Football

Zidane declines Bayern Munich role, vows support for Real Madrid in Champions League clash

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Former France international, Zinedine Zidane, quashed rumours of his potential takeover at Bayern Munich, affirming his allegiance to his former club, Real Madrid.

He expressed anticipation for the UEFA Champions League showdown at Santiago Bernabeu, voicing confidence in Real Madrid’s abilities while acknowledging the challenge posed by Bayern Munich in the upcoming fixture.

Speaking to SkyDE, Zidane claimed that he was not in the running to become Thomas Tuchel’s replacement.

He added that Real Madrid would find it hard against Bayern Munich in the second leg, saying:

“No, it will not happen. I’m going to watch the game, I will cheer for Real Madrid and hopefully Real Madrid will win.

“It will be a difficult game,” he added.

Football

Rodrygo sends Real Madrid top at Cadiz

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Rodrygo sent Real Madrid provisionally top of La Liga with two goals in a comfortable 3-0 win at Cadiz on Sunday.

The Brazilian winger also set up a goal for La Liga’s top scorer Jude Bellingham, who now has 11 to his name this season in the Spanish top flight.

Madrid climbed a point clear of high-flying Girona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Monday looking to reclaim the top spot.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side also rose four points clear of fourth-placed rivals Barcelona, following their 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Madrid was dealt severe blows over the past fortnight with Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga suffering long-term injuries, joining Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and Aurelien Tchouameni on the sidelines.

Despite that, Madrid secured a straightforward victory which is not something they take for granted after the international break, and less so with an injury-ravaged squad.

“Sometimes difficulty is just more motivation and the players understood that very well,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“All the absences that we have are important players, but we managed it well and the team was very good out there.”

The Italian coach started Toni Kroos in defensive midfield and brought veteran playmaker Luka Modric into the team for only his fifth start in La Liga this season.

Bellingham also returned after missing two league games and England’s Euro qualifiers with a shoulder injury.

Madrid dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 14 minutes when Rodrygo dribbled across the penalty area and curled a sumptuous strike into the top right corner.

The Brazilian struggled for goals at the start of the season but Ancelotti kept faith in him and with Vinicius sidelined, he will be crucial for Madrid in the coming weeks.

Football

Manchester City overtake Real Madrid as the world’s most valuable football club ‘brands’

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Treble-chasing Manchester City have surpassed Real Madrid as football’s most valuable brand in the world.

The Premier League club will see its brand value soar 15 percent this year to £1.29billion by adding the Champions League to their Premier League title and FA Cup win if they beat Inter Milan this Saturday.

That saw them overtake reigning European champions Real Madrid, whose brand value dropped three percent to £1.26bn, according to an analysis by Brand Finance.

However, Brand Finance said Real remained the strongest brand in world football and were most likely to be considered ‘the best club in the world’ by fans.

Barcelona came third in the ranking, with a five percent increase in brand value to £1.185bn, with Manchester United leaping ahead of rivals Liverpool into fourth spot.

United is worth £1.174bn (up 11 per cent) and Liverpool £1.173bn (up nine per cent).

United’s successful season under Erik ten Hag had ‘reconnected the team with the fans and laid the foundations for a renewed bid for future success,’ the report said.

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich occupied sixth and seventh spots before three Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea – closed out the top 10.

Arsenal’s brand value had risen 16 per cent to £782million following their strong challenge for the Premier League title.

Chelsea’s had risen by two per cent to £742m off the back of a disappointing campaign and lower half finish, making them only the sixth-highest English club. Spurs’ value rose five per cent to £774m.

Brand Finance said fellow London clubs Brentford and Fulham were new entries into their top 50 chart, at 43rd and 49th positions respectively.

Newcastle United were reported to have the fastest-growing brand value of any United Kingdom club following an increase of 33 per cent to £216m in the wake of their Saudi takeover in 2021.

Hugo Hensley, Head of Sports Services at Brand Finance, said: ‘Manchester City has achieved an extraordinary feat by surpassing Real Madrid to become the champion of football club brands.

For five years, the City team has exerted its dominance in English football, securing four Premier League titles in the past five seasons.

‘However, the club’s performance in this year’s ranking highlights that Manchester City are performing off the pitch in terms of building a strong brand and attracting fans and sponsors, and setting the stage for what could be an iconic Champions League final against Inter Milan.’

Football

Man City not on revenge mission against Real Madrid- Guardiola

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his players must on Tuesday avoid falling into the trap of trying to avenge last year’s UEFA Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.

“It will be a huge mistake to think we are here for revenge; we are not! We must face it as another opportunity (to reach the final),” Guardiola told a news conference later on Monday.

Both teams will meet on Tuesday at the same tournament stage, with Manchester City away in the first leg in Madrid.

Guardiola was visibly upset with a comment by his midfielder Rodri earlier in their press conference at Santiago Bernabeu earlier on Monday.

He said he looked forward to “a chance for revenge” against Real Madrid.

“We are here to get a good result because everything will be decided in Manchester, not here,” he said.

“What happened last season happened, period. This is another opportunity, nothing more.”

“The best lesson we can take from last season is that we are not coming here for revenge but for a good result. And to have the final open for Manchester.”

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke earlier on Monday about the importance of going into the second leg with a mental edge.

Asked about the comments, Guardiola was once again uneasy, disagreeing with his opposite number.

“Last year, we got here with a huge mental edge after winning well (in) the first leg. But look what happened,” Guardiola said.

“Ferland Mendy saved a ball off the goal line, and what happened still happened. Those are the details that take you to a final or not.”

After beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a thriller in the first leg last year in Manchester, Manchester City saw the Spanish giants fight back from the brink of elimination.

They beat them 3-1 after extra time to get to the final.

“When I arrived at Manchester City, I thought I would win the Champions League in the first year, then in the next one… and the one after that.

“And the last one, the same thing. That’s my mentality. And here we are, we are here to try again,” Guardiola said.

Football

Cristiano Ronaldo ‘offers’ himself to Real Madrid for six months as he plans to end his Manchester United nightmare

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Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly offered himself to Real Madrid to end his Manchester United nightmare.

The 37-year-old Portuguese accused the Red Devils of betraying him in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan last week.

Amid the fall-out with United, Ronaldo has now offered himself to the Spanish giants on a six-month contract, according to Sport.

The Spanish outlet claim Ronaldo wants to return to the Bernabeu as a replacement for the injured Karim Benzema in January.

The Ballon d’Or winner was forced to pull out of France’s World Cup squad after picking up a thigh injury.

Man United are looking to terminate Ronaldo’s contract seven months early without paying any of the £16million he is predicted to earn by June 2023.

Football

Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo “We’ll fight till the end”

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Real Madrid v Atalanta - UEFA Champions League Round Of 16 Leg Two

Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo Goes has talked to the club’s TV channel in an interview, where he discussed Real Madrid’s chances of fighting for the 2020-2021 La Liga title and other topics now that the rest of the squad is on national duty.

“Everybody is seeing that we fight until the end in every match. Real Madrid’s badge indicated that we are going to fight until the end, no matter how many points behind Atletico or Barcelona we have, we always fight,” said Rodrygo.

When asked about the Champions League, where Real Madrid will face Liverpool in the Quarterfinals, Rodrygo seemed aware of the fact that it won’t be an easy tie.

“Liverpool will be a very tough opponent, we’re all training hard now for what’s ahead and we’re hoping we can advance to the next round. Every match is important but in this moment of the season the matches are crucial. It’s a different feeling which makes us want to play and perform well, these are special games for sure,” he explained.

Rodrygo believes that this current FIFA break is not good for Real Madrid, who had gained some momentum in recent weeks, completing good performances against Atalanta and Celta.

“This week without games is a bit bad for us because it stops the momentum and groove we were carrying, but at the same time it gives us days to train hard and gain confidence so that we can be even better. I hope we can keep performing well when we’re back, we never give up,” explained the attacker.

Rodrygo suffered a serious hamstring injury this season but he’s now fully recovered and ready to contribute and make an impact. The young player revealed that it was tough for him to miss those many games.

“Now I’m very happy, but all that time being out was hard. I couldn’t stand being out without playing and watching the games on TV. I was getting upset even, but now I’m happy and working everyday to be better. The toughest thing to do is getting your confidence back, everything else is easier,” he said.

Rodrygo concluded the interview by answering a question about what coach Zinedine Zidane wants him to do when he’s on the pitch.

“Zidane tells us to press high but stay organized, the same for the defenders. It’s better to press high because that way we’re closer to their goal and don’t have to run 50 meters to defend, it’s better for everyone,” concluded the attacker.

Football

Haaland might be the new priority for Real Madrid FC

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Real Madrid is on the lookout for Erling Haaland despite the fact that other clubs are arguably interested.

Erling Barut Haaland

Erling Haaland – who by the way is the fastest player to reach 20 Champions League goals, might be the new No 1 target for Real Madrid this summer, since he is probably a more possible signing than Kylian Mbappe.

However, there is a good chance that Barcelona might be in the race for his signing as well. Borussia Dortmund’s finances aren’t the best they’ve been and this gives Los Blancos some hope for the move. On the other hand, Barcelona’s financial situation is well known, and they might have to sell before they can fund such a move for the young star.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed. It will be interesting to see how this year’s transfer saga plays out.

Football

Varane considering leaving Real Madrid

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Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is considering a departure from the club as soon as next summer, according to a report published on AS. Varane’s contract expires in the summer of 2022 and Real Madrid would sell the player this summer if he refuses to sign a contract extension with Los Blancos, per that same report.

Varane is 28 years old and Real Madrid don’t want to lose him as a free agent in 2022 when they could cash in some money for him this summer. That said, selling Varane is not a priority and it would only be done if the defender proves that he doesn’t want to extend his contract.

It’s been more than 10 years since Real Madrid signed Varane away from Lens for €10 million, and while that deal definitely paid off, it would be a pity to lose him in the current financial context now that he has reached his peak as a player.

The French defender is probably trying to get a better deal than his current contract, but if he truly wants to find a new challenge Real Madrid should probably sell and then focus on finding a replacement in the transfer market.

AS’ report mentions Alaba, Joules Kounde and Pau Torres as the main candidates to join Real Madrid if Varane leaves the club this summer.

Football

‘Why is VAR only used against Barcelona?’ – Koeman furious with technology-assisted Clasico penalty

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The decision to award Real Madrid a spot-kick with the game poised at 1-1 left the Blaugrana coach seething

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman suggested that VAR was unfairly targeting his team after going down 3-1 to Real Madrid in his maiden Clasico on the bench. 

Both the Catalans and Madrid were hoping for better fortunes in the showpiece Liga game on Saturday, having gone down to defeats against Getafe and Cadiz respectively last week. 

But it was Zinedine Zidane’s charges who were left celebrating as they prevailed at Camp Nou. 

Fede Valverde opened the scoring for the visitors after just five minutes before Ansu Fati responded with an almost immediate equaliser in an entertaining start to proceedings. 

Then, with the two giants deadlocked at 1-1, video technology deemed that Clement Lenglet had pulled Sergio Ramos’ shirt and awarded a penalty, converted with ease by the Madrid captain. 

Luka Modric put the result beyond doubt late on to cap a disappointing afternoon for Barca, but Koeman was left wondering what might have been had the spot-kick not been awarded. 

“We do not agree, it was not a penalty for me. I hope one day I can have the VAR issue in Spain explained to me,” the Dutchman fired to reporters after the final whistle. 

“We are five games in and VAR has only ever been used against Barca. 

“Neither Messi’s penalty against Sevilla nor the two red card fouls against Getafe. Why is VAR only used against Barca?

“VAR can be great, but for all the teams. 

“I haven’t spoken to Lenglet but I did see the move. It was a foul by Ramos on Lenglet. Then Lenglet grabbed Ramos, but not to pull him back, in any case he should have fallen forward, not back. Once again, it’s not a penalty for me.

“It’s normal for the Madrid players to pressure the referee, I have no problem with that. The referee and VAR made that decision in a key moment of the game.”

Ramos’ strike prompted Koeman to shuffle his team in the search for an equaliser, but the introductions of forwards Trincao, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite from the bench only served to unbalance the Barca XI while adding little in attacking threat. 

The former Netherlands boss, though, defended his decision to go for broke, even if it left his side open to concede the third. 

“First we let the players already on the pitch try and create scoring chances,” he explained. 

“Then we chose to add pace on the wings with Trincao and Dembele, and Griezmann’s entrance alongside Messi. 

“From the 39th minute (of the second half) we decided to defend one-on-one at the back. It was risky but I don’t mind losing 1-2 or 1-3. 

“We played a good game, created chances, but the penalty decision influenced it greatly. I am not concerned or anxious despite these two defeats, we have to keep working the way we have, I have no doubts over the quality of my players.”

Football

When is the next El Clasico? The dates of Real Madrid vs Barcelona 2020-21 fixtures

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Goal brings you all the information about this season’s Clasico games, such as when they are, where and how to watch

The 2020-21 La Liga season has ushered in a new era for Barcelona, in the wake of talisman Lionel Messi informing his club that he wants to leave .

The Catalan side has been undergoing some hardship in recent seasons, with a failure to pick up a single title in the 2019-20 season amid their hugely embarrassing exit at the hands of Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Real Madrid will be defending their La Liga title under Zinedine Zidane, and Spain‘s showpiece fixture promises to be one of the most highly anticipated match-ups in football.

Goal has what you need to know about when the Clasico will take place this season and more.

When is the next Clasico?

The next Clasico will be held on October 24 at Camp Nou, with kick-off at 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET. The return fixture will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, 2021.

New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman will oversee the Blaugrana following the dismissal of Quique Setien.

Setien was dismissed following Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 Champions League destruction to Bayern Munich.

Last season’s El Clasico in La Liga saw a draw between the two at Barcelona, with Real Madrid registering a 2-0 victory in the return leg in March.

Real Madrid were crowned winners of La Liga for the 34th time in 2020.

How to watch El Clasico

In the UK, La Liga matches will be available to watch and stream on La Liga TV, while Premier Sports and FreeSports also have rights for some games.

In the US, La Liga games will be broadcast on the beIN Sports network, which has both English language and Spanish language channels, as well as an online streaming service, beIN Sports Connect.

Football

Veteran star Modric sets Real Madrid future target

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The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner admits he is approaching the end of his career, but he still feels that he has plenty to offer at Santiago Bernabeu

Luka Modric accepts that he has reached a “certain age”, but the 35-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer at Real Madrid and would welcome the opportunity to extend his association with the club.

As things stand, the Croatian playmaker is due become a free agent in the summer of 2021. He will have spent nine years at Santiago Bernabeu by the time his current contract ends.

Many notable highs have been experienced since swapping Tottenham for the Spanish capital back in 2012. Modric has enjoyed two La Liga title triumphs and four Champions League successes, while also landing the Ballon d’Or in 2018.

He has seen regular game time under several different coaches, with Zinedine Zidane continuing to find a role for him in his present star-studded squad.

With there no sign of him slowing down, Modric hopes fresh terms will be put to him at some stage in 2020-21.

Discussing his club future while away on UEFA Nations League duty with his country, the classy playmaker said: “It’s the same as with the national team. I go from match to match and then we’ll see what happens.

“Of course I’d like to stay at Real Madrid. However, I am aware that I am at a certain age and the club must do the best for everyone. 

“As long as I feel that I am an important part of Real Madrid, I would like to stay. When that is no longer the case, I will look for new challenges. However, this issue is not yet on the agenda.”

Modric is approaching the 350-appearance mark for Real and 130 caps for Croatia. He has been a talismanic figure for club and country at times and believes he can maintain his standards for the foreseeable future, with there no plans on his part to start considering retirement any time soon.

Modric added: “I don’t want to set any limits or dates for myself. I’m going from match to match and I’ll see how I feel both physically and mentally. As long as I feel good, I want to play for the national team.”

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Real Madrid ‘are not quite there’ despite win at Levante, says Zidane

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The Liga champions came under pressure in the second half against the underdogs, with their manager acknowledging they were not at their best.

Zinedine Zidane felt Real Madrid struggled to kill the game off in their 2-0 victory against Levante because they are still “lacking something” in the early stages of the season.

Madrid took the lead at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday through Vinicius Junior in the 16th minute, before Levante’s Nikola Vukcevic hit the crossbar before half-time.

Karim Benzema struck the post and Vinicius missed a pair of chances to add to his tally within 10 minutes of the restart.

Levante did not wilt but they were unable to find a way past Thibaut Courtois, who did superbly to deny Enis Bardhi on three occasions.

Madrid finally put the game to bed in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Rodrygo released Benzema on a fast break and the Frenchman scored his first goal of the season.

Zidane saw some positives as his team moved top of La Liga but knows the reigning champions remain some way short of their best.

“It was a game we suffered in. We had chances to kill the game off in the second half, and it could have been a very different match,” Zidane told Movistar . “We suffered a lot because they had chances too. I’m happy about the first half but the game is 90 minutes.

“It’s the beginning of the season and we know we’re lacking something in attack and defence. We are not playing perfectly. I’m happy with the effort, they’ve given their all.

“I’ve seen it against this same opponent, they have good chances that you have to contain.

“Maybe physically we’re not quite there. The opponent put a little more energy in and had two or three chances.

“I’m very happy going into the international break. The team is working well together, wanting to show what they can do.”

Before the game, Zidane had played down suggestions that Madrid could be boosted with a move for Lyon midfielder and long-time Arsenal target Houssem Aouar.

“I don’t know what information you have about him [Aouar],” Zidane told reporters. “He’s a great player, I have no doubt about that.

“Maybe one day he could play at Real Madrid, but right now we have this squad and we’re going to go forward with the players we have.”

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