LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[kiat_gamay]

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Real deny Figo offer

Real Madrid have denied receiving an offer from Liverpool for Luis Figo, but confirmed that there have been talks between the two clubs.


Figo's agent has claimed that a deal has already been struck between the player and Liverpool.

"Real Madrid have not received an official offer from Liverpool for Luis Figo," said Garcia-Ferreras.

"It's true that Luis Figo or his agent have been holding talks with Liverpool but there has been no offer for Figo from Liverpool."

However, a stumbling block was thought to be Real's insistence on receiving a £2 million fee for the Portuguese international.

It is also being reported that Figo is willing to take a salary cut to facilitate the move, but the fee may still present a problem for Liverpool.

[kiat_gamay]

Owen keen to stay in Madrid

Owen's future in the Spanish capital has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks, especially since Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo admitted he would like to sign Brazilian striker Robinho.

Manchester United and Chelsea are both thought to be interested in Owen, but the England striker insists he has no plans to quit Madrid.

"Look, I've heard all the stories and speculation all summe,r but I don't know where they come from," said Owen.

"I've never wanted to leave Real Madrid and it was encouraging to hear (director of football) Arrigo Sacchi say that I am an important part of his plans this season."

Owen also laughed off claims that he was about to join Chelsea after reportedly going house hunting in London.

"One day, they will get it right," added Owen. "It was funny, when I was supposed to be looking at houses near the Chelsea training ground, I was actually at Alton Towers with my family."

[kiat_gamay]

Real Madrid tour itinerary

MADRID, July 14 (Reuters) - Itinerary for Real Madrid's tour of the United States and Asia:

July 14 - Depart from Madrid, arrive in Chicago

July 16 - Game v Chivas Guadalajara of Mexico in ChicagoÂ*

July 17 - Arrive in Los Angeles

July 18 - Game v Los Angeles Galaxy

July 19 - Arrive in Beijing

July 23 - Game v Beijing Gouan

July 24 - Arrive in Tokyo

July 25 - Game v Tokyo Verdy

July 27 - Game v Jubilo Iwata

July 28 - Arrive in Bangkok

July 29 - Game v Thai All Stars

July 30 - Return to MadridÂ*

[kiat_gamay]

Real loan midfielder Borja to Mallorca

MADRID, July 13 (Reuters) - Real Madrid have loaned Borja Fernandez to Real Mallorca for a season and extended the contracts of former youth team players Alvaro Arbeloa, Ruben de la Red and Diego Lopez.

Borja, a versatile midfielder, will not be allowed to play against his former club during his stint with the islanders.


Real players on loan have frequently produced match-winning performances against them and they have therefore decided to put a restrictive clause in deals they strike with other clubs.

Borja, 24, made eight league appearances for Real last season but the recent signing of Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Garcia has extinguished his chances of first team football at the club.

Mallorca, who are coached by Hector Cuper, looked destined for the drop for much of last season but rallied to finish two points above the relegation zone.

Right back Arbeloa, midfielder De la Red and goalkeeper Lopez, who were all under contract until 2007, have extended their deals with Real until 2009.

The trio will join fellow former youth team players Juanfran, Roberto Soldado and Jose Manuel Jurado on Real's tour of the United States, China, Japan and Thailand, which begins on Thursday.

[raul julia]

thanks kiat-gamay for your updates.........

[raul julia]

Two of soccer's best teams went at it, keeping it close until the final minutes. In the end, Real Madrid was just a little better than Chivas Guadalajara.
Jose Maria Gutierrez got the tiebreaking goal in the 88th minute and Roberto Soldado added a score during injury time to lead nine-time European club champion Real to a 3-1 victory before 54,432 at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
Gutierrez took a header from Roberto Soldado and scored from about 20 yards out to break a 1-1 tie. Later, Raul Bravo passed upfield to Soldado who sent a shot into the left side just before the final horn sounded.
``Chivas played very strong today,'' Real midfielder Thomas Gravesen said. ``They were technically strong. In the end, I think they ran out of steam.''
The match was Real's first on a world exhibition tour that includes a match against MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy at Carson, Calif., on Monday. Real will then head to Beijing, Tokyo and Bangkok.
Chivas, a 10-time Mexican division champion, scored the game's first goal when Francisco Palencia converted Jhonny Garcia's centering pass from the corner in the 73rd minute.
David Beckham lofted a free kick over four defenders to Alvaro Mejia for a header that tied it in the 78th minute.
Both teams missed chances earlier in the game. Real's Michael Owen hit the crossbar in the 43rd minute, and Chivas' Juan Pablo Alfaro missed from 15 yards out in the 58th.
Palencia's header from close range in the 70th minute sailed to the left, and Real goalie Iker Casillas stopped a rushing Rafael Medina one minute later.
Real isn't exactly in midseason shape. The team had five practices before this match, and it hasn't won a championship in two years.
``To go two years without winning anything is a big drought for Real Madrid,'' Beckham said.
This was a good start for Real.
``Just what we needed,'' Beckham said.
Now, the attention turns to Los Angeles, where Beckham finds himself in the center of a subplot. He has expressed an interest in playing Major League Soccer at some point -- specifically for the Galaxy.
After Saturday's game, Beckham made it clear he's happy with Real ... and, yes, he is open to the idea of playing in the U.S. some time down the road.
``I had that three weeks ago,'' Beckham said about a possible wave of questions. ``I had a lot of questions about when I was going to come over, if I was going to come over and play. I said I'm happy with Real Madrid at the moment. I've got a few years left on my contract, but you can never tell what's going to happen in the future. And MLS does interest me a lot.''
For now, he and his teammates are doing their part to raise interest in the sport. That's what this tour is about, they said -- promoting soccer while preparing for the season.
``Soccer is a game that has caught the imagination of a lot of youngsters,'' Owen said. ``The World Cup helped. the next stage is to have a really, really competitive league (in the U.S.) that can compete with European and South American teams.''

[raul julia]

Real Madrid denied media reports on Monday they had been trying to arrange an exchange deal between Ronaldo and Inter Milan striker Adriano.
"In the light of the reports about a possible deal involving Ronaldo and Adriano Real Madrid would like to reiterate that they will not listen to any offer nor will they negotiate the sale of Ronaldo," read a statement on the club's website.
"The club would like to make it absolutely clear that neither the president (Florentino Perez) nor any representative of the club will consider an offer for the Real Madrid player."
Ronaldo, 28, joined Real for $46.3 million from Inter Milan in 2002 and has been the club's leading scorer in each of the last three seasons. At present he is touring the U.S. States and Asia with Real Madrid.
Although they have denied any interest in Adriano, Real have made no secret of their desire to sign another Brazilian international, Robinho, despite the unwillingness of his club Santos to sell him.
Spanish and English media have been reporting that if Real succeeded in signing the 21-year-old forward they would be willing to sell England striker Michael Owen, but as yet the club has not made any official comment about the former Liverpool player's future.

[raul julia]

Real Madrid players and executives have been pleasantly surprised by the growing support for the Spanish club in the United States.
In Southern California Real as part of its summer tour, Real Madrid is preparing for Monday's exhibition match against the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. The merengue outfit beat Chivas de Guadalajara, 3-1, in Chicago on Saturday.
Among the players stunned by the club's popularity stateside was England captain David Beckham, who is accustomed to moving masses wherever he goes.
"It's incredible, the number of fans that are following us in the United States," Beckham told the club's web site, www.realmadrid.com. "We have seen it in Chicago and now in LA. (Soccer) is one of the most important sports in the world, and in the United States it now has more weight."
Proof of that came when more than 7,000 fans turned up just to watch one of Real Madrid's training sessions, much to the amazement of club captain Raul Gonzalez.
"We are extremely surprised by the fans' support," he said. "In the two cities, we are seeing many fans wearing Real Madrid shirts and that proves the importance of this club in the world."
Former Real star and current vice president Emilio Butragueno believes the team is accomplishing the aims of its summer tour.
"We are only trying to leave a good memory of Real Madrid," he said. "Since 1990, we had not come to LA and the players know the importance of our presence here. They are certainly enjoying the experience.
Although the presence of an international powerhouse such as Real Madrid somewhat obscures American soccer - which already is battling traditional American sports such as baseball and football for attention - Butragueno said MLS welcomed his club's presence.
"Major League Soccer have thanked us," he said. "They were disappointed that other European teams have not done this type of tour.

[kiat_gamay]

Real Madrid 2, Galaxy 0

ARSON, Calif. (AP) -- Michael Owen scored an early goal and goalkeeper Iker Casillas made an acrobatic save to lead Real Madrid to a 2-0 exhibition victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday in front of a sellout crowd of more than 27,000.

Roberto Soldado also scored for Real Madrid, 2-0 record in its preseason six-game tour of North America and Asia.

Owen, a star England's national team, combined with three-time world player of the year Zinedine Zidane to score in the sixth minute.

Jose Maria Gutierrez passed to Zidane, who executed a give-and-go with Owen. Once Zidane got the ball back, Owen ran behind defender Ugo Ihemelu toward the right side of the penalty area.

An unmarked Owen received Zidane's pass, drew goalkeeper Kevin Hartman away from the net and scored on a diagonal shot inside the left post from 8 yards.

Casillas, Spain's starting goalkeeper in the 2002 World Cup, preserved the lead by leaping in front of the left post to catch Jovan Kirovski's 31-yard free kick in the 52nd minute.

Soldado, who entered the game in the 70th minute, ended the scoring in the 75th minute with a 21-yard shot inside the left post.


Owen, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul Gonzalez and David Beckham all started, with Beckham receiving the loudest reception as the starting lineup was introduced.

Luis Figo replaced Beckham in the 61st minute. Ronaldo dressed for the game but did not play.

The Galaxy played without leading scorer Landon Donovan, who is with the U.S. national team for Thursday night's semifinal against Honduras in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Real Madrid will continue its tour with a match in Beijing on Saturday. The club will then play twice in Japan and once in Thailand.

[kiat_gamay]

Real Madrid's popularity growing among Americans

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - Real Madrid players and executives have been pleasantly surprised by the growing support for the Spanish club in the United States.

In Southern California Real as part of its summer tour, Real Madrid is preparing for Monday's exhibition match against the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. The merengue outfit beat Chivas de Guadalajara, 3-1, in Chicago on Saturday.

Among the players stunned by the club's popularity stateside was England captain David Beckham, who is accustomed to moving masses wherever he goes.

"It's incredible, the number of fans that are following us in the United States," Beckham told the club's web site, www.realmadrid.com. "We have seen it in Chicago and now in LA. (Soccer) is one of the most important sports in the world, and in the United States it now has more weight."

Proof of that came when more than 7,000 fans turned up just to watch one of Real Madrid's training sessions, much to the amazement of club captain Raul Gonzalez.

"We are extremely surprised by the fans' support," he said. "In the two cities, we are seeing many fans wearing Real Madrid shirts and that proves the importance of this club in the world."

Former Real star and current vice president Emilio Butragueno believes the team is accomplishing the aims of its summer tour.

"We are only trying to leave a good memory of Real Madrid," he said. "Since 1990, we had not come to LA and the players know the importance of our presence here. They are certainly enjoying the experience.

Although the presence of an international powerhouse such as Real Madrid somewhat obscures American soccer - which already is battling traditional American sports such as baseball and football for attention - Butragueno said MLS welcomed his club's presence.

"Major League Soccer have thanked us," he said. "They were disappointed that other European teams have not done this type of tour."