Real Madrid 5 - 2 APOEL Nicosia (UCL Quarterfinales 2nd Leg)

Real Madrid sealed their passage to the Champions League semifinals with an impressive 5-2 victory over APOEL Nicosia at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Whites will fight with old UCL foe Bayern Munchen for a spot in the final.

Great comeback by Di Maria

Despite the first leg's 3-0 score, Jose Mourinho used a strong starting lineup tonight, with Sahin in midfield and Varane paired up with Pepe in the centre of defence. The Whites dominated from the start while APOEL waited for them in their half of the pitch. Higuain had a chance only two minutes into the match and Pardo cleared a Ronaldo shot two minutes later.

The Portuguese striker tallied the first by finishing a Marcelo cross with his right knee (26') and APOEL continued to pose little threat to Casillas' goal due to Real's strong pressure. Kaka scored the scond from an amazing shot outside the box, sending the ball through the top right corner of the goal (36'), and the Madridistas continued to dominate until half-time.

Callejon came on for Marcelo in the second half and Di Maria replaced Higuain on the 53-minute mark. Albiol came on for Granero just before Manduca managed to nutmeg Casillas (65') and the strike spurred the visitors to pursue an equaliser.

Cristiano Ronaldo dampened their spirits with an impressive free-kick strike, which was his eighth in the championship this season (74') and was a turning point in the match, which sort of became crazy from then on.

Callejon tallied a fourth on the 78-minute mark with a good shot on the area border and Solari netted another for APOEL from a penalty just two minutes later. Di Maria eventually sentenced the match with an incredible lobbed shot seeing that the goalkeeper was badly positioned (84').

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 60,000
Goals: 1-0, m.26: Cristiano Ronaldo. 2-0, m.36: Kaká. 2-1, m.65: Manduca. 3-1, m.74: Cristiano Ronaldo. 4-1, m.78: Callejón. 4-2, m.80: Solari (pen). 5-2, m.84: Di María.

Real Madrid follows the wake of Ferrari in the Middle East

A big business, though not very original. These few words are enough to define the new Real Madrid business challenge, that from 2015, can boast of being the first football team in the world with a theme park with its name. Location, of course, in the United Arab Emirates.

Real Madrid Resort Island

Great, but not original, because the white team follows the trail of what he did two years ago, Ferrari. The sports car manufacturer has a similar structure in Abu Dhabi. But, how does the club chaired by Florentino Pérez take advantage of such a project? Who holds the weight of investment in the park, estimated at about 1,000 million dollars (750 million euros)? Obviously, the team, whose debt stands at close to its annual turnover (nearly 500 million euros), can not sustain such investment.

Thus, even in the business model, Real Madrid has been inspired by Ferrari. As has happened with the "Cavallino Rampante" Park in Abu Dhabi, local authorities put the money to build the facilities and the Real Madrid club, its brand, gaining a percentage of park revenues.

Industry experts agree: the model Ferrari-Real Madrid is a very special sports sponsorship. A backwards sponsorship, in which teams or companies put their marks on facilities, earn money and do not pay for it. A sort of luxury sponsor that only global marks have access to draft. "In a situation where gate receipts and TV rights tend to decrease while increasing the pressure of European sports associations to clean up balance sheets, sponsorships become the key to maintaining economic sustainability", explains a consultancy specializing in sports. "A strong and global brand is necessary to get good sponsorship".

Thus, the economic power of Real Madrid and other big names like Ferrari, is precisely the appeal of its brand. With such names, known worldwide, attract sponsors from emerging countries alleviates significantly the acute pressure that teams suffer due to lower other income, interest payments on debt and a wage that can reach 80% of turnover.

Osasuna 1 - 5 Real Madrid (Spanish League Day 31)

Real Madrid showed just why they're the leaders in La Liga with an impressive 5-1 victory against Osasuna in Pamplona. Goals were scored by Cristiano Ronaldo (2), Gonzalo HIguain (2) and Karim Benzema, and the team overall gave a fearsome impression.

Benzema scored one of the best goals of Real Madrid this season

Albiol and Granero made the starting lineup and Benzema, Higuain and Ronaldo played together in attack. Real scored their first goal through a Benzema volley through the top corner of the goal seven minutes in. The Frenchman was assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo. Osasuna didn't seem to know how to react to this and hardly approached Casillas' goal, while the Whites continued to dominate and look for a counterattack with which to seal the match.

Cristiano Ronaldo controlled the ball on the 36-minute mark and scored from an impressive 30 meter shot that silenced the stands. It was his 36th strike in La Liga and it helped the Whites control the rest of the match thanks to the locals' weakness. Three minutes later, Granero served a long pass to Higuain and the Argentine easily defeated Andres (39').

With nothing left to lose, Osasuna went all out for a goal after half-time, and found it with a Nino header following a cross by Roversio (47'). Despite newfound confidence, Real Madrid continued playing a solid game and eventually scored again when a Ronaldo free-kick was deflected by Lekic (70').

There was more to come. Cristiano Ronaldo served a great ball to Higuain, who headed it in on the 77-minute mark to tally the team's 100th goal in the championship this season. Coentrao, Varane and Di Maria came on, the latter making his first appearance after a near two month injury.

Summary

Stadium: Reyno de Navarra
Attendance: 18,161
Goals: 0-1, m.7: Benzema. 0-2, m.36: Cristiano Ronaldo. 0-3, m.39: Higuaín. 1-3, m.47: Nino. 1-4, m.70: Cristiano Ronaldo. 1-5, m.77: Higuaín.

Laying of Real Madrid Resort Island foundation stone

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez and His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Emir of Ras al-Khaimah, presided over the laying of the foundation stone of the Real Madrid Resort Island, a holiday resort to be developed in the United Arab Emirates. Over 200 guests and close to 100 media platforms from all over the world gathered in the event.

The objective is to open the resort in 2015 as the first holoday sports resort in Asia. Apart from Florentino Perez, the event was attended, representing the Real Madrid, Nicolas Martin-Sanz, member of the board of the club, Jose Angel Sanchez, General Director, Emilio Butragueno, Institutional relations Director, and Zinedine Zidane, Football first team Director.

It is expected to have one million visitors per year and will house a theme park, the first stadium open to sea, numerous sports facilities, a sports port, a residencial area and luxury hotels. One billion dollars have been invested in the project. Yesterday, was laid the foundation stone and the target is to open its doors in January 2015.

Florentino Perez stressed the importance that the project will have to increase the influence of Real Madrid in the Middle East: "Today is a special day for the entire Real Madrid family. Our presence in the Middle East and Asia no doubt makes us stronger, but it especially makes us more beloved. Real Madrid Resort Island will make all our supporters proud".

The president continues with his strategic plan to extend the Real Madrid all over the world: "Our club was born 110 years ago and it gradually became a universal legend. Real Madrid resort Island fits perfectly into our institution's global aspirations because we at Real Madrid firmly believe that frontiers shouldn't exist in football, nor in sports in general. We want to turn this splendind part of the world into a place that serves to make people from different nationalities come together through their fascination for sport, for football and for Real Madrid. We are honoured and proud for this, which we regard as a great challenge and for which we feel immense responsibility".

APOEL Nicosia 0 - 3 Real Madrid (UCL Quarterfinals 1st Leg)

APOEL stood their ground for 73 minutes against Real Madrid, never having a chance to score and always playing in their half of the pitch. The Whites resolved the situation in the final 15 minutes of the encounter with a brace by Benzema and a further strike from Kaka.

Kaka and Marcelo changed the game

Sahin was the new face on the starting lineup to replace the suspended Xabi Alonso, and Benzema and Higuain also played together in attack. APOEL pressurised in the opening minutes and tried to put danger over Casillas' goal as they were spurred by their fans. Real Madrid were calm and withstood this as they gradually started to control the match.

Chiotis saved a Benzema shot on the 8-minute mark and Ozil had a phenomenal chance three minutes later with a strong strike that was also cleared by the keeper. Cristiano Ronaldo also shot on target in the 27th minute, but Chiotis again saved the day.

Benzema missed the target practically on the goal-line after receiving it from Sahin (33'), and a Ronaldo crossed shot missed the target by inches ten minutes later.

Real Madrid kept possession after half-time and tried to accelerate their game in order to break the organised local defence. Benzema sent the ball over the crossbar in the team's first chance in the second half (47').

Kaka and Marcelo came on for Higuain and Coentrao (63') looking to speed things up and create more danger. A double Ozil and Ramos chance three minutes later was cleared by a defender and Benzema grazed one of the posts on the 69-minute mark.

Kaka managed to break the local barrier by sending the ball to the box, where it was headed in by Benzema (73'). The strike shattered local organisation and Mourinho's men used this to pursue more goals. Chiotis cleared a Ronaldo shot on the 75-minute mark. A few minutes later, Marcelo entered the box after a magnificent individual effort and served a great pass for Kaka to score the second. Granero came on for Sahin in the 84th minute and five minutes later Benzema sealed the match in an empty goal (89').

Summary

Stadium: GSP Nicosia
Attendance: 27,000
Goals: 0-1, m.73: Benzema. 0-2, m.82: Kaká. 0-3, m.89: Benzema.

Real Madrid 5 - 0 Real Sociedad (Spanish League Day 30)

Real Madrid showered Real Sociedad with goals and cemented their leadership in La Liga with strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo (who's tally with the team ascends to 101), Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain.

Higuain showed the way to a therapeutic victory

Varane and Kaka took the places of the suspended Pepe and Ozil in the starting lineup, and Mourinho opted to use Higuain and Benzema together in attack. Real Sociedad were wary and hardly attacked, while the Madridistas continuously looked to finish them off. Higuain scored a first-touch goal in the opening minutes after receiving a pass from Benzema (6').

Cristiano Ronaldo nearly tallied the second on the 28-minute mark and also two minutes after that, but his finishing touch was only slightly off on both counts. The Portuguese player eventually netted it in the 32nd minute by nutmegging Bravo.

Real Sociedad did what they could to keep the Whites at bay, but a third soon came when a ball cleared by Ramos was masterfully controlled by Benzema and sent to the net with a lobbed shot (40'). The visitors nevertheless managed to net a strike through a Xabi Prieto shot on the box line that went in after hitting Ramos in the head.

Khedira sent the ball to the box in the opening minutes of the second half and Benzema scored over Bravo (49'). Ronaldo netted a fifth a few minutes later when Higuain managed to serve him a ball on the goal-line (56').

The team relaxed a bit from then on and Real Sociedad managed to enter Casillas' box on occasion without posing much of a threat. A Griezmann shot was easily grabbed by the goalkeeper and Mourinho decided to make Sahin and Coentrao come on for Khedira and Benzema. The Portuguese player came close to tallying a sixth for the team, missing the target only by inches.

Youth teamer Jese replaced Ronaldo on the 80-minute mark and a couple of minutes later Varane's chance to score was cleared between the posts by a defender. The match started to die down in the final minutes with the Whites starting to concentrate on Tuesday's UCL match against APOEL.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance:
Goals: 1-0, m.6: Higuaín. 2-0, m.32: Cristiano. 3-0, m.40: Benzema; 3-1, m.41: Xabi Prieto; 4-1, m.49: Benzema; 5-1, m.56: Cristiano.

Launched the Real Madrid Resort Island

Real Madrid and the Government of Ras al-Khaimah presented the Real Madrid Resort Island in the Presidential Balcony of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Thursday afternoon. It is to be a touristic complex and theme park in the United Arab Emirates under the Real Madrid brand. The event was attended by President Florentino Perez and Dr. Khater Massaad, representative of the Government of Ras al-Khaimah and CEO of RAK Investment Authority. Jose Mourinho, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Football Director Miguel Pardeza, First Team Director Zinedine Zidane, Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño and former players Santamaria, Pachin and Amancio Amaro were also in attendance.

Presentation of the Real Madrid Resort Island

Florentino Perez talked about this new challenge for Real Madrid: "When the Real Madrid Resort Island opens its gates, visitors will become part of the legend o this club, which strives to be eternal and universal. We adhere our name and potential to a unique location, a strategic meeting place and a project of unprecedented dimension located less than four hours away by flight of 2,000 million people".

"Once again, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium serves as the starting point of a thrilling project. The world of sports and Real Madrid again prove to have no boundaries and that football is a fantastic tool with which to make different people and cultures come together. This team's fans are passionate wherever they may be and never give up. Their dreams motivate us on a daily basis".

"Santiago Bernabeu gave Real Madrid the unique capacity to go beyond this country's frontiers and those of us who administer this legacy are aware of the challenge that comes with handling what gave this club a mythical and legendary status. Real Madrid Resort Island will be a sports touristic complex of the highest level, covering 50 hectares in which tourism and sport will seduce millions of people in search of a quality leisurely activities".

Real Madrid Resort Island

"This is a decisive and strategic step that will enhance the strength of this institution in the Middle East and Asia, a key region in which the passion for this club has been apparent. Our collaboration grows increasingly stronger and we are proud of it. Real Madrid and the Government of Ras Al Khaimah want to transmit the passion of Real Madrid and what it means throughout the world".

Louis Armand de Rouge, RAK Participations & RAK Marjan Island Football CEO, and Dr. Khater Massaad analysed the Real Madrid Resort Island, explaining it will hold a theme park, the first stadium open to the sea, a Real Madrid museum, numerous sports facilities, a sport port, a residencial area and luxury hotels.

One billion US dollars have been invested in the project and it is expected to open in January 2015. It will be the first theme park on an artificial island to combine tourism and sports, and it will be the first recreational tourism complex built under the Real Madrid trademark.

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