LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[raul julia]

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Raul prepared to leave if not wanted at Real

MADRID, March 16 (Reuters) - Real Madrid captain Raul has said for the first time that he would leave the club if he was deemed surplus to requirements.

"After 11 years here I want what's best for Real Madrid," the 27-year-old told Spanish daily ABC on Wednesday. "If at some time I have to sacrifice myself in order for the team to progress then I will do it.

"If the club calls you up and says that you have to go, then as a player you have to be prepared to look for a way out that will benefit everyone."

Raul has won three European Cups and four league titles with Real but has come in for heavy criticism for his poor form over the past two seasons and some sections of the Spanish media have said he no longer merits a place in the team.

However the Spain international's contract runs until 2010 and he made it clear he wants to stay and fight for his place.

"If I listened to the polls in some papers it looks as though I should leave now," he said. "But I'm certain the club doesn't have the same view as the press. I want to stay here and I believe the club feels the same way.

"No one has gifted me anything at Real, I've earned everything through hard work, effort and a lot of pain. I still feel useful to the club and believe I haven't reached my peak.

"But I don't want to be in the way. All I want is for the club to be clear with me."

Club president Florentino Perez visited the Real Madrid players at training on Wednesday and told a subsequent news conference that he had complete faith in Raul and the present squad of players.

"If 11 months ago everyone was saying that we had the best players in the world, then for the president of this club they remain the best players in the world. We are proud of all the players we have," he said.

"Raul is an extraordinary player and he is our captain. He has been and will remain one of the most important players in the history of this club."

Real are facing the prospect of ending a second successive season without winning a major trophy, something that has not happened for 13 years.

WAVED GOODBYE

They were knocked out of the King's Cup by second division Valladolid in January and were eliminated from the Champions League by Juventus last week.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at modest city rivals Getafe also means they effectively waved goodbye to their chances of winning the league title as they trail leaders Barcelona by 11 points with 10 matches to play.

Raul admitted that he was at a loss to explain why a team that contains Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham had performed so poorly over the last two seasons.

"Collectively we are finding it very difficult to dominate our opponents, to keep the ball and to create chances," he said.

"It's difficult to understand why we don't dominate games with the players we've got. It's clear the team is not performing at its maximum level, isn't winning trophies and need to look for solutions."

[Von!-x]

Raul is right! This is the same question the fans of REal Madrid kept asking for the last two years! We thought there was some coaching problems out there!

[raul julia]

Draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League made
on Friday:

Quarter-final draw

Tuesday, April 5 (1945 GMT)
Liverpool (England) v Juventus (Italy)
Olympique Lyon (France) v PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

(Reverse fixtures Wednesday, April 13)

Wednesday, April 6 (1945 GMT)
AC Milan (Italy) v Inter Milan (Italy)
Chelsea (England) v Bayern Munich (Germany)

(Reverse fixtures Tuesday, April 12)

Semi-final draw
Chelsea (England) or Bayern Munich (Germany) v Liverpool
(England) or Juventus (Italy)
AC Milan (Italy) or Inter Milan (Italy) v Olympique Lyon
(France) or PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

Semi-finals first leg matches to be played April 26 and 27,
second leg, May 3 and 4

Final: May 25, Istanbul

[Von!-x]

Hey, if given the chance to rebuild Real Madrid, who would buy and sell? your coach?

[K|D]

Hey, if given the chance to rebuild Real Madrid, who would buy and sell? your coach?

Buy Van Nistelrooy or Henry or Ronaldinho -Sell Ronaldo he's slackin' a bit
Buy Schevcenko or Cisse - Zidane getting old
And get Diouf (hihi) to make things interesting - like Rodman was to the Bulls
Get Murinho
Leave Raul he's the soul of the team

[raul julia]

i think they'll have to get rid of ronaldo, and buy another striker, preferably a tall one, who is strong in the air......and they should start Solari up left, he's creating a havoc for other teams right fullback......and maybe sell also Figo or Beckham but keep Zidane......

[raul julia]

Real Madrid made up some ground on Barcelona in the Spanish title race with a 1-0 victory over Malaga thanks to a second-half goal by Roberto Carlos.
Barcelona's 1-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday night put them a massive 14 points ahead but Madrid, looking set for a second successive season without silverware, are now just 11 points in arrears in second.
The three points eased the pressure on Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo because the 29-times Spanish champions had only earned four points in their previous five fixtures.
After an uneventful first half, Madrid went ahead thanks to the superb left foot of Roberto Carlos, who, fed by Zidane, found the net from fully 25 metres with half an hour to go.

[raul julia]

David Beckham suggested he could leave Real Madrid and return to England, having become upset with photographers who take pictures of his young children at school.
``I've made people well aware of what I get upset with in Spain is the paparazzi, but I've had a couple of incidents happen in the last two weeks which have really made me sit back and think,'' Beckham said.
Beckham -- the England team captain, fashion icon and marketing giant -- joined Real Madrid in a transfer from Manchester United. He lives in the Spanish capital with his wife, Victoria, and their sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.
``I believe that when my children go to school or nursery, they should be left alone, but they're not,'' Beckham said. ``And that's become a problem. ... When they are on their own at their school, nursery or football school, then it is crossing the line and I don't know what to do.''
Real Madrid has not won a trophy in Beckham's two seasons, and coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo is under pressure to shake up the team. Luxemburgo this week called Beckham the hardest-working player on the team.

[raul julia]

Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes already has one foot in Real Madrid's door, according to press reports which say the unsettled Gunner could join the Madrid giants at the end of June.
According to Spanish sports daily Marca an agreement is in the pipeline after Reyes' agent, Jesus Rodriguez de Moya, held separate talks with Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and with Real president Florentino Perez.
Marca also insisted that England striker Michael Owen could become a factor in any deal involving Reyes' departure from Highbury, although that suggestion has already been denied by Real in mid February.
"Real Madrid do not envisage an exchange between Michael Owen and Jose Antonio Reyes," said a statement on the Real website on February 12.
"Real Madrid are satisfied with the work of the English player. There have been no contacts from agents nor Arsenal with Real Madrid."
Spanish first division side Sevilla sold Reyes to Arsenal for 35 million euros in January 2004, but just over a year into his four and a half year contract the player is believed to be homesick in London.
Owen joined Real from Liverpool for 12 million euros last summer but has struggled to become a regular starter at the Bernabeu.

[K|D]

did you guys see the world cup qualifying games this week? Man! England is looking good in their match against N. Ireland.... And Brazil (esp. Ronaldo) is still slackin' although their on top of their group....