Real Madrid News

The Barcelona boss has praised his side for equalling La Liga’s record points tally but feels they would have thrived under pressure from Real Madrid

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova believes his side “fell short” last season because of a lack of credible competition in La Liga.

The Blaugrana amassed a record-equalling 100-point tally, winning back their title from Real Madrid having led the table for the entire campaign.

And the 44-year-old feels that a better title challenge from the capital club would have helped them, but praised his side for reaching their century despite the lack of pressure.

“We fell short,” he is quoted as saying by AS.

“The difficulty is that we didn’t have pressure on us for more time. The year that Madrid got 100 points, we got 91.

“When we got 99, Madrid had 96. Once we were Liga champions, it would be normal to have lost a game and not reach 100 points.

“This clearly demonstrates the competitive spirit of the team.”

Barca got their campaign under way with a 5-1 victory over Real Sociedad and Vilanova believes this was key to the players accepting him as Pep Guardiola’s replacement.

He added: “It was very important and it was very difficult. Until that moment, the players had seen me as the assistant coach and they accepted me as the main man.”

The Spanish right-back believes he and the 31-year-old will get over their problems in time but admits they are now on strictly professional terms

Real Madrid and Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa has admitted that his relationship with club and international captain Iker Casillas has become strained.

The 30-year-old was one of Jose Mourinho’s fiercest allies in the Blancos dressing room, while the Portuguese coach had a well-publicised row with the legendary goalkeeper.

And Arbeloa insists that he and his skipper will get over their problems in time but claims the former Inter coach cannot be blamed for anything.

“It is clear. Maybe Casillas and I no longer have the unity we used to have but it is still a professional relationship,” he told Cope.

“Someday, it will get better with Casillas. We’ll get together and say what we have to say to each other face to face.

“The problems between two people are between two people – not with a third. It seems sacrilege to speak well of Mourinho, but I do it from having worked of him every day.

“The Real Madrid dressing room cannot be a nursery.”

Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has been strongly linked with a move to replace Mourinho and Arbeloa has been impressed with the Italian’s career to date.

The defender added: “Carlo Ancelotti has done well with every club at which he has been. If he comes, I’d be delighted of course.”

The Spain Under-20 prospect has voiced his admiration for the Portugal star and is hopeful of breaking into the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu next season

Real Madrid youngster Jese Rodriguez admits he is enjoying comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, while revealing his determination to become a household name for los Blancos.

The 20-year-old impressed for the club’s Castilla side in 2012-13 as he netted 22 goals in the Segunda Division and he has set his sights on a spot in the first team next season.

“I have liked a lot of players; the Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, but my favourite is Cristiano Ronaldo. I like being compared to him,” the Spain Under-20 star told Marca.

“I love his drive. He never gets tired of scoring goals. He always wants more.

“The club president is happy with me. I hope to reach an agreement and stay at the club. I really want to play in the first-team.”

Jese made his official debut against Ponferradina in 2011-12, but has since been unable to secure regular first team action.

Napoli’s Uruguayan striker is a target for the Premier League’s two richest clubs, but Al Hain-Cole expects him to turn them down in favour of a move to the Spanish capital

After three seasons and over 100 goals, Edinson Cavani seems set to leave Napoli this summer, prompting a transfer scramble among Europe’s biggest clubs.

The Uruguay international is currently playing alongside Luis Suarez at the Confederations Cup, and apparently shares his strike partner’s dream of playing for Real Madrid, who are 11/10 (2.10) favourites with Bet Victor to seal his signature.

With Gonzalo Higuain seemingly on his way out of the Bernabeu, it must be only a matter of time before los Blancos offer the requisite €60 million to bring the Napoli striker to Spain, particularly after rivals Barcelona splashed out on Neymar, and it is worth getting in on those odds now before they drop any lower.

Madrid’s main competitors are to be found in the Premier League, where their former manager Jose Mourinho is available at 7/4 (2.75) to lure the 26-year-old to Chelsea, after already seeing a player-plus-cash bid involving Fernando Torres turned down.

Manchester City’s comparable offer of Edin Dzeko plus €29 million was met with a similar lack of enthusiasm by Aurelio De Laurentiis, and Manuel Pellegrini may have a difficult task on his hands if he is to convince both chairman and player to shun other offers for a move to the Etihad Stadium, at odds of 5/2 (3.50).

Considering the Partenopei’s hefty asking price, it is no surprise to see moneybags Paris Saint Germain in the running, but odds of 40/1 (41.00) suggest that Monaco’s Radamel Falcao will remain French football’s highest profile attacking acquisition this summer.

That same 40/1 (41.00) price is also available on Cavani moving to either Barcelona or Bayern Munich, but having signed Neymar and Mario Gotze in big money moves respectively, neither club have shown much interest in the Uruguayan.

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Manchester United are both on offer at 50/1 (51.00) to gazump their Premier League rivals by completing a shock move for the Napoli man.

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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.

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The Portuguese superstar is in advanced negotiations over a five-year contract that will be the most lucrative in the history of football

EXCLUSIVE
By Ben Hayward & Alberto Pinero

Cristiano Ronaldo is close to agreeing a new contract with Real Madrid which will make him the world’s highest-earning footballer, Goal can reveal.

Madrid are in advanced talks with Ronaldo’s representatives over a deal totalling around €155 million over five years, with the Portuguese forward set to earn €15m annually after tax in what will be the most lucrative contract in the history of the game.

Ronaldo, who has scored 201 goals in just 199 games in his four seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, raised alarm bells on Thursday when he posted a cryptic message on Twitter which read simply: “All the news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false.” Days earlier, however, he revealed his intention to remain at the Spanish side beyond his current contract, which expires in 2015.

After Portugal’s 1-0 win over Russia in a World Cup qualifier last week, Ronaldo said: “I haven’t spoken to anyone yet, [but] I know we will reach an agreement on a new contract. The most important thing now is the national team.” And he also claimed his future has nothing to do with the departure of coach Jose Mourinho. “I am not worried by what Mourinho does; I am concerned with Real Madrid and my future,” he said in May. The pair’s relationship, once excellent, deteriorated in recent months following an angry dispute over a tactical correction made by Mourinho in a game against Valencia in January.

UNITED’S INTEREST VERY REAL

Though it never reached the stage of tabling an official offer, Manchester United’s dream of persuading Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford was and remains a genuine one. A public and private charm offensive kicked off in earnest around the time the Premier League champions drew the Spanish giants in the Champions League last December and reached a crescendo when the prolific Portuguese arrived back on his former stomping round in March and duly scored the decisive goal in the tie. The reception he was afforded that night struck a chord with the player who had felt unloved and unappreciated in the Spanish capital. That he spent time after the match catching up with his former team-mates and speaking so positively of his former employers, to the extent that he appeared to be leaving the door open for a return, gave United’s hierarchy belief they were capable of pulling off an astonishing coup. In truth, however, the stratospheric sums involved were always likely to prove the most significant barrier, alongside Madrid’s reluctance to sell, to a deal being stuck. James Goldman, Goal UK

Ronaldo’s posture has changed after his well-documented ‘sadness’ at the beginning of last season, when he was frustrated at what he perceived to be a lack of public support from the club in the race for the Ballon d’Or, a fall-out with team-mate Marcelo and the club’s apparent unwillingness to discuss a new deal.

Madrid signed Ronaldo from Manchester United in a world-record €94 million deal back in the summer of 2009, following Florentino Perez’s return to the presidency at the capital club. He currently earns around €10m annually after tax.

When Ronaldo arrived, however, the so-called ‘Beckham Law’, which allowed foreigners who had lived in Spain for less than 10 years and who earned above €120,000 per annum to pay a lower tax rate of around 23 per cent and not the usual 45%, was still in force. David Beckham was one of the first to take advantage of the law after his move from Manchester United in 2003.

However, the Spanish government has since scrapped that initiative and a new deal would see Ronaldo required to pay 52% of his salary to the taxman. Hence, Madrid will be faced with an annual outlay close to €31m in order to pay the Portuguese the net €15m he has asked for.

Madrid, however, are aware of the importance of keeping Cristiano. The capital club missed out on Neymar recently, while they look to be frustrated in their pursuit of Dortmund duo Ilkay Gundogan and Robert Lewandowski. Other previous transfer targets, such as Sergio Aguero and Radamel Falcao, will not be arriving either, while Gareth Bale is expensive and unwilling to force a move and Edinson Cavani is considered overpriced by the Madrid board. Ronaldo’s renewal, therefore, assumes even greater importance.

President Perez has already revealed Real’s intention to make the Portuguese the cornerstone of the club’s next sporting project. “I want to build Real Madrid around Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said late last month. “And I want Cristiano to be the best-paid player in the world.”

Madrid are ready to meet Ronaldo’s wage demands and make the Portuguese a higher earner than Lionel Messi, who takes home around €13m before bonuses at Barcelona, and Falcao, who will bring in €14m annually at Monaco. Samuel Eto’o earns €20m per year at Anzhi Makhachkala, although the Cameroonian is on just a three-year deal and his total package will be surpassed by Ronaldo Real contract.

The one sticking point currently is the player’s image rights. Cristiano currently has a 60 per cent share (of which he pays a third to Jorge Mendes’ company Gestifute), while the club keep 40%. The Portuguese is keen to improve that ratio and his recent tweet, as well as news stories leaked to press over a stalemate in negotiations, are thought to be two tactics used in conjunction with Mendes in order to apply pressure on the club. However, both parties are confident an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks.

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