Zidane: The elegance of a plain hero

The sporting life of the former player of Real Madrid and French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has been represented in the book "The elegance of a plain hero", launched at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. A book that in the opinion of president Florentino Perez, portrays a player "essential" in the club's history.

Zidane: The elegance of a plain hero

"The white heroes are our players, are the main protagonists of the myth of Real Madrid.The story needs to be strengthened each season. Zidane magnified to Real Madrid, with his class, talent and touch to the ball, unforgettable for those who saw him play. Being president of Real Madrid is accumulated joys and sorrows. Satisfaction days are those days of the signing of Zidane", said Florentino Perez.

Zidane was grateful for having been the subject of a biographical work and for having played for Real Madrid: "I want to thank the President for bringing me to Madrid. It is the dream of many players. I had the opportunity to play five years in the best club in the world. That's a lot", said the Frenchman.

"Now I am working with the club, and I hope to stay at Real Madrid for many years", said Zinedine, who, following the out of Jorge Valdano, will become the right hand of Jose Mourinho in sporting issues. Zidane showed himself honored to appear in this series of biographies of Real Madrid legends after Di Stefano, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo. "Now, enjoy and buy it", he concluded.

The author of the book, the journalist Enrique Ortego, said: "I came back to feel myself young writing a book that chronicles the steps of one of the best players in the history of football and Real Madrid". "Here is Zidane, eleven years later, with unforgettable memories of five years with the white shirt. Here lives happily with his family, his children, engaged in follow the footsteps of their father. Review his life, see pictures of matches, his goal of Glasgow, the dribblings.. It has been like rejuvenate a few years", he said.

Florentino Perez: "We will not stop until the tenth"

Florentino Perez took the presentation of the book "Zidane: The elegance of a plain hero" at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, to send a message to all the Real Madrid fans on what is his main target as president of the club: "We will not stop until the tenth Champions League". With these words the Real Madrid president made ​​clear that his dream is to return the club to the continental hegemony.

Florentino Perez and Zinedine Zidane

Seated at the right hand of the president was Zinedine Zidane as an exceptional witness, the main architect of the last Champions has come to the showcases of the Bernabeu Stadium and for whom Florentino was full of praise: "Zidane was strategic in 2000. His signing had become an obsession and a dream for me. It took us longer than we thought, but finally he got home, the Real Madrid. His goal in the final in Glasgow is the best in the history of the competition; beauty and complexity, implementation and importance. With him we won our ninth European Cup and no doubt that we will not stop until the tenth".

Zinedine Zidane responded to the praise of the president: "I thank you for bringing me to Madrid. To play here is the dream of many and I was lucky. And I had the opportunity to be five years in the best club in the world".

French former player, who from months ago has become part of the establishment of the club, expressed his desire to remain joined to the institution: "I am now working with the club and look forward to working many years here with Mourinho, Butragueño, Pardeza...".

Interview: Jose Mourinho

JOSE MOURINHO: "COENTRAO AND AGUERO ARE FANTASTIC PLAYERS"

Jose Mourinho looked at the just concluded season and spoke about the exciting 2011/12 campaign that will start for the Whites on July 11 with the pre-season stage in Los Angeles: "The most important thing is to work on next season. We will be there to fight with passion and love for this club. This year we have more conditions to do not fail, but it is not easy to improve what we did last season. In this campaign, my team has grown and improved in many aspects. It was a good year", commented the Portuguese coach.

Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid coach explained in detail the new organizational model in sporting club: "A good structure does not guarantee success, but a structure that is not good guarantees failure. We have the best conditions to ensure success. I have no more power than before. We must modernize and look for perfection, although it is difficult to achieve. A structure that is not adapted to modern times guarantees failure. Soon the President or the Board will make public our new model of working. There will be an organizational chart with all the functions very well specified. It is necessary that Real Madrid fans know it", he said.

When Mourinho is asked about the special relationship with the people of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, said: "I fought hard to try to give joy to the fans of Real Madrid, that there are millions and millions. Apart from the serious and dedicated work, there are times I think the club is not being well treated and I have no problem affect my image in defense of the institution to which I dedicate my soul and my heart. The fans are the most important thing".

White coach also spoke of the two reinforcements arriving from the Bundesliga: Nuri Sahin and Altintop: "Sahin was the best player of the German tournament, and has been chosen by players in a league that is growing fast. We followed him for some time. He is a young player, one more in the template as Özil, Di Maria, Marcelo, Benzema ... and all them make us think we are a team with a great future. If financial fair play is applied in the next years, Real Madrid can make a new era in football because it has a very young staff and a great president at the firm level. Altintop is a very versatile player".

At the same time, welcomed the return of the homegrown Callejon and Mateos: "Callejon is a player that we like for his features and attitude. He has to earn a place on the team. Mateos was practically out of Castilla, we saw important qualities and have recovered him. He played six months in the AEK and we like. He will start pre-season with us and then we'll see if he stays or we loan him one year more. In that case, we will loan him to a top team in Spain or a team playing in Europe. He has legs to win", he explained.

On Kaka, the manager argued: "He has not made pre-season for four years either due to physical problems, for the World Cup or Confederations Cup. Our belief is to try he takes the stability of six weeks of preseason with gradual growth. Is an incredible talent and played a good final part of season. We hope that the pre-season can be an important support for his succeed".

Finally, he spoke openly of two of the players who, according to the press, can strengthen the team: "I will not be a hypocrite. Coentrao and Aguero are fantastic players. But belong to other teams and Real Madrid does not contact with players before having agreements with their clubs. In Sahin, Altintop and Callejon, Real Madrid talked first with their clubs".

Real Madrid 2011-2012 pre-season: Schedule

Whites will repeat training stage in Los Angeles and will play seven friendly matches; three in the U.S.A., one in Germany, one in England and the last two in China.

Crsitiano Ronaldo during 2010-2011 pre-season

UNITES STATES OF AMERICA

On July 11, Real Madrid will kick off the 2011-12 season, that day the white players will pass the medical examination and then will travel to the United States. They will start the preseason stage, which will be held for the second consecutive year in the campus of UCLA. A perfect place to face almost two weeks of hard work (They return to Madrid on July 24).

In this first stage of the pre-season, whites will visit the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and Philadelphia, to play three friendlies. The first will be played on July 16 against Los Angeles Galaxy (Both teams had already faced in the past year) at the stadium L.A. Memorial Coliseum. There, whites will face a team led by Landon Donovan and David Beckham. Will be the first time the British footballer to play against his former team.

Four days later, on July 20, white team will visit San Diego for the first time in its history. They will play against Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas) of Mexico, the most successful club of the Aztec League, at Qualcomm Stadium.

The last meeting will be held on July 23 against Philadelphia Union at Lincoln Financial Field, in the same city. A stadium seven years old where Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) play their matches.

EUROPE

After returning to Europe, Real Madrid will visit Germany and England. Begins to be common for the Real Madrid to play a friendly in Germany during pre-season. This happened in the last three seasons (Frankfurt, Dortmund and Munich) and now could not be an exception. This time the White team will travel to Berlin to play against Hertha, recently promoted to the Bundesliga, in the German capital's Olympic Stadium.

The second and last stop on the the old continent will be in Leicester. Since 2008 Real Madrid has not disputed a friendly in England in the pre-season. It was in the Emirates Cup, when team faced Arsenal and Hamburg.

CHINA

And finally, the Real Madrid will return to China. After touring in 2003 and 2005, Real Madrid will travel to China for the third time in its history. It will be the 30th of July, after finishing the game against Leicester, when whites travel to China, where they play two friendlies. The first will take place on August 3, against Evergrande Guangzhou, recently promoted to the CSL League, at Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium.

The second will take place three days later in the city of Tianjin. The Jose Mourinho's team will face Tianjin Teda, League runners-up last season, at the Water Drop Olympic Stadium.

SCHEDULE

• 07/16- Los Angeles Galaxy - Real Madrid (Los Angeles, U.S.A.)
• 07/20- Chivas de Guadalajara - Real Madrid (San Diego, U.S.A.)
• 07/23- Philadelphia Union - Real Madrid (Philadelphia, U.S.A.)
• 07/27- Hertha Berlin - Real Madrid (Berlin, Germany)
• 07/30- Leicester - Real Madrid (Leicester, England)
• 08/03- Guangzhou Evergrande - Real Madrid (Guangzhou, China)
• 08/06- Tianjin Teda - Real Madrid (Tianjin, China)

Real Madrid is interested in Cesc Fabregas

Real Madrid has made ​​contact with Arsenal to inquire about the status of Cesc Fabregas and the position of the club regarding a possible transfer, as it is published today in the British press. The white team would have received a clear response: Price, 50 million euros.

According to British media, Jose Angel Sanchez, economic director, contacted the Gunners after Arsene Wenger said this week that there was no bid for the Spanish player. A Real Madrid source said: "The president Florentino Perez has identified Fabregas as the one signing above all others to hurt Barcelona. He believes signing Fabregas would be a real statement of intent for next season. He will do whatever is needed to put the club back above Barcelona".

Cesc Fabregas

In addition, the report said, Arsenal would have ensured to Real Madrid that will not sell Cesc to another Premier League team, so the only competitors today would be Bacelona, which in principle does not reach that figure as it goes against the economic austerity plan of the Catalonian club, and Milan, which interest has not yet been materialized.

Barcelona-born midfielder Fabregas, 24, had set his heart on a return to the Nou Camp after eight years in England, but the difficulty of playing in a champion team like Barcelona and its inability to reach a settlement offer to the claims of Arsenal, could change his mind and see Real Madrid as a great objective.

Aguero and Adidas: A step to Real Madrid

Kun Aguero wants to decide his future before the opening of the Copa America. The idea is to decide on which team will play next season (his high priority), and also choose the sports brand that sponsors him the coming years. Aguero had a contract with Nike, was one of its banners, an icon player. The agreement he had with this sports brand expired on May 31 and now, Argentine player is free to negotiate with everyone.

Kun Aguero could sign with Adidas

Nike, which signed him when was 14, wants to continue with the player. In fact, they may have priority to match offers from other brands, but Adidas has been betting very hard to get to the striker. Aguero, through his agent, Hernan Reguera, has been negotiating with the brand that sponsors Real Madrid and Argentina national team, and are a step closer to signing the agreement. There have been two more offerings, Puma and Li Ning, but Kun is delighted with the Adidas offering and the international presence that the German brand can give him from now.

The deal with Adidas would be a very important step in his career, becuase he would be one step closer to the Real Madrid. Adidas would add another icon and one of the strong men of the template for international advertising and promotion if at the end is materialized the signing with the white team. Another name to join those have been already named, the new Adidas generation; Kaka, Di María, Fernando Llorente, Messi and Xavi Hernandez, among others. But for now, Adidas is silent until the deal is not signed and announced.

In addition, he would become the main reference in Argentina with Messi. That position was Gonzalo Higuain until April, but Real Madrid striker did not renew with Adidas and Nike promised him one million euros per season. This is another reason why Adidas has invested heavily to get Kun Aguero.

Sergio Ramos' Cup goes to museum

Do you remember what happened to the trophy of the Spanish Cup in hands of Sergio Ramos? Ramos dropped the trophy from the open-top deck of the team bus as he waved to supporters who were celebrating the triumph in Madrid, the Spanish capital. The trophy fell right in front of the vehicle, but the driver didn't notice the incident and accidentally drove straight over the silverware.

Spanish Cup Trophy after the accident

Well. The Cup is in the Museum of the Spanish Football Federation in Las Rozas (Madrid), where the "Picassian" piece is exposed as a celebrated curiosity. Should be recognized that, unlike other sad shape trophies, this Cup trophy is inspiring. To start, is the Cup that Real Madrid snatched to Messi's Barcelona, fact that history will appreciate in the right measure... and also Mourinho. It is the first Spanish Cup that Casillas lifted from the hand of the Spain's King. And finally, is the first Cup that "jumped" from a bus as the divers of Acapulco.

When looking at the trophy, think that the Cup accepts infinite interpretations. If the criteria is the rhythm, we could say that its dislocated recalls Elvis's pelvis. From a gastronomic point of view, we could say that it is an unstructured Cup (in the style of Ferran Adria's cuisine) and if the chef has made ​​a fortune, do not see why the Sergio's Cup could not succeed. And do not dismiss admire the trophy as work of art at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

In short, if the wrinkle is beautiful, dents too. As in the face, in each groove lies a story. In the Sergio Ramos' Cup... can be many.