Real Madrid News

The Brazilian was pleased with his side’s comeback win over Valladolid on Saturday despite being unhappy with conceding three goals at home

Real Madrid attacker Kaka has criticised his side’s defence for conceding three goals one home turf during their 4-3 comeback victory over Valladolid on Saturday.

The Brazil international got on the scoresheet shortly after half-time to help his side secure all three points after Oscar had given the visitors a shock lead, while Cristiano Ronaldo took his goal tally for the club up to 199 with two strikes.

Though the former AC Milan star was disappointed with conceding three times at the Santiago Bernabeu against a lesser side, he shared his delight that they were able to return to winning ways quickly following their Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

“It was a tough game after a knock-out game,” he was quoted as saying by the club’s official website. “We thought it was possible to make it to the final, we couldn’t, and playing three days later isn’t easy, but we once again showed our ability to make a comeback against a great Valladolid.

“We conceded three goals at home, that’s not normal and we don’t like it, the entire defence is to blame, but these are things to improve on. The team woke up after the first goal.

“I had some chances, I scored a goal and I’m happy with my personal performance. I’m an attacking midfielder and I’m always looking to create chances and to help the forwards.”

Kaka has now set his sights firmly on the Blancos‘ up-coming clash with Champions League-chasing Malaga, prior to their cup final against local rivals Atletico Madrid.

“Malaga will be a tough game but it will be a good chance to show that we’re doing well, that we keep amassing points in La Liga to prepare for the Copa del Rey,” he continued.

Winning the cup is the big goal and staying at the top of the ranking for the next Champions League.”

The 50-year old coach was booed by fans ahead of his side’s 4-3 win over Valladolid on Saturday, when his compatriot headed two goals to move closer to 200 strikes for the club

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By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

It was a tale of two Portuguese. In truth, it often is: Jose Mourinho was jeered by Real Madrid fans ahead of his side’s 4-3 victory over Valladolid in La Liga on Saturday; Cristiano Ronaldo was cheered.

Mourinho was booed before the match as his name was announced over the loudspeaker. Days earlier, as Madrid sought a comeback of epic proportions in their Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Borussia Dortmund, the Real fans had got behind their coach and applauded as his name was read out. Not now.

This time, jeers emanated from around the ground. Tuesday’s Champions League exit had come with dignity and fight as Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0 to lose out by a single goal, but the 50-year-old’s pre-match press conference on Friday had seen him take another swipe at idol Iker Casillas, praise Barcelona and laud his own Champions League record of three straight semi-finals, even though he had been signed to claim La Decima. The Santiago Bernabeu, it seems, has had enough of Mourinho.

After the match, Pepe told Canal Plus that Mourinho (who had claimed he should have signed goalkeeper Diego Lopez following his first season at the club instead of this January after Iker’s injury) should show more respect to the club captain. “The boss’s quotes were not the most suitable,” he said. “Iker is an institution at Real Madrid and in Spain.”

Such a view may be largely held among Madrid fans and even the players themselves, yet Pepe remained a surprising source. He is a man who shares an agent (Jorge Mendes) with Mourinho, a player so staunchly defended by his coach and almost a flagbearer for the team in the light of the Champions League exit against Barcelona in 2011 (in which he was sent off), an ally amid difficult times and a footballer tipped to follow his boss to Chelsea in the summer. That seems unlikely now.

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Mendes claimed earlier this week that Mourinho’s move to Chelsea was “80 per cent done” and the Portuguese’s time at Madrid now looks to be approaching a less-than-happy ending. Real’s win on Saturday, however, means the capital club have picked up an impressive 40 points in 15 matches since ending the first half of the campaign (19 games) with only 37. The improvement has been tangible, yet it is too little, too late in the Primera Division.

The victory meant Barcelona cannot now win La Liga this weekend, even if the Catalans beat Betis on Sunday at Camp Nou. A win for Tito Vilanova’s team will see the Blaugrana move 11 points clear, however, with four games to play. For Barca, the title is now imminent. For Mourinho, the exit door looms larger. And for Madrid, the future is now somewhat uncertain.

Key to that future, though, must be Ronaldo. Clearly not fully fit on Tuesday, the forward had been expected to miss the match against Valladolid or at least start on the bench, but he was in the line-up and netted two excellent headers to take his tally for the season 53 and move to within one goal of 200 strikes for the Spanish side in less than four full seasons.

So whatever happens in the summer, Madrid must move quickly (as president Florentino Perez has said they will) to make sure Cristiano puts pen to paper on a new deal to be part of the club’s next sporting project. Mourinho may soon be the past, but Ronaldo represents the future at the Bernabeu.

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The manager has praised the club’s owners the Glazers, insisting that he will continue to be backed in the transfer market if he identifies a player who could improve the squad

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is anticipating a significant arrival this summer after admitting “everything is in place for a big signing”.

The Red Devils secured the title with five games remaining and currently sit 13 points clear of close rivals and last season’s champions Manchester City.

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski is top of the coach’s wish-list, while a move for Tottenham star Gareth Bale and a shock return to Old Trafford for Cristiano Ronaldo have also been mooted.

“Everything is in place for a big signing. I think that the Glazers have been great. Whenever I have asked, they have delivered. If I ask to go for a certain player, I think they will do that,” Ferguson is quoted as saying by The Daily Mirror.

“When I spoke about value in the market a while back, I was talking about young, developing players. Maybe there has been a wind of change and I could go for a really top player now. We have a nucleus of young players here, but we may spend something.

“When it’s a top player, it doesn’t matter what position they play in. I will bring them in if they add to the team. Last season we had [Javier] Hernandez, [Danny] Welbeck and [Wayne] Rooney and we still went out and bought Robin van Persie.”

The purchase of Van Persie went against the policy of a “nucleus of young players” at Old Trafford, and Ferguson admitted the deal to bring the striker from Arsenal was heavily discussed following similar, but less successful moves in the past.

“Van Persie’s age was ­certainly an issue ­because it has not always worked when we have bought older players,” he continued.

“David Gill said to me after we bought Dimitar Berbatov [from Tottenham for £30 million] that we had to be careful when signing older players, but Van Persie was ­different. He was phenomenal for Arsenal last season and so I was confident it would work.”

Despite the potential arrival of new strikers, Rooney’s future at Old Trafford looks assured as he is set to be offered a new four-year deal at the club.

The Spaniard dismissed the significance of the Portuguese’s remarks, after the coach revealed he wished he had signed Diego Lopez sooner

Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka shrugged off boos aimed at Jose Mourinho during Saturday’s 4-3 win over Valladolid and insisted that the training staff must respect the supporters’ opinions.

Goals from Angel Di Maria, Kaka and a Cristiano Ronaldo double saw off the visitors in a gripping encounter but, though the Blancos boss was jeered and Iker Casillas cheered in the pre-match line-up announcement, Karanka moved to quell any controversy.

“You have to respect the jeers for the coach, as I said after what happened in Dortmund. For the last three years, we have done our work, which people can like more or less. I respect them,” he told reporters after the victory.

“The reason we didn’t come out into the technical zone is because we believed there wasn’t anything worth saying. What there was to say, we discussed in the dressing room.”

The win was overshadowed by Pepe’s claims Casillas had been disrespected, however, after Mourinho said on Friday that he wished January signing Diego Lopez had arrived earlier.

“I haven’t heard what Pepe said but, if he said that there has been a lack of respect towards Iker, at no moment have we disrespected anyone,” the 39-year-old continued.

“It would be a lack of respect to 25 team-mates if you selected someone who was not in a condition to play. The lack of respect would have been to select a player who wasn’t right, instead of another.

“It is not that Mourinho regrets it [not signing Diego Lopez after his first year], but his signing was requested and the club did not accept it.

“It is said that the coach has so much power, but it can’t be so if a player is requested and the club don’t bring him in.”

Madrid’s victory over Valladolid means Barcelona will not be able to lift the Liga title on Sunday, even if they beat Betis.

The Spaniard dismissed the significance of the Portuguese’s remarks, after the coach revealed he wished he had signed Diego Lopez sooner

Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka is adamant Jose Mourinho’s comments about Iker Casillas were taken in the wrong context, following Saturday’s 4-3 win over Valladolid.

Goals from Angel Di Maria, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo’s double saw off the visitors in a gripping encounter, but the win was overshadowed by Pepe’s claims Casillas had been disrespected.

The criticism was derived from statements Mourinho made on Friday, where he declared he wished January signing Diego Lopez, who has since become first choice between the posts, had arrived earlier.

“I haven’t heard what Pepe said but, if he said that there has been a lack of respect towards Iker, at no moment have we disrespected anyone,” the 39-year-old announced after the match.

“It would be a lack of respect to 25 team-mates if you selected someone who was not in a condition to play. The lack of respect would have been to select a player who wasn’t right, instead of another.

“It is not that Mourinho regrets it [not signing Diego Lopez after his first year], but his signing was requested and the club did not accept it.

“It is said that the coach has so much power, but it can’t be so if a player is requested and the club don’t bring him in.”

Mourinho had already been jeered – while Casillas was cheered – before the match as the line-ups were being announced, but Karanka moved yet again to quell the controversy.

“You have to respect the jeers for the coach, as I said after what happened in Dortmund. For the last three years, we have done our work, which people can like more or less. I respect them,” he continued.

“The reason we didn’t come out into the technical zone is because we believed there wasn’t anything worth saying. What there was to say, we discussed in the dressing room.”

Madrid’s victory over Valladolid means Barcelona will not be able to lift the Liga title on Sunday, even if they beat Betis.