Real Madrid: 2011

‎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.

The Togo international affirms his eagerness to switch to the Spanish giants and would love to join up with Madrid's pre-season training camp in California.

Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor has reasserted his desire to depart the English club and complete a move to Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old is still hopeful that the capital giants will agree a deal to sign him on a permanent basis and end his ill-fated spell at Eastlands.

The former Arsenal hitman enjoyed a loan spell with Jose Mourinho's side in the second half of last season, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, and stressed he would jump at the opportunity to rejoin his former team-mates.

''We [Adebayor and Mourinho] talked before we went on vacation,'' Adebayor told Spanish publication Marca.

''He said he wanted me to stay. If he called me right now, I would catch the first plane out to Los Angeles. I do not want find another exit other than to return to Real Madrid. I am waiting for their call, hopefully it will occur.''

Yesterday, Mourinho told a press conference that the capital club were closer to signing Adebayor than Neymar, and Madrid have also been linked with Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Adebayor's colleague, Carlos Tevez.

The Spain international is eagerly anticipating the 2011-12 campaign and has voiced his opinion that Zinedine Zidane's first team presence is invaluable.
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has confessed he is desperate for the new season to commence as he is anxious to improve on last year's performance.

The Spain international also spoke of head coach Jose Mourinho, and reckons the Portuguese tactician is the perfect leader for the capital giants, who collected just the Copa del Rey in 2010-11 as Barcelona clinched their third consecutive league title.

"We are very excited about starting a new season and we are anxious to correct the mistakes we made last year. We only think about preparing ourselves and doing our best both collectively and individually," Ramos said on the club's official website.

"Mourinho is serious and demanding. The team needs a leader to handle everything with rules and constant stability. Mourinho is the ideal man for that job and we are delighted about it."

Ramos then went on to discuss the new role of Zinedine Zidane, who will be the club's sporting director in 2011-12, and was full of praise for the France legend.

"Zidane is the perfect man for the job he's doing. We are proud to have him support us and his experience could do us players a lot of good because we are young and ambitious. His doors are always open to us in order to address any type of problem."

The Portugal international hopes that his Brazilian team-mate stays put and has also expressed his delight with his new contract.

Real Madrid defender Pepe is hopful that playmaker Kaka will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu after the summer transfer window, as he feels the Brazilian still has plenty to offer the club next season.

Kaka has struggled to make an impact at Madrid since joining the club from AC Milan in the summer of 2009, and he has been linked with a return to Italian soil on more than one occasion.

Recent speculation suggested that Inter were readying a swoop for the former Ballon d'Or winner, but Kaka has stated that he is likely to remain in Spain for the 2011-12 campaign, and the Portuguese stopper reckons the 29-year-old can still make a major contribution.

"Kaka is a great player. I hope things turn out well and that he can help us. He will be very useful to us and he can bring much to the team," Pepe was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

Pepe then went on to express his delight at extending his contract until the summer of 2016, and revealed that head coach Jose Mourinho's presence was one of the main reasons for signing his new deal.

The former Porto man had been locked in negotiations for some time, and confessed: "I'm happy at Real Madrid and delighted to stay at the place I want to be at. The coach also played a crucial role in getting my contract extended.''

Real Madrid player Nuri Sahin was bruised on his left knee (not his recently recovered right knee) in the 12 July training session. A magnetic resonance done the following day at UCLA Health System Hospital confirmed he has a Grade I sprain on the internal lateral ligament. He will miss 2 to 3 weeks.

Pepe: "I'm happy at Real Madrid and delighted to stay at the place I want to be at"

Sergio Ramos and Pepe addressed the media in Los Angeles. Both players expressed their happiness for extending their contracts with Real Madrid.

Ramos
"I've seen my dream of extending my contract come true and I will now try to keep my name alive as long as possible here. My first thought was to stay here because I've always felt appreciated."

"We are very excited about starting a new season and we are anxious to correct the mistakes we made last year. We only think about preparing ourselves and doing our best both collectively and individually. Mourinho is serious and demanding. The team needs a leader to handle everything with rules and constant stabilty. Mourinho is the ideal man for that job and we are delighted about it."

"Zidane is the perfect man for the job he's doing. We are proud to have him support us and as our beacon in the executive body and coaching staff of the club. His experience could do us players a lot of good because we are young and ambitious. His doors are always open to us in order to address any type of problem."

"Varane is rather young and has a bright future. Zidane recommended him for a reason. We hope he integrates to the team as soon as possible. He is fast, solid and creates good ball movement."

Pepe
"I'm happy at Real Madrid and delighted to stay at the place I want to be at. The coach also played a crucial role in getting my contract extended."

"Training sessions are being tough. We only want our beds at night to rest."

"Kaka is a great player. I hope things turn out well and that he can help us. He will be very useful to us and he can bring much to the team."

"Coentrao is an excellent player and he is now at a great club. He will work very hard and is wise with the ball at his feet."

Casillas, Adan, Tomas Mejias and Jesus work together on the first team; it's the first time since the 1985/86 season that four goalkeepers on the squad come from the academy

Alberto Navarro (Los Angeles) / Translation by Michael J. O'Donnell

Four goalkeepers from the Real Madrid academy are working under Jose Mourinho in Los Angeles. Casillas, Adan, Tomas Mejias and Jesus coincide in the first team; the former has been acknowledged as the best goalkeeper in the world by the IFFHS three years running, while the other three made their official first team debut last season. The last time there were four goalkeepers from the academy on the first team was in the 1985/86 season, when Agustin, Ochotorena, Garcia Remon and Miguel Angel were together on the squad.

Casillas, Adan, Tomas Mejias and Jesus have proven once again that Real Madrid is the best place to become a goalkeeper. "This is unique to football," said Mourinho in a recent interview, "I can’t see any other side having three or four goalkeepers from its academy. They also represent three different generations of players. One of them is the best in the world; another has been promoted from third keeper to second; and our two youngest goalies will train with us." The coach has always highly praised Casillas, and he gave the other three the chance to make their first team debut last season.

Iker Casillas sets the perfect example for all goalies in the youth system. He made his La Liga debut on 12 September 1999 against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames and he has since earned a privileged place in the annals of Real Madrid history. Casillas has won two Champions League titles, four league trophies, two Intercontinental Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, one European Super Cup and one Copa del Rey with the team, as well as the 2010 World Cup and the Euro 2008 with Spain and countless individual accolades.

Antonio Adan is the team's current second goalkeeper. He was in the academy 13 years and made his first team debut on 8 December 2010 against Auxerre in the Champions League conceding no goals. He played the entire match against Levante in La Liga and practcally the entire games against Espanyol and Getafe, keeping a clean sheet in all three. Adan only conceded two strikes in the return leg of the Copa del Rey Last 16 against Levante. He played 411 minutes with the first team (269 in La Liga, 94 in the Copa and 48 in the UCL), conceding a strike every 205.5 minutes on average. He also won the Under-19 Euro with Spain in 2006.

Tomas Mejias came on for Adan on 10 May in a league match against Getafe after 10 years in the club's academy. Jesus made his first team debut two games after his teammate in a clash with Almeria. All this seems to indicate that, as Mourinho said, "this team’s goal may be kept by academy goalies for years to come."

Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho is delighted with the promotion of Zinedine Zidane as sports director.

Zidane is now more prominent in the day-to-day workings at Real - and Mourinho is pleased to have him around.

"I like that he's working with us and he has decided to change his life and commit to this project," said Mourinho.

"He believes in this and believes in what it can bring. He has a lot to give, but also to learn. It is one thing for so many years to be the best player in the world and another to be a director of a first team.

"His intelligence, calmness and the fact that as a person he is completely open to communication makes him one more good addition and this group is excited about working together with him."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid arrived at Los Angeles on Monday (11/7), and headed to Beverly Hills Hotel. Tired of a long flight, Ronaldo struggle to smile (but failed) to the screaming fans that surrounded him, asking for his autograph and pictures.

Here are the pictures from Ronaldo when he arrives at Los Angeles airport to BH hotel :

The agent of Carlos Tevez is coy over interest from Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for the Manchester City striker.

Real coach Jose Mourinho expressed interest in Tevez yesterday.

"It is very difficult to start speculating - the reality is that Corinthians have made an offer," Kia Joorabchian said.

"We have never spoken to Real Madrid and they have made no offer. Corinthians have and at the moment we have to see what City will feel and what their reaction will be to that offer.

"We will take every step as it comes."

LA Galaxy's David Beckham attends a news conference to announce the Herbalife World FootballChallenge 2011 soccer tournament in Los Angeles, July 12, 2011.

LOS ANGELES - David Beckham says playing for Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho would bea "dream."

"To have had the chance to be coached by him, would have been any player's dream,"Beckham said Tuesday. "And of course my dream, as well."

Beckham, who spent four years with Madrid, will play against his former team for the first timesince leaving when the Los Angeles Galaxy hosts the Spanish heavyweights in a friendly onSaturday.

Beckham was with Madrid from 2003-07, helping the club win its last Spanish league title in hisfinal season before joining the Galaxy.

"I spent four amazing years at Real Madrid. To go from a club like Manchester United to RealMadrid, it doesn't really get much better than that in football," Beckham said. "To be facing RealMadrid for the first time since I left, it's emotional. Because you get attached to the club, you getattached to the people at the club."

Madrid arrived in Los Angeles late Monday to begin its preseason camp in advance of a three-game US tour.

It marks the second consecutive year Madrid has held a camp in Southern California. Mourinhosaid it's not a coincidence his team is back training under the sunny skies.

"The freedom that we have here is good. In Europe, our lives are socially difficult," Mourinhosaid. "Here, the players feel some freedom. They can walk in the streets, they can be togetherand share some time together. It is important for the players to build team spirit."

While Madrid will be easing its way back into form, it will be matched up against a squad that isalready in midseason shape. The Galaxy currently leads the Major League Soccer competitionand is unbeaten in 12 straight league games.

Beckham says playing for Mourinho would be 'dream'

(From L to R) Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas stand next to LA Galaxy's DavidBeckham and Landon Donovan after exchanging jerseys as they pose for photographers at a newsconference to announce the Herbalife World Football Challenge 2011 soccer tournament in LosAngeles, July 12, 2011.

Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said his squad is more focused on winning league games thanfriendlies, but added that the chance to play one of the world's best teams is exciting.

"We're no Real Madrid, we don't play games like this every week," Donovan said. "A lot of ourguys will have an incredible experience. And we want to make the most of it. We want to put on agood show."

The showdown will be a rematch from last August when Madrid scored three second-half goalsto win 3-2. Beckham was unable to play in the match due to an Achilles injury.

Mourinho relishes the prospect of playing three teams that want to give Madrid more than atough workout.

"The competition is very good," he said. "They play hard, they play strong, but they play fair.They want to win. They don't want to play a defensive match, like we have sometimes inEurope."