Gonzalo Higuain dressed as a tramp to combat drug

Gonzalo Higuain has wanted to collaborate in the fight against drugs in Argentina. The Real Madrid striker has been the subject of a campaign promoted by 'La Garganta Poderosa' (The Mighty Throat), a magazine written and funded by people of Argentine slums, in which the 'Pipa' dressed as a tramp wants to raise awareness against drugs and poverty.

Gonzalo Higuain (dressed like a tramp)

On the pages of this magazine also were Messi, Maradona and Tevez, among others. Higuain joined the fight against one of the deepest problems that harms young people from poorer classes in Argentina: the 'Paco'. A similar drug to 'Crack' made ​​from cocaine residue. "It works like a real criminal, kills many people. I wish we can do something to destroy this. Only this way we will save lives" said Higuain.

For the cover, the magazine chose a striking image: Higuain dressed as a tramp with two consumers of 'Paco'. And a poster: "Take me to a rehabilitation center". The Real Madrid forward emphasized this: "It seems wrong that there is no a single state rehabilitation center, serious and free, to address this problem". "With a good plan of rehabilitation, 'Paco' can be removed from our lives. And people who have that problem could do other things, much better than taking drugs, such as studying or looking for work", said Higuain in the interview with the Argentine magazine.

Benzema: "I work hard in order to become a great player"

Karim Benzema is making progress with every season. Last season he achieved the highest tallies of goals in his career thus far and he aims to do even better with the support of his manager, José Mourinho:"My ambition remains unchanged: to get better and better. I am lucky to be playing for a great club. I need to be on form throughout the season, as I did last season, and to play well for my national team as well. What more do I need to do to be a great player? I don’t know. But I work hard in order to become a great player, and I will continue to do so”.

Benzema training with France national team

The French striker also talked about one of his footballing idols, with whom he shares the same position on the pitch and whom he met in Spain’s capital when he signed with Real Madrid: “In my first season with Madrid I had the opportunity to get to know Ronaldo. I followed his career closely when I was a youngster. For me, he is one of the greatest players of all time. In fact, I think he is the best. Up there with Zidane… I liked him a lot, and when we met it was like a dream come true, I met him and we talked. I was very happy".

Zinedine Zidane, who won the UEFA Champions League in 2002 with Real Madrid, is another of his sources of inspiration in the world of football and also one of his main sources of advice. “I always turn to him for advice, and sometimes he gives it to me. I hope my career will be different to his, but similar in terms of success”, Benzema concluded.

Real Madrid opens world's largest football academy in China

Starting this season Chinese fans can now enjoy the largest football complex in the world. Thanks to the collaboration between the Real Madrid Foundation, the Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande and Soxna, more than 3,000 boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 will improve their football technique based on Real Madrid's training method and the sporting values that the Real Madrid Foundation champions. Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, and the players Kaká, Pepe, Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of this important inauguration. Located to the north of the city of Guangzhou, in the greater urban area of Qingyuan, it is expected to receive over 10,000 children in eight years.

Real Madrid opened a football academy in China

The Real Madrid president stressed that it is an important step in Spain's relationship with China, where interest in football continues to grow. “I'm convinced that this collaboration will contribute to raising the level of football in China and will spread all the values that surround sport. We will fulfil a dream that began last year and in which we have been working for several months, creating the largest training academy in the world. I am grateful for your contribution to guaranteeing the project's success”.

The message from the Whites footballers aroused great interest and excitement among the thousands of fans that attended the inauguration. “Football is fun and teamwork. In the Evergrande-Real Madrid Foundation academy you will learn sporting values”. The event was also attended by top-level officials from the Chinese government who travelled directly from Beijing, considering this academy a prime example of a national project for the development of football in China.

The sports complex where the football academy is located is a school built by the Evergrande group where regulated teaching will be offered (primary and secondary school). It also includes 26 football fields that over the course of the year will be increased to 76.

Mourinho's wall

The story repeats almost every time Real Madrid plays a macth. The next day, or two days if there was a day-break, players face the wall of the shame. As they enter the locker room can face some printed images of the plays that have cost a goal or that has upset the Portuguese coach. The mistakes, at the wall. A series of television screenshots are placed sequentially to examine what movement went wrong or who was wrong in a mark. Everything focused on the player who was not right and to know why to avoid making again the same mistakes. The 'Special One' does not forgive failure.

Mourinho's Wall

For example, a rival backlash. This season there have been more than one that have ended as goal against Real Madrid. Well, Mourinho places the images in order and the players can see how they moved during the play and if they did right or wrong. Another actions that go to the wall are the corners-kicks. The marking problems are immortalized. Other coaches opt for a video session analyzing the game, but Mourinho prefers that these images stay on the wall to 'live' with the squad for a few days, to record them in their heads. You know; one and no more.

Sometimes the images speak for themselves. But sometimes, Mourinho indicates the individual or collective failure. And he rarely admits a reply. Because against the pictures, a little bit can be argued. It is a mirror that does not lie. Player who fails, is pictured. Jose Mourinho says he does not like to talk to his players after games. He prefers to do it the next day. For better or for worse. That routine begins with the screenshots. If the match has left many details that have not liked the coach, it is common that Mourinho gives a talk in which reviews the most important plays.

The coach usually does not talk after the game with his men, without evaluating all actions, unless he is angry, as happened at the break of the match against Deportivo, in which Özil was replaced after suffering the Mourinho's rage. He prefers the arguments. Similarly, it is preferable that the squad also evaluates the match overnight before being 'scolded' by its coach.

But Mourinho's weapons against the mistakes of his players are not only technological. Paper and pen also wreak havoc. His book is another snitch. When the coach points something in his notebook, it usually is a specific mistake of a player. Not always, because he can write about a system that can vary in the second half or a rival movement to comment with his players.

The truth, written by Mourinho's handwriting, is irrefutable. At that, the player has no options, shut up and improve for the next time. This is the way Mourinho educates his pupils. The Portuguese coach wants his team does not stumble twice on the same stone. Eliminating mistakes before starting to prepare for the next match. In this early season Mourinho has had to work a lot but the team is already improving.

Mourinho: "This draw can be worth four points"

Mourinho does not usually talk to the players in the minutes following the end of the macthes. It's a habit that has to avoid any misinterpretation of his words and unnecessary friction in a time when he and the players are with high pulsation and hot heads. But there are days that he skips this rule. And one of them was in the Camp Nou.

Mourinho congratulates Di Maria

When Delgado Ferreiro, the match referee, blew the final whistle, Mourinho went to shake hands with Tito Vilanova and commented him: "It was a great show. Both teams had chances to win the match". He went into the dressing room cursing what he considered a unique opportunity to have won at Barcelona in their field. He had mixed feelings. On one side was angry about some details, more technical than tactical, in which certain players failed. He was referring to the goals conceded and some missed chances. But on the other hand was proud of the response and the image given on a critic and hostile field.

The Portuguese coach came to the locker room in full swing. He caught the epic that Cristiano Ronaldo showed playing with sore left shoulder. Just the opposite to what he saw when Real Madrid lost in Getafe and Sevilla. In those days he would have shot all the squad. From the disaster of Sanchez Pizjuan the white team has reached the best version of the football philosophy that Mourinho has implanted. In the Camp Nou the coach congratulated them with these words: "Know that this draw can be worth four points because playing as well as tonight we can win them at the Bernabeu. We should follow this line of work. Today I liked my team. You were in the match to the end, creating chances. And we had chances to win the fight".

The players felt the same. As the board members who traveled by plane with the squad and the fans who enjoyed the game. All Madridistas saw a recovered team to fight for the Spanish League title, with courage, from the first minute of the match against Barcelona, what Real Madrid will need for fighting to the end of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo: An improved scoring machine

When Cristiano Ronaldo ended the 2011/12 season with 60 goals, it seemed unlikely that he would achieve such a remarkable feat in a very long time. Five months later, and after only 11 official games, the Portuguese is on course to break all the records he set last season. He has currently netted 14 times, which represents the best goal scoring start of his career, beating the 10 he scored at the beginning of the 2010/11 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo: A scoring machine

Thus far this season, Real Madrid have played 11 games in 3 competitions. They have scored 25 goals in these games and 14 have been scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, or 56 %. The number 7 opened his account in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, a tie in which he was the outstanding player as he scored another goal in the return leg. He didn’t score his first league goal until the third round of fixtures, but has since become the leading goal scorer in the team, netting 8 times. Lastly, goals have also come his way in the two Champions league games he has played, and he is now leading the way in the goal scoring charts with 4 goals.

In his previous 11 campaigns as a professional, Cristiano had never managed to score as many goals in the first 11 official games. His best start for either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester United was just 2 goals. Since he signed for Real Madrid, he has considerably improved on this figure. In 2009 and 2011 he scored 9 goals in 11 games, while in 2010, he scored 10, which was his best until this season.

If we talk about his numbers at Real Madrid, we can realise that at the Camp Nou, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 160th and 161st competitive goals in a Real Madrid shirt. Raul took 16 seasons to reach 323 goals, the club's all-time record, while the Portuguese has racked up half this tally (49.8%) in little over three years. Cristiano is presently the ninth top marksman in Madrid history, having passed Amancio Amaro – who clocked up 155 in 14 seasons – in the game against Deportivo.

However, it is Ronaldo's scoring rate that truly singles him out: in his three full campaigns with the club so far, he has managed an astonishing 48.6 goals a season. In other words, while Raul required 741 competitive fixtures to set his lifetime mark, Cristiano has gobbled up half the ground separating him from the Spanish legend in just 155 games.

Of the eight players still ahead of CR7 in Madrid's all-time scoring stakes (Butragueño and Pirri, who are tied on 171, will be next to be overtaken by the Madeira star), only Ferenc Puskas (0.92 goals a game) stacks up against the Portuguese forward's deadly strike rate.

Luka Modric's target: Keep working

On Sunday night, with the Classic match finished, Mourinho received a message on his mobile phone. "How's Luka? Everything okay?" asked Igor Stimac, Croatian coach. "Yes, quiet. He will join the Croatian team in perfect conditions. He has not played but it is irrelevant", replied the coach of Real Madrid. In Croatia, as in Spain and probably in many other countries around the world, surprised that Luka Modric did not play a minute against Barcelona.

Luka Modric

The Real Madrid's star signing of this season, for which the white team fought hard in the months of July and August, to the point that the boy did not want to train with his teammates in Tottenham, stayed on the bench. However, Essien, who came on the last minutes of the market, played some minutes. Mourinho chose Özil for the playmaker position in the biggest game so far of the season. The German midfielder had a great performance and in the first big decision that Mourinho had to take, won the 'battle' against Modric and Kaka. The Brazilian, like Essien, played some minutes.

What did Modric think of this situation?. No problem. The Croatian received the following explanation of a member of the Mourinho's staff: "You still lack awareness to peers and their movements. With time, work and additional effort you are going to play more minutes for Real Madrid because you have not done preseason with us". The long time taken for his signing has taken its toll. He recognizes it. He knows there are players ahead of him. He interpreted his place on the bench in the Classic in this way.

The Classic match of the Spanish League came early for Luka Modric. Is true that his debut was against Barcelona, three days after landing in Madrid in the second leg of the Super Cup of Spain. But that day, Mourinho realised that the first title of the season was lost and thought Modric to regain possession of the ball and win the field battle. Barcelona was pressing and creating goal chances. It was a good sign. The player does not forget it.

The player trained yesterday in Zagreb with his national team to prepare the qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup; Macedonia and Wales. His peers celebrate to have recovered the best player of the team: "It is a good thing he has not played the match against Barcelona. Here with time he will be play again his best. Soon you will see what a great player he is", said a senior leader of the Croatian federation.