Heart Classic Match 2013: Real Madrid vs Juventus

Real Madrid Foundation already has Heart Classic Match for this season. It will be a Real Madrid-Juventus, which will be held on June 9 at the Santiago Bernabeu, in an event that has become a tradition to celebrate the season finale in Real Madrid's feud.

Pedja Mijatovic scoring the winner goal against Juventus (1998)

The reason is simply: to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Seventh European Cup white team won against Juventus in Amsterdam on May 20, 1998. Although it has not yet been submitted, Spanish media has known that Real Madrid veteran team Real Madrid is trying to track down everyone who participated in that magical night with white team, although it is logical that other players from both teams who were not in that time, also play this carity match.

Antonio Adan: “I don't give up"

Antonio Adan does not passes through his best moments after everything that has happened in recent weeks. First he took the starting place against all odds replacing Casillas in Malaga. Then he was sent off in the start of the match at the Bernabeu against Real Sociedad and lost the site with Casillas but things got worse after the injury of the Real Madrid captain, because Adan has not been a starter from the arrival of Diego Lopez. So now the player is disappointed with Mourinho, and his uncle, Enrique Adan, has been very hard with Portuguese and Real Madrid in a chat with a journalist from Catalunya Radio.

Antonio Adan

"Adan is depressed, with lower spirits than usual and trains very sad. I talk a lot with him and is very hurt by this situation." These words were said yesterday by Enrique Adan, uncle of the goalkeeper of Real Madrid, in the Catalunya Radio microphones. The goalkeeper's uncle went on to add: "He will have to leave Real Madrid because if he does not play now, when Casillas is back, Antonio will stay to catch the medicine cabinet." Moreover, he said the Adan's family did not like at all Mourinho's attitude in this whole situation: "In the family we're all very angry with him. Adan has been very damaged in every way" he said.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper wanted to cut in on the latest news about his situation on the team. “I feel privileged as a professional football player and especially as a member of Real Madrid's first squad, which are two more than sufficient reasons to be happy. I’m not the type of guy who gives up and I come to Valdebebas every day with the intention of doing well and winning my coach’s confidence, and I have a very good relationship with him. I want to make clear that the impressions some people around me may have about me don’t match up with my impressions in this case. I’m only thinking about working and helping my team.”

Morata: "Mourinho treats the younger players very well"

Alvaro Morata appeared in the press room at Real Madrid Sports City where he met the media. The Madrid reserves player is in excellent form for this Saturday’s game against Deportivo at the Riazor stadium after scoring his first official goal against Rayo in the Bernabeu. The striker analyzed the upcoming game against the team from Galicia: “It will be difficult. They are going to give it their all. Their players want to keep their places in the team with their new manager and get out of the difficult situation that they find themselves in. And they have the players to do it.” He also had words of praise for Jose Mourinho: “He is close to the players; he gives us advice, cracks jokes and treats the younger players very well. Players like me who have risen from the academy and the reserves try to take his advice on board because he is the best manager in the world.”

Alvaro Morata

As for whether he will play tomorrow, as already occurred on the last match day against Rayo, he said: “The other day I got the chance to play in La Liga, I felt comfortable and tomorrow I hope to get the chance to play even if it’s just for a few minutes. When I saw the sending-off I knew it would be my turn because that is what normally happens. We needed to take off the centre-forward to bring on a defender. Whenever I come on to the pitch I am going to give 100%. The Boss knows that, the whole coaching team knows it.”

The Madrid Reserves player had words of praise also for Higuaín and Benzema, his fellow-strikers: “I think they stand out for their commitment to each match and to every training session. Higuaín raises the bar every day and Benzema really is a quality player". When asked to comment on the return legs of the two knock-out rounds that his team face against Barcelona and Manchester United, in the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) and the Champions League respectively, he had this to say: “They are two very different teams; both of them are in the hunt for the Champions League Title. We take each game as it comes and if the team continues to fire on all cylinders I am confident that we can win both titles.”

Pepe: "Cristiano Ronaldo is the best"

Pepe, Portuguese international defender of Real Madrid, said that his friend Cristiano Ronaldo "is the best in the world", noting that "he has all the qualities to be an athlete." Although the ''Golden Ball'' is exclusive reserve of the Argentine Leo Messi, Pepe is clear about who is the best player in the world. Asked by bwin website about the best player he has played with in his career, Pepe chose Cristiano Ronaldo and did not hesitate to point him as number one in the football world.

Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo

"Cristiano is a very complete player. He has all the qualities to be an athlete and, for that, to me is a complete footballer and the best in the world", he said. In previous hours to visit the Riazor Stadium for facing Deportivo La Coruña, the Portuguese central defender highlighted the atmosphere that white team will find as a great danger alongside a team in a difficult situation.

"Riki (Deportivo striker) scored us a goal in Madrid and will be a dangerous player but I think their strength remains on the players and the fans of Deportivo, which are very strong. They are at the bottom of the table and must win, it is why they will be very motivated to win Real Madrid".

Pepe, who has played two games since recovering from an ankle injury, highlighted the competitiveness that exists in the Real Madrid at this time of the season in which their options for titles are at stake: "Every day we have a hard workout because we all want to play. We are 25 players and we want to play. This is good for the club and difficult for our coach. We try to give the best of each to play in the next match so the coach can choose the best players to face the game and help the team" he said.

Xabi Alonso: "We are and must be a team"

Xabi Alonso is one of the most important men in the Real Madrid dressing room and one of the most handsome players in Spanish football, so he will be the cover of Vanity Fair (Spanish Edition, March). It will go on sale this Friday, although part of the interview has already been advanced.

Xabi Alonso (Vanity Fair cover, Spanish Edition)

In it, the player shows his more personal side, but also reflects on how he sees the sport situation of Real Madrid. So, Xabi Alonso notes: "The squad is not divided as some say. It's something we can not be denying all the time." Furthermore, he admits that "this year is harder because we are losing more than usual" and about Mourinho says that "it is very good when it comes to empathize with the players. He has always lived with the criticism."

Florentino Perez: Real Madrid will become very Spanish

Florentino Perez has a target to reach since in 2009 he announced that he would 'make Spanish' the Real Madrid. In just one year the white clun transfered the six Dutch players on the squad and in that first summer of his second term he signed Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Albiol and Granero, leaving the signings of Canales and Pedro Leon for 2010. But since then, the last three are no longer employed and Real Madrid has only signed Callejon and Diego Lopez. And at the same time, all kind of players have played for Real Madrid: Altintop, Sahin, Adebayor, Modric or Essien.

Dani Carvajal

The strategy the president has prepared in this section, and with the possible departure of Mourinho in June, is hiring Isco and Carvajal. The Malaga player is 20 years old (he won the Golden Boy trophy to the Best Player of Europe of his age) and  is an object of desire for many teams of European continent. The former Real Madrid player is 21 and white club saved a buyback clause with Bayer Leverkusen for 6.5 million euros, which will be executed in July.

On the other hand, there is the Jese problem. The first contacts between Jese Rodriguez's agent, Gines Carvajal, and Real Madrid have occurred long ago and both parties are bound to be understood. The player wants to succeed in the white team and Real Madrid president knows he is facing one of those players that do not arise from the academy every day.

For Jese, it's not a money issue, because both the player and his agent are aware that his professional football career has just begun. They want the good words from the club turn on a true story. If Real Madrid does not guarantee him being in the first team next season, his leaving from Real Madrid is for sure, something similar to what happened last year with Carvajal.

Jese Rodriguez: Real Madrid first team player or leave

Jese Rodriguez is very clear about his future; he becomes first team player of Real Madrid next season or, very reluctantly, he will have to prepare the bags and give up his dream of winning at the Bernabeu Stadium in white. The young striker contract ends on June 30 next year and is not willing to sign his renewal with Real Madrid if the club does not guarantee him by contract, to be a first team player for all purposes from next season.

Jese (Real Madrid Castilla player)

Yesterday, the earthquake caused by the interview in which he claimed a chance in the first team, had their replicas in three areas of the capital of Spain. First, at the offices of the Bernabeu, where nobody expected those statements of the jewel of the academy. Then in Valdebebas, where Mourinho was not happy with the words of Jese. And finally in Las Rozas, where the player was playing a game with the under-20 Spanish national team against Real Madrid Castilla. There, the Real Madrid imposed the law of silence for the young players of the white academy.

Jese Rodriguez: "They don't give me an opportunity"

Jese Rodríguez, the Real Madrid Castilla star, is confident he is doing well enough to be given some play time in the first team. And he has no problems in saying so. The last competitive match with Real Madrid for the top scorer of the youth team (13 goals) was on March 24, 2012 against Real Sociedad.

Jese Rodriguez

Isn't your objective to move up to the first team?
There are good players in the first team but right now all of us in the youth teams see it as being a long way off. I don't know what's going on there but Mourinho is picking players from the first team more, which is normal, but I think that the academy is working well too.

Why do you think you have not had an opportunity in the first team?
I don't understand it. I keep on working hard but I don't know. I'm thinking about my team now and myself, that's the priority. I'm going to keep on working hard there and I hope the club knows I'm working hard, I'm sure they do know and they will be watching.

Some think you have done enough to earn an opportunity.
Yes, I think so too. But if the opportunities don't come, you lose hope.

But do you still dream about playing for Real Madrid?
Yes, but I'm gradually losing hope, when I see the opportunities aren't coming my way.

Aitor Karanka has always been one of your supporters at the club.
He still is, but we're not so close anymore.

And with Mourinho?
Mourinho is a manager who demands a lot from his players. I tried to learn as much as I could from him and he obviously demands a lot from the youth team players, even more so of the academy players, and I learned what I could from him.

Do you think he is a good coach with regard to the academy?
I think he's a coach who surrounds himself with players that have already made it. The academy coach is Toril.

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Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti: Agreement?

The French newspaper Le Parisien claims that Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti, current coach of Paris Saint Germain, have a verbal agreement for next season by which the Italian coach will replace Mourinho on the white bench. Ancelotti has always been liked by Florentino Perez and his situation in the PSG is not clear, since in recent weeks Wenger and Mourinho have been related with the Paris team.

Carlo Ancelotti

For now it is a handshake. There is no concrete proposal but a friendly intention that in the future their paths will cross. The French newspaper says Ancelotti has received calls insistently from the Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti has not had an agent along his career. Real Madrid already knew it so has been forced to use the most direct way to find out his availability for the future.

Florentino Perez and Cristiano Ronaldo: Summit in May

Cristiano Ronaldo and Florentino Perez will meet at the end of the season, in May, to try to break the deadlock of the renewal of the Portuguese player, now stopped. The club still has not made any offer to Cristiano because the president will wait for the end of competitions to try to convince the striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo

For now, Jorge Mendes has already informed the president about Cristiano's approval to hold a meeting. This is considered an important step forward by the player, because until a few weeks ago, Cristiano Ronaldo's idea was to fulfill his contract until 2015 and then go free.

In fact, Cristiano himself told the president last September 1 his intention to leave the club. That day, he was very disappointed with his treatment by Florentino Perez and now wants to hear personally from the president's mouth that he is considered the cornerstone of the future of Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema: A matter of weight

Karim Benzema is not the same as he was last year. The French striker seems like that irrelevant player who joined Real Madrid two years ago, in his first season at Real Madrid and the start of the second, when Mourinho talked about him like a cat. All a matter of body weight, as many suggest. Spanish media impinges on the subject, ensuring that Karim has regained the kilos lost with his weight loss plan about a year ago.

Karim Benzema

Because last season, Karim Benzema was another. French striker socred the goals with ease, occupied the free spaces as a top playmaker and reached all the balls. However, this season seems to have regained the bad habits of his first months in the capital of Spain. Although it seems a matter of attitude, the truth is that the weight of the front could have greatly influenced on his poor performance so far this season, both for his slowness and his self-esteem.

Apparently, the doctors recommended Benzema to leave his weight loss plan. The French had lost about four kilos, but could not keep this diet because it could be harmful to his health. With the freedom to eat, the overweight came, an evil that has affected his teammates Higuain and Marcelo.

And is that Real Madrid needs all its players in top form, so, although Mourinho had decreed day off for his players, several members of the squad and the coach himself gathered yesterday at Valdebebas to continue working towards the next team commitments. Real Madrid does not stop on days off and Higuain alongside Marcelo worked flat out to regain a good shape. After leaving from injuries, they have to leave the overweight.

Cristiano Ronaldo's book: The Tenacious Star

Cristiano Ronaldo is the star of the seventh book of the sports collection of the publisher 'Al Poste. The book, written by Santiago Siguero, shows the career and the human side of the Real Madrid star, from his early street games in Madeira to his dazzling records in the white club.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The tenacious star

'Cristiano Ronaldo: The tenacious star' (La Estrella Tenaz) reviews the Portuguese international player's career. This is the first work that sets out in detail his three and a half seasons at Real Madrid, club he joined in the summer of 2009. He was only 24, but already had the backing of a broad career. Not only at Manchester United, where Sir Alex Ferguson 'polished' him to become the best player in the world (Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player in 2008), but also at Sporting Lisbon and at the youth teams of the Portugal national squad, up to his debut with the senior team in 2004.

Sergio Ramos: Red alert

Sergio Ramos lived yesterday two situations very common for him with Real Madrid. The defender scored the second goal of his team and the 40th of his career, at the Bernabeu Stadium. Minutes later, took the road to the shower after receiving two yellow cards in less than a minute. Another situation is not new for him at Madrid.

Sergio Ramos gets sent-off

Since he joined the white team in 2005, Sergio Ramos has ended matches prematurely 16 times, 12 of them in the Spanish League. No Madrid player has been sent off more times in league games than the Andalusian defender. Fernando Hierro saw 10 red cards, but played 439 games in the Spanish Championship. Ramos played his match 250 yesterday. Moreover, in the remaining 91 games in other competitions, he has received four more red cards: two in the Champions League and two in the Copa del Rey. The last, against Celta, with a four games penalty (five, due to the second yellow) for calling "scoundrels" to the referee.

Sergio Ramos has 111 yellow cards and 12 red in the First Spanish Division, allowing him to draw with Marchena, Carboni and Luccin as the ninth player who has seen more red cards in the history of the Spanish League. Interestingly, Sergio Ramos has never been sent off in a match of the Spanish national team, with which has played 99 international macthes.

Ramos' red card against Rayo is the seventh received by Real Madrid players in the 12 games played in 2013. The white team has played in inferiority against Rayo Vallecano (Ramos), Sevilla (Higuain), Valencia (Di Maria and Coentrao), Osasuna (Kaka), Celta (Ramos) and Real Sociedad (Adan). A dangerous routine.

Ricardo Kaka has still chances to repeat feat at Old Trafford

There was a time when Kaka conquered Old Trafford. It was on April 24, 2007, in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal 2007 against Manchester United, with the last Milan champion of Europe. Despite losing 3-2, that Milan, Kaka's Milan over everything, reached the Champions League final and avenged the humiliation of Istanbul (Final lost against Liverpool). In Athens, that team recaptured the glory.

Ricardo Kaka at Old Trafford (2007)

But with just two weeks to Real Madrid's trip to Manchester, the issue is keeping those good memories of Old Trafford. That performance gave him the 2007 Golden Ball ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. Kaka with open field, turned it over to a game in which, curiously, Cristiano Ronaldo had scored first. The Brazilian, with a spectacular physical deployment, was a nightmare to O'Shea, Wes Brown and Heinze. That day the Milan ended up losing 3-2 with a goal from Rooney in injury time, but Milan was finalist and Ricardo Kaka stunned the world.

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Rayo Vallecano (Spanish League, Day 24)

In keeping with the theme of Mourinho’s spectacular figures in his 100 Liga matches, Real Madrid earned its fifteenth victory in the championship and extended the run of 35 matches unbeaten at home. The whistle to start the match saw the spotlight move from the coach, because of his accomplishments, to his players, who had an exceptional first quarter of an hour. Due to their greatest quality, speed in attack, they put on an attacking display and took the score line to 2-0 thanks to goals by Morata and Ramos. However, an unfair sending off for the scorer of the second goal, who was shown two yellow cards in one minute, changed the tone of the match. The White’s, however, demonstrated they are able to play in these circumstances. Despite playing for 70 minutes at a numerical disadvantage, they were resolute in defence and gave Rayo no opportunities.

Morata celebrates the first goal of the match

Paco Jemez had warned in the build-up that his team was going to be courageous, and that is just how Rayo started, pressing high up the pitch but leaving too much space behind. Real Madrid accepted their proposal and showed themselves to be very comfortable from the beginning. With an unusual starting XI due to numerous injuries, the Whites were unstoppable in the first 18 minutes. The crowd were not made to wait long for the first goal. The third minute saw a move made in Real Madrid. A quick exchange between Kaka and Özil, who drove into the area, passes back and Morata, coming in from behind the strikers, scored with the first touch. The reserve team player’s second goal in his debut as a starting XI player in La Liga.

Despite conceding the goal Rayo were not daunted, but they were unable to keep possession long enough to make Mourinho’s players suffer. On the other hand, each time that the home side approached Rubén’s penalty area there was an air of danger. The second goal came in the twelfth minute. Özil’s free kick into the right hand side of the penalty area was met by Ramos, who beat Javi Fuego to the ball and headed at the near post. Real Madrid was enjoying how they were playing and the fans were enjoying the encounter. Even Essien got in on the act and dared to take a shot that was cleared by Ruben for a corner.

In the eighteenth minute Ramos was unfairly sent off after being shown two yellow cards in just over a minute. First, for a foul in midfield that did not deserve such punishment and in the following move for a handball after a cross by Casado. The numerical disadvantage changed the direction of the match. The Whites had to fall back, it was harder for them to steal possession and break quickly and their rhythm decreased. Mourinho felt obliged to restore balance to his team by bringing on Albiol for Morata. The match changed quickly from a speedy clash with chances. Rayo sought victory, but they were unable to breakdown a well deployed Real Madrid side. The visiting side’s clearest opportunity came right before the break, when a shot by Trashorras went over. Cristiano had a chance to score the third when he beat Rubén but was unable to finish after falling over.

Real Madrid took the initiative when play got back underway after the break. Aware that the result was not secure, the Whites went in search of more goals. Kaka and Cristiano were the protagonists of the second half’s first events. Rayo were not out of the contest, despite being less lively. They showed as much from time to time with fierce strikes by Lass and Dominguez.

Khedira had an opportunity in the sixty-sixth minute. A great move down the left by Kaka, who cut in to the area and passed to the German, whose shot was blocked by the defence and went out for a corner. The match was under control, but the goal was elusive. For this reason Mourinho brought on Di Maria for Özil. However, the team’s play was no longer as fluid. The effects of the performance against Manchester began to show. Despite this, the Whites were smart and showed themselves to be calm in defence, waiting to go on the counter attack for the goal that would seal the result.

The match became ugly in the final minutes. There were too many interruptions and too little football. The visitors tried desperately, although they were unable to cause Diego Lopez any danger. Callejón came on for Kaka, who had given an excellent performance, in the eightieth minute. There was to be no change to the scoreboard and Real Madrid were the better team in the two matches. The match in which they played offensively until the sending off of Ramos and the match in which it had to defend for 70 minutes, in which they showed themselves resolute and unbeatable in defence.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attenance: 63,000
Goals: 1-0, m.3: Morata. 2-0, m.13: Sergio Ramos.