Real Madrid

‎Real Madrid are on Barcelona's level - Mesut Ozil '

The German midfielder says his club are not inferior to the Catalan side after the two-legged Supercopa tie and revelled in the good start to the season.
Real Madrid playmaker Mesut Ozil says he is confident his club can pose a threat to Barcelona on all fronts.
The Germany international's first season at the Bernabeu saw his club undone by Barca in La Liga and in the Champions League.

The 22-year-old believes his side have made significant improvements as shown by the hotly contested 5-4 Supercopa defeat to the Catalan outfit earlier in August.

"We lost the Supercopa in an unfortunate manner but both matches showed we are on Barcelona's level," Ozil told Bild.

The former Werder Bremen star went on to say that he is delighted with Madrid's start to the season after the club demolished Zaragoza 6-0 at the weekend.

"I am completely happy, it was a wonderful victory and also an important one. Starting the season well is something that gives us confidence," the player noted.

AS shout “Neymar already has a contract with Madrid.” According to the paper Real will pay 45 million euros in the transfer fee, while the striker will pocket five million net a season.

Sport add that Neymar will sign this summer, and not in January, as many have reported. Further, Neymar will pen a 6-year deal with Los Blancos.

Lionel Messi is then quote by Globoesporte on Neymar: “He seems to be a great player. He has already demonstrated that and played great in the Copa Libertadores. It would be nice to see him play in Europe and especially in Spain.”

New Real Madrid signing Fabio Coentrao claims he has to prove that he was worth the €30 million fee spent on him by the club.

Coentrao sealed a move from Benfica this summer after impressing in Portugal and, although plenty of big-money stars have felt the pressure and failed to perform the following season, the left-back revealed that he is motivated to prove that he what it takes to succeed at the Bernabeu.

"Time will tell if the price of my transfer is an honour or whether it adds more pressure on me. I can only respond on the pitch," Coentrao told the club's official website. "I want to prove I've got sufficient quality to be worth any amount. I will be confident as I work on this team."

Coentrao's statement comes just days after Sevilla coach Marcelino Garcia Toral voiced his doubts over the defender, saying he did not impress during a brief loan spell with Real Zaragoza back in 2008.

"He [Coentrao] always trained with the first team, but hardly played any games," Marcelino told AS. "He simply wasn't better than his rivals for a spot in the starting XI and didn't succeed."

"He never really managed to settle in and didn't look like he cared much for what happened at Zaragoza. I had the feeling that he never wanted to be at Zaragoza and he left again in January.''

Emmanuel Adebayor has hailed Jose Mourinho as the best coach he has ever worked with and reiterated his desire to return to Real Madrid next season.

The 27-year-old joined Madrid on loan from Manchester City in January and made a positive impression as Los Merengues finished second to Barcelona in the La Liga, lost to the Catalan club in the semi-finals of the Champions League but gained an element of revenge by beating Pep Guardiola's men in the Copa del Rey final.

The former Togo international is not thought to be a part of City coach Roberto Mancini's plans and would relish the chance to further his career at the Bernabeu.

He told Spanish newspaper AS: "We talked before we went on vacation. He said he was calm, that he wanted me to stay. If he called me right now, I would catch the first plane out to Los Angeles (where Real are currently on their pre-season tour).

"And if I could play three or four years in Madrid, I would retire at the club.

"I don't want to go anywhere other than Madrid."

Working with Mourinho once more is key to Adebayor's desire to go back to Madrid.

"He gave me the confidence I needed, made me believe in myself and enjoy football again," added the former Arsenal man.

"Mourinho is the best coach I've ever worked with, no doubt, and Madrid will win titles with him.

"I would love to play under him again and I say, 'I'm here if you need me'.

"If we do not meet again, I wish him and the club well and I say this wholeheartedly, 'I owe you one'."

Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho has warned Barcelona that his side will be even more competitive next term.

His warning comes on the back of his belief that coach Jose Mourinho always raises the bar in his second season at a new club.

Mourinho has often made the same claim and his record at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan would appear to back up the notion, given that the Portuguese won the Champions League in his second campaign in both his homeland and Italy, as well as domestic trophies, while he picked up a league and cup double at Chelsea following an admittedly successful debut campaign in London.

And having claimed a Copa del Rey title in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, Carvalho says Mourinho is ready to lead his current side to greater things in the coming campaign.

"He always wants to improve, from the first day and every day," the former Chelsea defender told reporters on Madrid's pre-season tour in Los Angeles.

"With him you learn every day; his second years are better than his first because the players know each other better - it already happened at Porto and at Chelsea."

Meanwhile, Carvalho hopes Kaka can find his best form next term following two disappointing and injury-ravaged campaigns at the Bernabeu.

"We know he had a difficult season because of his injury," the defender said.

"He is coming back, he is looking good, we all know his quality and I hope he can reach his best to help us [next season]."

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has told team-mate Angel di Maria to earn a new deal on the pitch rather than asking for it.
The Argentinean winger has publicly stated he expects Madrid to offer him a better contract after an impressive first season at the club.
The remarks appear to have rubbed team-mate Ramos the wrong way.
"We, the players, have to speak on the pitch," Ramos told reporters at a press conference.
"The renewals come alone. The best way to be happy is to continue at Real Madrid."
Ramos himself has penned a new deal recently and the defender remains optimistic the team can build on their Copa del Rey success from last season on the back of new signings such as Fabio Coentrao and Raphael Varane.
"The team have been strengthened well. The only thing I can say is the level is very high and the season is very long," Ramos was quoted as saying.
"I know Coentrao; he is a great defender and he adds a lot to the attack.
"Varane is really young, but he is good he brings hope. He was recommended by Zidane, a seasoned man of football. We hope that his integration will be the best possible."
Reports indicate that Madrid are on the verge of signing Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City which could further boost the club's chase for trophies next season.

Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas believes the club's academy is the best in the business when it comes to producing goalkeepers.

Casillas himself is a graduate of Real's academy and - following the departure of veteran custodian Jerzy Dudek - so are the rest of his current counterparts between the sticks.

First in line as back-up to Casillas is Antonio Adan, while youngsters Tomas Mejias and Jesus have both also been included in Real's travelling squad for their tour of America.

Casillas believes all three have big futures ahead of themselves, and has praised Real's academy for their success in nurturing talent.

"I've very happy because all four goalkeepers on the squad come from our academy, and I've always said that's where the best players come from," Casillas said on Real's official website.

"They all have promising futures and I'm delighted people have faith in such young players.

"We have a very young team that is coming together, and that has to make the club very happy."

Real coach Jose Mourinho agrees that having such a young squad is a positive thing for the club.

"I'm very happy to have a young squad in which Iker, who is 30-years-old, is the second-oldest player," Mourinho said.

"This squad has great room for making progress."

Casillas has made over 570 appearances for Real since making his debut 1999.