredo (Real Madrid to Sevilla - 2010), and Alfonso Perez (Real Betis to Barça -2000)