Fabio Coentrao: New Real Madrid Player

Coentrao dreamed since he was 13, when he worked as a painter for a living, with yesterday day. He will play at the Bernabeu Stadium the next six seasons. The Portuguese became the fifth signing by Mourinho for 2011-2012 season (Sahin, Callejon, Altintop and Varane) after the white club agreed to pay the 30 million euro demanded by Benfica. Real Madrid has spent until now 55 million euros in reinforcements.

Fabio Coentrao and Florentino Perez

Fabio has lived an odyssey since last June 7 when confessed his desire to join Real Madrid. Luis Filipe Vieira, president of the Lisbon club, did not consent to negotiate the transfer of Coentrao including white players to lower the transfer. And until yesterday morning when Real Madrid did not confirm the disbursement of 30 million, Benfica did not want to accept the transfer of the player, who had been declared in default the day before because his club claimed transfer him to Chelsea.

Early in the afternoon, the Lisbon club informed the National Stock Exchange of Portugal the transfer of the player, which is required by its going public. From that moment, Coentrao recovered the smile. He arrived at the Bernabeu, he signed his contract until 2017, saw the nine European Cups, spoke with Florentino and had lunch at a popular restaurant in Madrid.

The other side is Garay. The Argentine woke up yesterday with several messages on his cellphone. Madrid and Benfica had agreed to his transfer, but the player does not want to leave Spain. The white club would sell 50% of the defender's pass to Benfica by six million euros. The following season (2012-2013), the Portuguese club could acquire the other 50% by another six million. If Garay does not agree to sign for Benfica, Real Madrid will offer Drenthe, a very valued player in Lisbon.

Nuri Sahin is training at Valdebebas Sports City

Sahin was training yesterday at Valdebebas Sports City for the first time since joining Real Madrid. The player with Turkish origin came to training center in the morning and he could see the facilities and was very satisfied with what will be his workplace during the next six seasons.

The Turkish international was training alone for an hour and a half, and the positive note for Madrid is that he did not feel any discomfort in the knee he injured last April 17 in the match against Freiburg. Sahin will continue work during this week to forget the months of inactivity. He wants to catch up physically to be able to keep pace with his peers from the beginning of the preseason (on July 11).

Nuri Sahin at Valdebebas Sports City

After training in Valdebebas, Sahin went with his girlfriend and some family members to his new home to begin preparations for the move. The idea of the player is to have all prepared in the new home before traveling on July 11 to the U.S.A. with the team to the preseason stage. Thus, he could start the season only focused on football.

After finalizing the details of his new home, he moved to Mirasierra Suites Hotel, where he is now staying. Sahin just not made ​​statements to the media waiting for him, but expressed his happiness to be already in the capital of Spain: "I am happy in Madrid. Thank you". His family also declined to talk. His father just showed the satisfaction that them live in the beginning of this new stage: "This is great. Real Madrid is best team in the world".

The Sahin's next step will be to meet Mourinho, but will have to wait until the coach returns from vacation this weekend. Varane and Callejon will be the next Real Madrid signings to train at Valdebebas Sports City. Both will arrive in Madrid in the coming days.

Coentrao: Agreement between Benfica and Real Madrid

The signing of Coentrao that seemed stalled a week ago, was revived yesterday after the trip of the left side and Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira to Madrid, and seems imminent. Real Madrid and Benfica have approached positions this morning in the negotiation and the signing can be confirmed in the coming hours. In fact, Portugal take for granted the transfer of the player to the white team. Daily 'A Bola' has titled: "Coentrao already a player of Real Madrid", although there is no official confirmation from both clubs.

According to the Portuguese newspaper, Coentrao would have already signed the contract for the next five seasons with the white club. Does not disclose the economic quantities of the transfer but the operation would include the Argentine central defender Ezequiel Garay. In the negotiation are present: Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president, Luis Filipe Vieira, president of Benfica, Jose Angel Sanchez, general manager of Real Madrid, Jorge Mendes, Fabio Coentrao's agent and the player himself.

The incorporation of Coentrao ends one of the first 'soap operas' of the football summer. Following the great interest of Chelsea and problems with coach Jorge Jesus, it seems that the player can make his dream of playing for Real Madrid, with his friends Carvalho, Cristiano, Pepe and his favorite coach, Jose Mourinho.

Fabio Coentrao in Madrid

Coentrao does not travel to Switzerland with Benfica

Fabio Coentrao has not traveled to the preseason stage of Benfica in Nyon (Switzerland), according to the daily 'Record'. Benfica's workforce traveled at 11.30 to Switzerland, where they will make ​​a training stage for 13 days, without the Portuguese international. Coentrao will continue training in Lisbon, after finished last season he made ​​public his desire to leave Benfica and sign for Real Madrid and working with his compatriot Jose Mourinho.

Fabio Coentrao

Coentrao and his agents believe that this week will be crucial to a deal that takes around since May. All hopes are set on Mourinho, to unclog the operation of his coming to Real Madrid and can be incorporated to the white team as soon as possible. Coentrao is optimistic and does not rule to arrive on July 11 in Valdebebas and travel to Los Angeles.

Coentrao is uncomfortable training with Benfica when it looks that soon will be with Mourinho. Even on Sunday, a Portuguese newspaper reported a clash between Coentrao and Benfica coach, which related to the player's desire to force his departure from Benfica. According to 'Correio da Manha', the left side was involved in a dialectical clash with his coach, Jorge Jesus, in the last training and the player was ejected.

In addition, Chelsea would have improved its offer for Coentrao, adding the Serb Slobodan Rajkovic to the offer of 30 million euro that had already made. Rajkovic is a central defender whose market valuation is about 2.5 million euro, and has been loaned successively at OFK Belgrade, PSV, Twente and Vitesse.

Nuri Sahin: 100 balls and 10 million euro

Meinerzhagen is a town of 22,000 people, located in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Nuri Sahin (1988) grew with his parents and brother, Ufuk. During the harsh winter, while German children dreamed of jump off the ski jump of the town (38-meter ramp), Nuri had eyes only for football. He arrived at his first team, Meinerzhagen RSV 1921, at six years old, a club which currently has 14 teams.

The club president Winfried Hösel, keeps a photo of 1998 when the Real Madrid player was wearing the blue shirt of RSV Meinerzhagen: "We have no trophy room, but in the bar along with several scarfs, flags and medals we look with pride the photo that Nuri Sahin signed to us some years ago", recounts Hösel.

Mr. Maikranz and Nuri Sahin

His first coach was Mr. Maikranz who is still working in the club: "From day one I knew he would play in the best teams! He was always the best in all categories. The pain came when Borussia signed him. We get 100 balls and a lot of jerseys", he recalls. Sahin played from 1994 to 2001 in the RSV Meinerzhagen until he signed for Borussia. Just four years later, the Turkish-German became the youngest player to debut in the Bundesliga with 16 years and 335 days.

Ufuk Sahin (1986) is the older brother of Nuri and plays in the first team of Meinerzhagen: "When we were kids, he was the star of my team, despite being younger than us. I hope the same will happen in the Real Madrid". Real Madrid paid 10 million euros.

Chelsea wants to sign Pepe

Andre Villas-Boas wants to repeat at Chelsea his spectacular first year at Porto, with which he won three titles. He is designing his template and has more than enough millions euros to do it. Wants the best from each team, and has set his sights on the Real Madrid defender. He wants to sign Pepe right now, for playing in the defense and as midfielder. He wants Pepe becomes the strong man of the English team and is willing to pay the high salary that Real Madrid has been denying to the player for months.

When last season ended, Pepe left with practically closed renewal (four years and four million net per season) but in the absence of signature, as himself confirmed in an interview. Abrahamovich is willing to offer 5 million euro annually that the player requested at the beggining of negotiations to renew with Real Madrid, with a five seasons contract period.

Pepe

Note: Pablo Sarabia signs for Getafe

Real Madrid has officially announced the departure of Pablo Sarabia. In a brief statement the white club reports that has reached an agreement for the transfer with Getafe, and reserves the right to buy back the player.

Pablo Sarabia

It was an open secret for some days that Getafe would be the new destination of one of the most promising jewels of the 'Factory' in recent years. Last Friday Spanish media reported a preliminary agreement by which the player would be 'Blue' in exchange for three million euros, although the white club, as is the practice with the most promising youth players, saves the option of buy back.

This sale has already been under the direct supervision of Mourinho, as manager of the youth squads, and though the Portuguese at first wanted that Sarabia plays for a team that allows him to play many minutes and play European competition this season, has finally agreed to the desire of the player; to stay in the capital of Spain.