Neymar with a quick guide to learn Spanish

Neymar left Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo with a quick guide to learn Spanish in his hands after winning the final of the Copa Santander Libertadores. The photograph reveals the young player. Surely, he did not bring the book 'Expressoes idiomaticas de Espanhol' to the stadium to review it before playing against Peñarol, but it is clear that he jealously guarded the book in his hands when leaving the locker room, in the way to the bus. A joke?

Neymar with the guide to learn Spanish

Neymar sang and prayed, in the locker room of Pacaembu, with his peers, giving thanks for the titles achieved by Santos. His goal opened the way for a victory that again became him the protagonist. One hundred journalists waited for his statements.

He was the last to leave. He took nearly two hours to leave the stadium. The huge organizational chaos prevented the press conference. The player went through the press area, escorted by two burly bodyguards of the club, no words, with a distinctive hat, head down and camouflaging a mysterious book.

What book had Neymar covered with a flag? What he kept with great care was a quick guide to the Spanish language, the work of Joseph R. Morgan, 186 pages, with 1200 expressions and phrases, plus 2000 words used 'everyday'. A basic dictionary that costs 10 euros.

The book should be highly suggestive for Neymar as future player of Real Madrid, because a photo of Cybele illustrates the cover. Neymar is far-sighted. He wants to arrive in Madrid with ability to communicate with his new teammates. The Spanish guide reveals the situation.

Note: Manchester United wants Di Maria

Di Maria's statements to Radio 'La Red', demanding improved contract have not fallen on deaf ears and several teams have set their sights on him. The 'Daily Star' claims that Manchester United is keen to gain the services of Argentine midfielder.

According to British newspaper, Ferguson's team would be willing to offer 30 million euros to persuade Real Madrid. In addition, the newspaper tells that the possible arrival of Neymar, who can play as left wing, would be key for the white club can sell the Argentine player.

Roberto Carlos: "Real Madrid should sign Neymar"

Roberto Carlos analyzed the possible signing of his compatriot Neymar for Real Madrid and said: "Real Madrid should sign Neymar. I think he is ready to play in Europe. He is very good player and has to leave Brazil to succeed. If Real does not sign him, we will bring him to Anzhi, because here my Russian team has a lot of money (smiles)".

Roberto Carlos

The Brazilian did not decide when was asked to choose between Neymar and Kun Aguero: "I am a close friend of Neymar and I know that Aguero is a good footballer. I can not choose between the two. On Kun, I think it would be no problem to leave Atletico to go to Real Madrid. If Figo did it from Barcelona to Madrid, I do not think Aguero has any problem. He will feel bad a month but at the end all will forget".

On his return to the Bernabeu Stadium to receive a tribute, the left defender stressed that: "It would be nice to go back there. I had a great chance to play in this great club. I hope to return and play a game at the Bernabeu. It would be unforgettable, surrounded by the fans".

And about the Spanish League, he commented: "I do not think that Barcelona is ahead of Madrid. Florentino is making a very strong team. Has signed good players and next season will surely be more equal".

Hamit Altintop will undergo surgery on Monday in Germany

Altintop, Turkish-German midfielder 28 years old, who was hired by Real Madrid on May 19, will undergo surgery next Monday in Germany due to a back injury. Yesterday, the white club made ​​an official statement on its website with this explanatory message: "Real Madrid C. F. player Hamit Altintop will undergo surgery on Monday 27 June in Germany on an L3-L4 discopathy with mild discal prolapse. The injury was diagnosed after the player experienced some pain and conservative treatment failed to have a positive effect on it. Real Madrid's Medical Services have recommended surgery to take place during the player's vacation".

Hamit Altintop

Altintop was a Mourinho's personal commitment (player was free to terminate the contract with Bayern Munich), as they were before those of Sahin and Jose Callejon. Portuguese decided to bet on him looking for a player for the right wing, because the coach does not count with Pedro Leon despite the insistence of Murcia's player on staying in Madrid. But Altintop gives problems to the new manager-coach. It was unusual that Altintop missed the final month of competition with Bayern by "sores at the back". On the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Board wanted subtract importance to it, but called for doctors to be informed about what he was suffering exactly".

In the last training before the match Turkey vs Belgium in early June, the pain in his back was reproduced and decided to tackle the problem. He spoke with Real Madrid doctors and on Saturday June 4 visited the clinic 'Sanitas'. The club said informally that he had come to get home to avoid a media storm.

They opted to respect the conservative treatment that Bayern doctors had diagnosed. Since that June 5 has been almost three weeks in which the new Real player could not subtract time to recover. At that time, nobody in the club thought it could end with Altintop in the operating theater. But the player passed a new revision and was decided to intervene surgically "Although it is not serious, those troubles will affect him and is better to intervene as soon as possible" according to note from the white club.

"The surgery is simple and can not be compared with Higuain's, who was far more serious. As Altintop was on vacation is better to do it now and he could start the League without problems" says a source at the club. But Altintop will not reach the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona (August 14 and 17) nor first match of the League (August 20). Recovery will be one and a half month to two without being able to train and four to six weeks to get good physical. So, it's hard he can play before October...

Zidane: "Varane is a player that is not easy to find"

Zinedine Zidane was yesterday in Aix-en-Provence in southern France. There, was inagurated a sports complex (Z5) and he spoke of Raphael Varane, next Real Madrid signing. "He's a talented and promising player. Is logical that top clubs were interested on him seeking talent, as is the case of Real Madrid. He is a player I like very much. He is a type of defender is not easy to find. From Laurent Blanc, I saw very good central defenders, but none with such serenity. In that sense Varane resembles Blanc. I have not seen many players like that".

Zinedine Zidane: Z5 Sports Complex

Florentino Perez's adviser was asked about the possibilities for the young Lens player to succeed in Real Madrid: "Varane has a great future. If the big clubs wanted to sign him is that he has talent. As director of the first team, I am in my right to go to find promising players. I'm also happy because he is French. I know people in France would have liked that he stays here, but I'm just doing my job".

Zidane was who recommended Mourinho the signing of this young central defender, 18 years old. The Portuguese began to watch videos of his performances and was more than convinced. So much that he (along with Zizou) spoke with Varane and the operation was accelerated to the point that is expected that player passes a medical examination on Monday. So said on Wednesday Gervais Martel, president of the Lens, who confessed: "Mourinho and Zidane spoke with Raphael and the player told me he wanted to go. He will wear the Real Madrid jersey and I'm proud". The operation will be closed between 9 and 10 million euros and Varane will play for Real until 2016.

Real Madrid: 450 million euros in revenues

Florentino Perez has called on his management on Monday to celebrate the Board meeting that has to take stock of what has been the 2010-11 season and inform about the next season project. Accounts will be discussed as well as transfers. One more season, the president will close a year with benefits, expecting revenues of more than 450 million euros and profit before tax more than 30 million euros. These are record figures in the sports industry.

Florentino Perez

Last season ended the year with revenues of more than 442 million euros. The reasons for this growth are several. Mainly, the influx of spectators to the stadium, ticket salesand revenue from the Champions League. Mourinho has made the white team reachedthe semifinals and this has meant more money from the UEFA. The VIP boxes, the Tour and the section on marketing have been successful.

Beyond the numbers, Florentino with his managers will analyze what are the new projects of the football and basketball teams, which has meant the work of Mourinho, with the achievement of the Spanish Cup and reach the semifinals of Champions League, and the signings already made (Sahin, Altintop and Callejon).

The projects implemented by the Foundation, with the creation of schools and other activities, will also occupy an important part of the meeting, as works undertaken in the Stadium and the Valdebebas Sports City. Florentino continues with its plan to have a pioneering stadium and will be discussed the upcoming projects and all proposals.

The Board is satisfied with the work being done in this last season. It is considered that the club has grown in every way and there is an ambitious project. The leaders are committed to winning more titles.

Mourinho Tactical Board

The 'Mourinho Tactical Board', an innovative software developed by a Portuguese company that helps the tactical organization of football teams, has achieved a great success worldwide selling in about 180 countries. A spokesman for Forward Green, the Portuguese company which prompted the application at the request of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, has said the software has been sold in countries as different as Russia, China, Japan, Canada, Malaysia and Libya.

Mourinho Tactical Board

One of the officers of the company, Pedro Araujo, considered that the success is due to its simplicity and accessibility for "any coach" and its affordable price (ranging between 9.95 and 39.95 euros). "In Spain it has sold a lot in the area of ​​Madrid and Barcelona", said Araujo, who declined to disclose the names of the teams in the Spanish first division they acquired it.

The 'Mourinho Tactical Board', launched last April, is a network software available for different devices -from PCs to tablets- which stores information in an orderly way in order to meet the tactical and technical needs of a team. Planning practices and games simultaneously, to study the set pieces and analyze the actions of rivals are some of the options provided by this application, that 'buries' the traditional notebook.

Araujo said that Mourinho and his technical team helped to build the program with several suggestions, including the inclusion of the set ball pieces. The success of software has led the company, which only has a dozen employees, on a new feature that includes a notepad and the possibility of making videos sequences in the plays.

2011 Bernabeu Trophy: Real Madrid vs Galatasaray

Real Madrid has opponent for the 2011 Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. Neither Raul's Schalke 04 nor Guti's Besiktas. The team invited will finally be Galatasaray, a Turkish team that is investing heavily in the transfer market to get back among the big European teams.

The game will be played on August 24 with the Spanish League Championship already begun and will serve to complete the physical preparation of the team after the pre-season with friendly matches in Los Angeles, England, Germany and China. Last season, Peñarol was the rival.

2010 Bernabeu Trophy: Real Madrid vs Peñarol

Varane is close to Real Madrid

The signing of Raphael Varane (18 years old, central defender of Lens) for Real Madrid could be announced today. This was said yesterday afternoon at Radio Montecarlo: "The signing of Varane for Real is practically closed and is scheduled to be made official on Wednesday". Mourinho wanted Varane for his ability to play the ball played from the defense zone (also has played in the Lens as midfielder) and his splendid physical which will allow him to progress a lot in the hands of Portuguese coach.

In fact, Mourinho considers his new signing as the first central defender of the team to substitute Carvalho, so he will compete with Albiol as the third central of the template, which opens the exit door to Garay and Mateos. Mourinho does not want to loan him the next season to a French team. Coach wants to work with him this summer.

All day yesterday, Madrid, Lens and the player's agent had been negotiating. The white club gave payment guarantees to the French team and the transfer will be closed between 9 and 10 million euros, plus variables amounts of money for targets. In addition, Varane will sign a five-years contract, until 2016.

Zidane's role in this signing has been decisive. Manchester United, which had offered 10.5 million euros, and the PSG were very interested in the player. Varane was in Madrid last week to see the facilities of Real Madrid with Zidane as host. The player will face today his latest examination of high school. His father, who at the same time is his agent, has tried to keep him isolated these days so he can finish the studies.

Raphael Varane

Nuri Sahin: Most promising young player

Internet users of FIFA.com believe that Nuri Sahin is the most promising young player in the world ahead of Barcelona's target, Alexis Sanchez, and other players like Pastore, Gareth Bale, Ganso and Hazard. According to fans around the world who responded to the question "Which player has more promising future?" The new white player has so far 54.7 percent of the vote.

Nuri Sahin

Although FIFA's website does not specify the total number of votes received in the survey, only the percentage, the difference with the second, Alexis Sanchez, is significant. Chilean striker has won 25.7 percent of the vote, less than half of those who have achieved Sahin so far.

Turkish-German midfielder has had the benefit of his great last season in the Bundesliga. Not only won the title, has also been voted player of the year in Germany by the German players' union and also in a survey in Kicker magazine in which all players playing in the Bundesliga have voted.

Sahin's gap from the rest of young talent that FIFA has chosen is even more important. The third in the percentage of votes is Javier Pastore (Palermo, 6.9%), then the bullet Gareth Bale (Tottenham, 6.1 %), while the next is Ganso,(Santos, 3.9%. FIFA did not include Neymar) and the laggard is Hazard (Lille, 2.6%).

While Internet users recognize his worth, Real Madrid player lies in the Turkish coast, but is intended to cut part of his vacation to start training although has already recovered from the ligament of his right knee (suffered a tear at the end of last season with Borussia Dortmund). The player, who already has a home in Madrid, will begin preparing since early July to reach the pre-season training with an advantage.

Real Madrid: Sell ​​before signing

Last week was an important meeting on the first floor of the Bernabeu Stadium. At the table, Florentino Perez, Jose Mourinho and Jose Angel Sanchez. The conclusion of the conclave was short: not make or announce signings until three or four players are sold (or loaned) what would allow Real Madrid lighten the template and payroll. In other words: Let people go out, before entering.

On Sale: Gago, Garay and Canales

The question is simple. With the signings accomplished just after the League, of Sahin (10 million euros to Borussia Dortmund), Altintop (free) and Jose Callejon (5 million euros to Espanyol) and the returns of Drenthe and Mateos, Mourinho is with a staff of 27 players, to which must be added the third goalkeeper (Tomas Mejias), if Mourinho does the same of last year with Adam.

Portuguese coach is in Madrid to work with the club (he will go on vacation when the school year of his children ends) and is meeting personally with the players with he does not count for 2011-12 season, as happened with Canales and Pedro Leon.

Those three or four leavings would deal the final stretch of the signings of Portuguese Coentrao (closely linked to future of Lass) and the arrival of a 'nine', whether Neymar or Kun Aguero. What Mourinho has said is that he does not want to have a workforce of more than 23 players. That is, five players must leave the team. But for now, nobody here wants to leave...

Looking for rival for the 2011 Bernabeu Trophy

Guti will not return to the Bernabeu in August. Besiktas can not play the Bernabeu Trophy 2011 on August 23. Although the Turkish team and Real Madrid had initiated the contacts, the match of Europa League that Besiktas must play on day 25, has prevented the Ottoman club can move to the Spanish capital.

Guti playing for Besiktas

In fact, it was so advanced that Real Madrid sent a draft outlining the conditions to be included in a subsequent contract as guests of the Bernabeu Trophy. This draft was published yesterday by the Turkish newspaper Vatan. The conditions specified that Madrid would take over 40 airline tickets, two nights in a five star hotel in the capital of Spain, transport of the team, material and Board of Besiktas. In addition, Besiktas would earn 150,000 euros as a guest.

Finally, despite the desire of the Turkish team to participate in the trophy, the incompatibility of dates has slowed the entire process and Guti's Besiktas is the second team to fall out of the game. Schalke was the first guest, but the fact that the German team also had Europa League match on August 25 thwarted the desire of many fans of seeing the former captain running at the Bernabeu Stadium. However, both clubs reached an agreement for which the Raul's team, and he with the number seven, will be the guest of the Bernabeu Trophy in 2012.

Real Madrid will start work today to see the possibilities that exist in the market and offer to the fans a good team for the XXXIII edition of the trophy. After the impossibility of Raul and Guti, the emotional factor was involved, the club's desire is a team of Champions (Milan, the Serie A champions or Borussia Dortmund, which won the Bundesliga with Sahin). Another possibility is to choose the champion of the Copa Libertadores (the second leg of the final takes place on Wednesday). Peñarol could be the rival (as last year) or Santos (with Neymar).

Chelsea leaves the bid for Neymar

The strong interest of Real Madrid for Neymar has caused that Chelsea withdraws of the bid for the player. This would have secured a source from London team. The main reason for this retreat is that 'Blues' would not be willing to reach 45 million euros demanded by the Santos to get rid of the young Brazilian pearl.

The source explained that Roman Abramovich, owner of English club, does not raises to pay the buyout of Neymar, while Madrid would do it: "Jose Mourinho is prepared to pay the asking price, but Abramovich believes that 30 million pounds (34 million euros) is a fair price for a player who is only 19 years and with his injury history". Moreover, this source took for granted that the signing of Neymar is practically sealed by Real Madrid: "It seems that Mourinho has already gotten his man".

Neymar trainig with Santos 

It is not the first time that Chelsea can not get the services of Neymar. Last winter and in summer 2010 could not sign the player due to the high economic Santos claims. At this time although Chelsea would have sent the agent Pini Zahavito to negotiate on its behalf, have turned to crash with the high demands of the Brazilian entity.

Thus, Real Madrid would be the only club to maintain its interest in the Brazilian player. But the manager of Santos, Pedro Luis Nunes, already explained: "We have no intention to sell. If a club comes with the 45 million euros of the buyout, it will be a matter of the player". With Chelsea resigned, the choice of Madrid for Neymar becomes stronger... with the money in front.

Neymar: "Will talk about the future after Copa Libertadores"

Neymar after the training

A few minutes from 12:00 h. Santos' training just ended. Neymar sits behind a mound of earth behind one of the goals. There, two five year olds go wearing the shirt of the team. They suffer from leukemia and the club agreed that they could meet their idol. After meeting with young people, the player moves towards the band from which, the press has followed the meeting. Santos had agreed secretly to answer a few questions of two televisions (U.S.A. and Japan) in spite of a few hours ago club said he would not talk until after the Libertadores.

The media do not waste the opportunity: Do you feel pressure to demonstrate to Europe that you can play for Real Madrid?. Neymar sighs and begins to speak: "I ​​do not mind that. I always play the best, I am player of Santos and I owe it to our supporters. And I am just focused on the Libertadores Cup and then in Copa America". And journalists ask again: What do you think then about the interest of Madrid? "(Laughter) I explained all that. Ther is nothing. I have nothing with Real Madrid. Now we play the Libertadores and then we will talk about the future". Santos press staff is angry for the intrusion. Only were allowed questions about the Libertadores.

A Japanese reporter then asks Neymar about his idols and opens other way of approach to Madrid. What are or were your idols? "The biggest was Robinho, who I met at Santos. I also really like Kaka, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo and... Messi" More than likely that soon he can share dressing room with the Real Madrid players