Category: News

The Croatian midfielder believes the Portuguese attacker will not be leaving Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, despite rumours circulating that a departure is on the cards

Luka Modric has stressed his belief that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at Real Madrid, and will not be leaving the club in the next transfer window.

Rumours of Ronaldo’s potential departure this summer first started circulating in September last year when he revealed he was “sad” at the Blancos, though more recently he has insisted those issues are behind him.

“Our conversations are private but I believe that Cristiano Ronaldo will stay, I think he’s very happy here,” Modric told reporters.

“He is one of our best players around and it would be a shame to lose him.”

Modric then reflected on Madrid’s surprising defeat away to Granada last weekend, while also looking ahead to the showdown with Sevilla on Saturday.

“In Granada I did not play well, clearly,” he continued.

“In every game we want to do our best but sometimes, unfortunately, we can not always achieve this. The other teams give their utmost against us so it’s not easy. Still, we are Real Madrid and we have to try and win every game.

“Teams are more motivated when they play against Real Madrid so we need to be at our best if we want to win. When we don’t play at our best, we start to have problems.

“Against Sevilla we will show what we are capable of. Sevilla have played much better since the arrival of [coach] Unai Emery. It will be a good warm-up ahead of the Champions League.”

Modric then revealed how taken back he was after watching a video released by TV3 in Catalunya which depicted the supposed violence demonstrated by players from Real Madrid during Clasicos.

“I’ve seen it on TV and I don’t know what to say. I’ve played in Croatia and England and I have never seen anything like it. It is not journalism and it is unacceptable,” he added.

“It is very difficult to compare normal games with a Clascio. It’s the largest match in the world with great teams and everyone enjoys them. Both teams give it their all, but, I have not noticed anything unusual in the behaviour of the Barcelona players.”

The Italian is backing the Premier League leaders against Real Madrid in the hope that continual European distractions will hand his side an advantage domestically

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he will be supporting Manchester United against Real Madrid in the Champions League, but only in the hope it gives his own club a greater advantage in the Premier League title race.

City’s own run in the competition ended prematurely for the second season on the trot after finishing bottom of their group having failed to win a single game.

But Mancini feels his side can profit in the title race if Sir Alex Ferguson’s men continue to progress through the Champions League’s latter stages.

“It is normal when you play against Real Madrid in the Champions League you can lose your strength,” Mancini told reporters.

“So I support Manchester United to go through in the Champions League.”

City currently lie nine points behind the league leaders with 13 games remaining, but having overturned an eight-point gap last term Mancini feels there is still all to play for on the domestic front.

“Manchester United have done better than us this season because they won a lot of games,” said Mancini.

“They have nine points more than us, but if we can recover eight points in six games, recovering nine in 13 games will be easy. I never remember the title race being finished 10 or 13 games before the end.

“Three years ago Chelsea were nine points behind at one point. By the time they played at Old Trafford two or three games from the end, they were only three points behind. I am sure we have another chance.

“We are unlucky because we lost players in January to the African Nations Cup. But last year no one believed we could win the title and in the end we won. This year could be the same.”

The fellow Welshman has urged the 23-year-old to join one of the Liga giants “in the next year or so” so he can fulfil his promise and not run the risk of plateauing

Robert Earnshaw has urged Tottenham star Gareth Bale to move to Real Madrid or Barcelona in order to reach his potential.

The sought-after winger has been the subject of much praise after scoring three goals in as many games for club and country in recent weeks, with Spurs team-mate Jan Vertonghen claiming the 23-year-old “could play for every team in the world”.

Bale has been the subject of speculation linking him with the Liga giants in the past, and fellow Welshman Earnshaw believes a move within the next 12 month is a must to stop the former Southampton player’s progression from stalling.

Earnshaw told talkSPORT: “Sometimes you just think that he can be unstoppable and he should, in the next year or so, move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

“I want to see him at that level and I think that will take him on to a different stage again because he’ll improve again.

“He’s been at Tottenham for quite a while but sometimes it’s nice to see people do well and go higher, and reach the top. There is no higher place than Real Madrid or Barcelona.”

The Barcelona president revealed that he has had his eyes on a Blancos star for many years, and hinted that he would not sign Cristiano Ronaldo if he was offered him for free

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has hinted that he has a desire to sign an unnamed Real Madrid player.

The two clubs are arch-rivals in Spain and it is not often that players are able to enjoy periods at both Camp Nou and the Bernabeu during their career, however, the likes of Luis Figo, Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Michael Laudrup have crossed the divide.

Although he would not reveal who he would like to take from Jose Mourinho’s ranks, Rosell admitted that there is a Blancos footballer he has wanted to bring to the Catalunya club for a long time.

“There is one Real Madrid player I have liked for many years,” he told Punto Radio. “But I’m not going to say who it is because I would be creating a circus.

“Madrid have some great players and of course there is one I would like to sign. Is it [Iker] Casillas? I’m not giving away any clues.”

Liga fanatics wondering if it might be Cristiano Ronaldo that the Barca boss was referring to may want to reconsider the possibilities.

When asked if he would take Ronaldo from the Bernabeu for free, Rosell cryptically replied: “Sometimes things that are free end up costing you dearly.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid’s rivalry is considered amongst the greatest in the world, though the Blaugrana chief explained what a nerve-wracking affair the Clasico can be for a club president to watch.

“It makes me tense because it is such a great game to experience,” Rosell said. “It’s one of those games where, if you win, everyone cheers the players, but if you lose, it’s the president’s fault.”

It was announced this week that one of Pep Guardiola’s first games as Bayern Munich coach will be against Barca, the club where he had so much success, and Rosell expressed his desire to see the Spaniard back at Camp Nou someday.

“We miss him,” he said. “The bond he had with Barcelona will be talked about forever in the history of football, but life goes on.

“If he put himself up for club president in the future I would vote for him, I would love to see that.”

The ex-Netherlands international is eagerly anticipating the clash between two of his former clubs, and believes minor details will be decisive in deciding the contest

Ruud van Nistelrooy says the individual class of Robin van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo will make the difference in the Champions League round of 16 tie between Manchester United and Real Madrid.

The former Netherlands international, who enjoyed spells with both European giants, feels there is no clear favourite ahead of next week’s first leg, and has stressed that small details could decide the outcome of the tie.

“There is no favourite. For me the key will be the form of Cristiano and Van Persie. One of them will make the difference,” Van Nistelrooy was quoted as saying by Marca.

“I think the tie will be decided by minor details. Both teams are strong in attack.

“Real Madrid have improved a lot in the last few weeks. Apart from the game in Granada the team has been strong; Real played well against Barca and rise to big occasions.

“The Champions League is more of an obsession for Real Madrid than Manchester United.”

The first leg takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 13.