Real Madrid

Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor: I am waiting on call from Real Madrid

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."