Real Madrid to face Galatasaray (Champions League)

Real Madrid will face Galatasaray in the Champions League quarter-finals. The Whites will play the first leg at home in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 3 and the second leg away at the Ali Sami Yen stadium the 9th of the same month. A new way of organizing the draw means that, should Real move on to the next round, for the first time in Champions League history they won’t know their semi-final opponent until a new drawing is held on 12 April.

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray (Champions League, Quarter-finals)

Galatasaray is having an impressive season: top spot in the League with a four-point lead on Fenerbahçe and classified amongst the eight best teams in Europe's top competition. Galatasaray ousted Schalke 04 in the Champions League round of 16 after finishing second in Group H (led by Manchester United) in a point tie with Cluj. Drogba, one of Chelsea’s most important players in last year’s tournament, and former Real Madrid player and European champion Sneijder have strengthened a squad that already has outstanding offensive power. Elmander, Spanish Riera and Burak Yılmaz, who ties Cristiano Ronaldo for top scorer in the competition, round out Galatasaray’s attacking potential, as well as Altintop, former Real Madrid player until last year.

Radamel Falcao: 'Anti-Real Madrid' clause

When Radamel Falcao opted to stay at Atletico Madrid last summer for another season, despite being the subject of dizzying offers of over 45 million euros, he did so conscious of the fact that he owed something to the club with whom he had reached global fame. He insisted he was staying because he was enjoying himself at the Calderón, and the board and coach Cholo Simeone wanted him to stay on for another season so they could buy some time to prepare for his eventual inevitable departure.

Radamel Falcao

The president, the coaching staff and players are now resigned to the fact he will depart the club this summer for greener pastures, leaving a hole in the squad but filling a gap in their accounts in times of need (they still owe Porto two installments for Falcao which they are unable to pay at the moment.)

According to sources from one English club interested in signing the player, Falcao has done something else to help Atletico. His contract is believed to contain an 'anti-Real Madrid' clause that will please fans of Los Rojiblancos and soften the blow of seeing the Colombian in a white shirt if he does end up at the Bernabéu. Falcao will cost any club 60 million euros (Chelsea made a bid for 55 million in the summer and Atletico will not sell the player for any less than 60m). But, if Madrid do come knocking on the door, his price will rise to 75 million euroos. However, sources from Atleti consulted by AS maintain that Falcao will not be playing for Real Madrid next season, and do not even rule out the possibility that the Colombian will still be at Atleti in 2013-14.

Aguero to sign for Real Madrid this summer?

Aguero could back to be Real Madrid target for next summer. The Argentine striker is not comfortable in Manchester City and the white club is considering the signing after the irregular season of Benzema and Higuain. In addition, the Argentine, who already flirted with Madrid, has always shown his desire to wear the white shirt.

Kun Aguero

In the Bernabeu not forget his statements last September, after the match Real Madrid vs Manchester City of the group stage of the Champions League: "If Real Madrid had wanted to sign me, I would play for them. If I am in the City is because Real Madrid did not show real interest in me. I take the opportunity to deny the report in which I supposedly said I would never play for Real Madrid according to my past as Atletico player."

Real Madrid's pre-season 2013: Los Angeles

It is planned, Real Madrid will make the pre-season 2013 in Los Angeles. Everything is planned and closed in the absence of the rivals in the friendly matches. With or without Jose Mourinho ahead of Real Madrid, Real Madrid will begin the pre-season on American soil for the fourth consecutive year: it will be the USA Summer Tour 2013. The club is working ahead and anticipating and all is already advanced.

Real Madrid pre-season 2013 will take place at Los Angeles

The preparation will take place on the campus of UCLA, which is where Real Madrid will train every day. It has very modern facilities according to Mourinho's taste. Located in Westwood, near Beverly Hills. The extensive sports complex has a baseball field and two soccer fields, a gym with the latest equipment and even has a hospital at the campus to deal with any eventuality. They will be about ten days and then Real Madrid will travel around the country to play several friendly matches. The idea is, in addition to Los Angeles, repeat match in Las Vegas and even in New York, but that will depend on the rivals and the competition management, the World Football Challenge.

The friendlies in USA will not be the only matches to play before the start of the official competition. Real Madrid, in principle, plans to participate in the Audi Cup, to face Bayern Munich that always disputes this summer tournament. It will be a single match and still must be decided the field to play; in the Allianz Arena (Munich) or in a Chinese stadium, as happened last season.

The first days of the pre-season 2013, Real Madrid squad will not be complete. The Spanish and the Brazilian international players, who will play the Confederations Cup from 15 to June 30 will not join the white team at the beggining. Depending on the success of their national teams, they will have an exact date to return to Real Madrid.

Update

Iker Casillas is back

Iker Casillas was a lone figure on the number 1 pitch at the Valdebebas Sports City on Tuesday. Mourinho had given his players the day off, but there is no rest for the Real Madrid goalkeeper. Since undergoing surgery on January 25, he has visited the training facility every single day. He had already done some lighter ball work on Monday, but it was on Tuesday that he put on the gloves for the first time since being injured. The doctors had predicted a three-month absence, but Casillas is about to perform a new miracle, cutting that short by a month.

Iker Casillas at Valdebebas

The first team of Real Madrid returned to training at Valdebebas after the league match in Vigo, under the command of coach Jose Mourinho. Real Madrid squad completed its first closed-door session of the week, for preparing the next league match against Mallorca on Saturday (8.00 pm CET) at the Bernabeu. The novelty of the week comes from Casillas who is in the last step for the recovery and return to the collective work: the countdown in the last phase of the Casillas' recovery, sidelined with a broken left hand since late January.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper set foot on the grass last week in the preparatory sessions, but has already begun training with hands, although under preventive measures such as lower weight and solidity of balls. Casillas trained for almost two hours with Silvino Louro - first in the gym and then out on the field. He was back between the goal posts and blocking the balls the goalkeeping coach fired at him without any problem. The chance that Casillas might train this week with the rest of his teammates has not been ruled out.

About Mourinho's future (3): "I do not base my decisions on whether I win or not"

The British newspaper 'The Sun' published today on its website an exclusive interview with Jose Mourinho in which the coach says has been a good week of results for Real Madrid but he has better in his career, for example with Inter. Mourinho also talks about his future: "I do not base my decisions on whether I win or not."

Jose Mourinho

A victory at Old Trafford and wins home and away against Barcelona — most managers dream of such a run. But the Real Madrid boss just shrugged and smiled at the suggestion that it was a remarkable set of results. It started with a stunning 3-1 triumph over arch-rivals Barcelona in the Nou Camp to reach the final of the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) quickly followed by a 2-1 La Liga (Spanish Laeague) win over Barca back at the Bernabeu. And finally came the 2-1 Champions League victory at United courtesy of the Red Devils’ former hero Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid's lifeguard in Spanish League

Cristiano Ronaldo is invincible when scores in the Spanish league. Since he joined Real Madrid, the Portuguese international has never yet lost a Spanish League match in which he's scored a goal. It all started during his debut match with Real Madrid on August 29, 2009 against Deportivo at the Bernabeu, when he scored and they won. Three and a half years later, he's still advancing victoriously. And that's no mean feat.

Real Madrid is undefeated in the Spanish League when Cristiano Ronaldo scores

When CR7 scores in La Liga (Spanish League), Real Madrid never loses. The only teams who have managed to scrape a draw in a match where he scored are, Barcelona (twice), Villarreal and Espanyol. The results are impressive: 75 wins and 4 draws. Thanks to the goals Cristiano Ronaldo has scored, Real Madrid has achieved 229 points. Or, to put it another way, white team has only conceded 8 points of a possible total of 237.

During his first season, the Portuguese scored in all 19 games and Real Madrid won each time: 19/19. It doesn't get better than that. In his second year at Real Madrid, CR7 scored more goals but did so in the same number of matches, 19. However, that season Barcelona crossed his path, and the end result was 18 wins and 1 draw. Last season not only did he continue to uphold 'Cristiano's Law', but the prolific striker was the undisputed master of the Spanish League. He scored on 27 matchdays and Real Madrid won on 26 occasions. This season it's been more of the same. He’s scored in 14 games and Real Madrid hasn't been beaten in any of them.

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About Mourinho's future (2): Real Madrid 2013 pre-season

Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho, has not spoken about his future on the white team or out of the team. This lack of information is fueling rumors, so that the Spanish press releases informations of all kinds. Today, according to the information from LaSexta TV, the Portuguese coach is using the two-day break of the squad to outline the next summer pre-season. An information that talks about the Mourinho's continuity on the bench of Real Madrid, which in recent times has been called into question in different ways.

Jose Mourinho at UCLA (2012 Real Madrid pre-season)

Jose Mourinho does not hear the rumors about his move from Real Madrid. The Portuguese is just doing his job, and part of it, is the planning for the preparation of next season, because, until there is no an agreement in opposite way, Mourinho has contract with the white club until 2016. Therefore, Mourinho plans the next pre-season for the year 2013. Althoguht all has to be said, the pre-season 2013 was already outlined.

Tottenham wants to sign Gonzalo Higuain

Tottenham wants to sign Gonzalo Higuain and Real Madrid aims to address the signing of Gareth Bale, according to what the British press has been publishing in recent weeks. The interests of both clubs this summer intersect and could produce a large-scale operation. Gonzalo Higuain could lower the high claims of the 'Spurs'. Tootenham is asking Real Madrid around 70 million euros by the Welsh player.

Gonzalo Higuain

'The Guardian' takes for granted the leaving of Higuain from Real Madrid and ensures that the player himself has already communicated it to the managers of the club. The Argentine is completing his seventh season at Real Madrid, where he arrived with only 18 years. Higuain's future is not entirely clear. At the end of last season Higuain was about to leave Real Madrid, but eventually 'Pipita' decided to stay. Now, after his erratic season, his fate may be in the Premiership. And Tottenham seems it will play the Champions League next season. A positive fact for Higuain.

On the other hand, Real Madrid has shown interest in signing the Welshman, whose price can vary between 50 and 70 million euros. Gareth Bale is making a fantastic season at Tottenham and has become one of the most coveted pieces of the football market.

Another highlight is the possible signing of Radamel Falcao. Real Madrid wants a striker. Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain have decreased their good scoring numbers of the past season and Mourinho is upset. This could be the final trigger for the move of the Argentine player, who has spent three years fighting with Karim Benzema for a starting lineup place and has not managed to maintain consistency in his performance.

Khedira: "Real Madrid has been a lucky break for me"

"Real Madrid has been a lucky break for me". Sami Khedira is one of those players who doesn't hide his good fortune, both making a living playing football and playing at Real Madrid. He says as much on his website, where the German comes out of his shell and shows his more personal side. "My life at Real Madrid is perfect. I feel very much at home in Spain and all I can say is that I’m the luckiest person in the world since I joined this club," Khedira said on his website.

Sami Khedira

The German is enjoying some of his best moments at the club. The fans are taking note of the hard work he does for the team and he knows that he’s always had the backing of his teammates and Mourinho, the man who's shown the most faith in him.

Mourinho predicts a great future for Khedira at Real Madrid: "He has to stay here for many years. Why would a player as intelligent as him want to leave? Sami does amazing things on the pitch and he's mastered his position perfectly".

2013: Good start for Real Madrid

Real Madrid is getting numbers of champion in 2013. The setbacks in the early part of the championship do not allow the white team to fight for the League but its numbers elude suspicion of contempt for the Spanish national championship. In fact, after this matchday, Real Madrid is second in the table, surpassing Atletico Madrid for the first time this season, and with better numbers than Barcelona (25 points vs 22). A reaction driven in large part by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored two victory goals in Vigo.

Real Madrid is living a great 2013

In late 2012 the team of Mourinho, seeing the pace of the leaders and punished for its mistakes, decided to focus hard on the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) and the Champions League, and the plan still going smoothly (Cup finalist and Champions League quarterfinalist). But neither neglected the regular tournament. And is that the white team has won 8 out of 10 games (Real Sociedad, Valencia, Getafe, Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano, Deportivo, Barcelona and Celta Vigo) has played in 2013, drawn one (Osasuna) and lost another (Granada).

Celta Vigo 1 - 2 Real Madrid (Spanish League, Day 27)

Real Madrid were far superior to Celta and deservedly came away with the win from the Balaidos stadium, and should have come away with a bigger margin given the number of chances that they created. The crossbar, which Cristiano Ronaldo found with a header, and Javi Varas’ blocks prevented any goals before the break. They all came in the second half. It was the Portuguese who put the Whites ahead by taking advantage of a rebound from a Callejon shot when he beat Javi Varas on the half-turn. Two minutes later the match was once again level. Aspas shot, but the ball deflected off of Pepe and beyond a wrong-footed Diego Lopez. Kaka's introduction in the 66th minute was decisive and five minutes later the Brazilian provoked a clear penalty that Cristiano Ronaldo converted.

Cristiano Ronaldo's brace secures win in Vigo

In Balaidos Real Madrid were looking to continue their magnificent week in which they qualified for the cup final and the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It was not going to be easy considering that Celta were fighting to get out of the relegation zone and their stadium was filled to capacity for the first time this season. The home side’s bold and aggressive start, with a very high defensive line, was testament to that and they brought the best out of Diego Lopez, who showed the exceptional form that he is in. Aspas shot across the goal in the 10th minute and the visitors’ goalkeeper pushed the ball wide for a corner. The subsequent rehearsed set piece play ended with an Alex Lopez volley from the edge of the area and an amazing full stretch save from the Real Madrid goalkeeper.

Mirror: "Bale, 130 million euros for five years"

The British newspaper Mirror launches today information that has not gone unnoticed by anyone. The British press has spent weeks insisting the possible signing of Gareth Bale for Real Madrid, but Mirror goes further talking about the operation conditions that lead the Welsh player to sign for the white club: 70 million euros transfer and 11.5 millions per season with a contract for five years, a total of 130 million euros.

Gareth Bale

Real Madrid seems better positioned to face the signing of one of the revelations of the last seasons in the Premiership. Gareth Bale could go to the white club if we do not ignore the information every day comes from England, which claims that Florentino Perez is preparing financially to the institution to carry out the operation. The presence of Welsh player at Old Trafford last Tuesday has increased the rumors, and Mirror newspaper gives figures of Bale's possible move to Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt: Real Madrid deal of the century

Cristiano Ronaldo is also causing a commotion in Real Madrid's official store. His magnificent form and new image, much friendlier, have caused sales of his shirts to soar at the start of this year. His popularity has grown so much that he no longer needs to vie with Iker Casillas to see who can sell the most. CR7 is now the undisputed leader in shirt sales.

Real Madrid store at the Bernabeu Stadium

The 'Cristianomania' began earlier this season in the month of October. That's when he forgot the crisis by sadness and emerged as the undisputed leader of the team. Cristiano Ronaldo, based on goals and work, has pocketed Real Madrid fans, who idolize and support him as never before.