LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[raul julia]

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That will be Capello's decision.....Guti is there, newly acquired Emerson is a midfielder, Pablo Garcia, and lots more.....I think there will be no problem in replacing Zidane....

[raul julia]

MADRID, July 22 (Reuters) - Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has said he is looking forward to the challenge of helping Real Madrid get back to winning ways next season.
"I can't understand how a team as big as Real have not won a title for so long (three years)," Cannavaro told the Spanish sports daily Marca on Saturday.
"They are the biggest and the best and will return to being winners. I have signed for them to win things and to help Real be even bigger."
On Wednesday the Primera Liga club said they had agreed a deal with Juventus for the 32-year-old centre-back and his Brazilian teammate Emerson.
"Real are the type of club where you are expected- to win every game. For a player who wants to be the best it is stimulating to feel the pressure to defend their interests," he said.
Cannavaro will link up with his former coach at Juventus, Fabio Capello, who swapped Turin for Madrid earlier this month.
"He is a demanding coach who is always looking to be the best," he said.
"He has the experience and know how to turn a team into champions. It is good we have him but we will have to work hard because it won't be easy."
Cannavaro's presentation is being planned for Wednesday.
Real's Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos is expected to resolve his future with the club early next week with Spanish media putting Olympique Lyon's French international Eric Abidal in the frame as a potential replacement if he leaves.

[raul julia]

MADRID (AFP) - Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy put an end to the long-running saga over his future when he signed a three-year deal with Real Madrid, the Spanish club's official website reported.

The 30-year-old, who is set to join Real from English Premiership club Manchester United, will undergo a medical on Friday and is expected to be presented at the Palco de Honor at the Bernabeu stadium.
Real, who had two previous bids for the Holland international turned down, refused to divulge the cost of the deal but earlier Thursday AS newspaper and radio Cadena Ser both reported that United would receive 15 million euros.
United confirmed van Nistelrooy has been allowed to travel to Spain but said negotiations over the transfer fee were still on-going.
The statement said: "We have given permission for Ruud van Nistelrooy to travel to Real Madrid for a medical. But the terms of agreement are yet to be finalised between the two clubs."
Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals for United and is the club's all-time leading European goal-scorer, had also been targeted by German champions Bayern Munich, but the chance to join one of the world's most famous clubs proved too difficult to resist.
His departure from Old Trafford seemed certain from the moment he fell out with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after a lacklustre display in an FA Cup defeat at Liverpool in February.
The former PSV Eindhoven star, who joined United in 2001 and helped them win the Premiership in 2003, was dropped soon afterwards and his relationship with Ferguson deteriorated to such an extent that the striker walked out of Old Trafford after being told he would not be in the team to play Charlton in May.
Ferguson reacted by telling van Nistelrooy he would not be welcome at Roy Keane's testimonial later that month and the Dutchman handed in a transfer request after this summer's World Cup.
Van Nistelrooy's arrival at the Bernabeu could also signal the departure of Brazil striker Ronaldo, who has been linked with a swap deal for Inter Milan's Adriano.
Real manager Fabio Capello has been able to make a big impact in the transfer market since his arrival from Juventus earlier this month and had already splashed out on Juve duo Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson before capturing van Nistelrooy.

[raul julia]

MADRID, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has said he would be delighted if his club can reach an agreement with Arsenal to sign Spain forward Jose Antonio Reyes.

"In my view he is a good player," the Italian was quoted as saying in Spanish daily El Pais on Thursday. "He is Spanish and that is important too and has to be taken into account.
"I know him well especially from when he played against Juventus (in the Champions League) last season."
Spanish media reported that Real's sporting director Predrag Mijatovic was in England to negotiate the purchase of the player but that the two clubs had not yet reached agreement over his value.
Real are said to be prepared to offer between 15 and 18 million euros, while Arsenal are reported to want over 20 million ($25.77 million). Reyes joined Arsenal for a club record fee of around 17 million pounds ($32.43 million) in January 2004.
The 22-year-old, who has made no secret of his desire to sign for Real, was left on the bench for Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday because manager Arsene Wenger believed he had been distracted by the speculation about his future.
Wenger has said he is confident that Reyes will remain at Arsenal, but the player has made it clear that he wants to leave.
"I have told the club what I think and I hope that everything will be sorted out as soon as possible," he told sports daily Marca on Thursday. My family also want to return to Spain."

[fingolfin]

Capello wants Reyes. While the president dreams of KaKa.

[raul julia]

LYON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon have agreed to let Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra join Real Madrid, the five-times French champions said on Friday.

The clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee and Diarra will move providing he agrees personal terms, said a Lyon spokesman.
Diarra is expected in Madrid at the weekend to sort out the final details.
Real president Ramon Calderon told Spain's Radio Marca his club had agreed to buy the 25-year-old.
Marca said Real would pay around 25 million euros ($32.09 million) for the holding midfielder, who joined Lyon in 2002 from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem and won the last four Ligue 1 titles with the club.
Earlier this week, Calderon said new coach Fabio Capello had asked the club to focus on recruiting Diarra.
Diarra was quoted as saying in French sports daily L'Equipe on Wednesday that he wanted to join Real and was prepared to consider going on strike to force the deal through.
"An offer from a club like Real Madrid happens once in your career," he said.
If the deal goes through, Diarra will become the fourth player to join the club since Calderon was elected president last month.

[fingolfin]

... so, to recap Madrid's squad. We have:

RONALDO, Raul, Ruud, Cassano, Robinho as forwards

Beckham, Emerson, Baptista, Guti, Diarra, Pablo Garcia on Mid-field

Cicinho, Salgado, Raul Bravo, Helguera, Woodgate, Pavon, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos, Ramos on Defense


.. there have been rumours that they will sell Guti, it's heresy to sell Guti, he is the vice captain. Baptista should go and they should haggle Reyes to come to Madrid. If Arsenal wants 20 Mil for Reyes then they should pay. Antonio already stated his interests in coming to Real. I've read one article of Calderon stating his disgust on Perez's regime and that silly five coach changes in three years. Calderon puts all his faith Capello. And as far as we've seen Capello made very good signings. Dedicated players on their respective positions. Cannavaro and Emerson will likely be the new "leaders" in madrid, dictating the defense. Capello only got one attacking player ( Ruud ) the three are of defense oriented.

[K|D]

finally, negotiations for ronaldo to be traded.... he was never the same after the knee injuries... As i said, Kaka's the new man to watch..

[Baidudeparechong]

When does the Primera Liga begin? I can't wait to see how Capello's team turn out. It's about time they got a decent central defender. For the past years, although Real have a good attack, they seemed to have a big hole in the middle of defense after Hierro left. Helguera has very big shoes to fill and putting players like Raul Bravo or Pavon who lack experience was not very convincing.

[kimex]

Kaluoy sa Man U karon...wala na ila best players... GO REAL...