Preview: Sevilla vs Real Madrid (League)

Sevilla vs Real Madrid

What otherwise would have been a football match announced with great fanfare, now being presented as a meeting confused between the noise of the Classic, the sanctions from UEFA and the April Fair of Seville. General distraction is also explained becuase today two deeply disappointed teams will face: the one has lost Champions title options and the other for not being able to qualify for that tournament (Sevilla is fifth, eight points behind Villarreal).

However, despite the nostalgia, the game is important. If Rea Madrid can not win today (10:00 pm), tomorrow would be enough to Barcelona a win against Espanyol (7:00 pm) to be crowned League champions. If Sevilla does not win, will not undertake its qualification for the next European League, for which Espanyol is also fighting (four points behind Sevilla). All this without mentioning the rivalry between both teams, much hotter when have to play in the Pizjuán Stadium.

Sevilla ailments are known. In the last game Rakitic was injured (fracture of fifth metatarsal of a foot) as Cáceres (crack in a rib). Navas is also unable to play. Kanoute and Perotti are trailing different physical discomfort, although they may be in the starting lineup. The Argentine will be checked today with a definitive test, with Romaric waiting for events.

With regard to the Champions League match, Real Madrid recovers Sergio Ramos and Pepe, but loses Carvalho (send-off against Zaragoza) and Di Maria (accumulation of yellow cards). Mourinho will combine starters and alternates. If Pepe returns to the midfield, Garay will be central defender with Ramos. It seems like Lass will play in the midfield and on the attack zone, the question focuses on the playmaker place, where Kaka and Özil are disputing the position. Higuain and Benzema are not questioned, nor Cristiano.

No team has left the Sanchez Pizjuan with three points in tow over the last seven weeks of La Liga. Only Barcelona and Malaga managed draws, while Levante, Hercules, Sporting, Zaragoza and Villarreal have all returned home defeated. But, the closest antecedents are favorable to Madrid. Sevilla has lost all three games it has played this season against the whites without scoring a single goal. The League match also had controversial. Despite the win (1-0, Di María), Mourinho showed a list of the thirteen mistakes made ​​by the referee (Clos Gómez). That day the coach demanded more support from the club in his crusade. He succeeded.

UEFA punished Mourinho with five-game suspension

The Control and Disciplinary Committee of UEFA punished Mourinho yesterday with 50,000 euros and five-game suspension. The fifth is subject to an observation period of three years and will only be fulfilled if he comes to be punished.

UEFA believes that Real Madrid coach violated the principles of conduct reflected in Article 5 of the regulations in the first Champions League match against Barcelona and the subsequent press conference. Mourinho already completed one in the second leg of the semifinals at the Camp Nou and as the fifth is conditional, the punishment is reduced to three matches. That means he can not manage in the Champions League until November.

Jose Mourinho

UEFA also punished Pinto, goalkeeper of Barcelona, with three games, which means he can not be in the final of the Champions League against Manchester United at Wembley. Guardiola will be forced to take a substitute of Barcelona B, for this crucial match.

The other sanctioned was Pepe, who received a penalty of one-game suspension. This is an unusual punishment, since the regulation defines the punishment for the "violent game" (as was defined by the referee, Stark, Pepe's action on Alves for which he was send-off) is three-game suspension. It seems a Solomonic decision of the Control and Disciplinary Committee of UEFA. With the punishment of one match, wants to make amends to Pepe without appearing that is re-refereeing the match.

Real Madrid, which has also received a fine of 20,000 euros "for misconduct of its fans", has announced it will appeal the sanction to its coach in the Appeals Committee, which meets on May 16. Real Madrid thinks that the decision continues to suffer from the same defects that contained the initial disciplinary proceedings that made impossible the right to defend its coach, because the specific statements for which that file is opened and for which Mourinho has been sanctioned, were ignored. The press officer of Mourinho, Eladio Parames, also talked about the penalty: "Jose Mourinho does not speak, but he feels bad. He feels like any person who was assaulted in the home, and above, ends prisoner".

Real Madrid 2011-2012 pre-season will start in the U.S.A.

Jose Mourinho is already planning Real Madrid 2011-2012 pre-season. And one of his first decisions is that the team will spend two weeks "confined" in Los Angeles in the same place where he has already prepared this season, the Beverly Hills hotel and facilities at UCLA.

Real Madrid 2011-2012 pre-season will start in the United States

Last summer team was 11 days, but this year Mourinho wants to leave Madrid more time and working with the peace of the most famous residential area in the world. The trip dates are not set yet, but everything suggests that between 11 and 24 July, team will travel to North America. The previous week, 4 to 10, will be to the medical check and first training contact.

What is clear is that the template will enjoy five-week break since the end of the season, depending on how many friendly matches Real Madrid plays before the holidays. Lack to resolve how many holidays will have the Spanish international players, who has matches with the national team, "The Red", until 7 June.

Madrid already has confirmed four friendlies in the summer. On July 20, will face Chivas of Guadalajara in San Diego. White club is looking for two other rivals for this tour. On July 27, team will play against Hertha Berlin on German field, so the whites will return to Spain before heading to China, where has two commitments: on August 3 against Guangzhou Evergrande in the Tianhe Stadium and August 6 in Tianjin, against Teda in the Water Drop Olympic Stadium. Before the start of the Spanish League (August 20-21), will play against Barcelona in the Super Cup tournament (August 14 and 17).

Update: Real Madrid 2011-2012 pre-season schedule

Schalke 04 will be the rival in the "Bernabeu Trophy" 2011

According to sources close to Real Madrid, Schalke 04, team where plays the former Real Madrid player, Raúl González Blanco, will be the rival for the 2011 "Santiago Bernabeu Trophy", what could mean the return of the "Seven" to his house until last year.

Although Real Madrid has to set the exact date, because of the matches of the Spanish Super Cup in which will be seen the Classic between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid as winners in the League and Cup, it seems that the meeting will be held in August, after the first day of the League 2011-12.

Real Madrid and Schalke 04 could have seen the faces this year at Wembley, opportunity that has disappeared after the elimination of both teams in the semifinals of the Champions League against Barcelona and Manchester United.

Raul Gonzalez

Raul Gonzalez made ​​his debut in the first team of Real Madrid in 1994, in which he continued until June 2010 when he announced at press conference his departure to the German Schalke 04 looking for new challenges at the end of his career.

He is a record man in Spanish football and Real Madrid. He remains as top scorer among active players and third leading scorer in the history of the Spanish League, following Zarra and Hugo Sanchez. He is also the top scorer in the history of UEFA club competitions with 73 goals, beating Filippo Inzaghi and Gerd Müller.

He also holds the record for games played in the history of Real Madrid and is the highest goal scorer (323) of the club, ahead of Alfredo Di Stefano. In white he won 6 Leagues, 4 Spanish Super Cups, 3 European Cups, 1 European Super Cup and 2 Intercontinental, which makes him the fourth most successful player in club history following Gento, Sanchis and Chendo.

UEFA will impose an exemplary punishment to Mourinho

Today, the Control and Disciplinary Committee of UEFA may punish Mourinho with a historical monetary fine and a four Champions League games suspension, which would mean that he could not sit on the bench for Real Madrid in Europe's top competition until next November.

Mourinho is accused of violating the Article 5 of the Disciplinary Regulation, on the Principles of Conduct, which stipulates that "member associations, as players, managers and members of a club, should act according to the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship". All of them, according to UEFA sources, were not respected by the coach of Real Madrid during the first match of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona and in the press conference after the meeting.

Jose Mourinho and Wolfgang Stark

Members of the Disciplinary Committee have already exchanged documents and opinions, have formed an idea and today will shape their conclusions at the meeting in Nyon (Switzerland). Probably, Mourinho will be punished with one match suspension, by the send-off he suffered in the Bernabéu Stadium (already completed in the second game), another for violating the "parole" when caused the second yellow card for Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso against Ajax this season, another for his remarks about referees, UEFA and Villar, and one more for a repeat offender. It is even possible that this battery of suspensions will join two other matches of sanction by the gestures he made after the match at Camp Nou in reference to arbitration by De Bleeckere.

In UEFA do not forget that Mourinho had already been banned for two matches in March 2005 for his accusations against the referee Frisk and misconduct in a game against Barcelona, also in the Champions League. This time, Mourinho said he saw the coach of Barcelona, Rijkaard, entering the referee's dressing room at halftime, and therefore decided not to attend the press conference and disallow his players to speak after the game. Frisk and Rijkaard denied the alleged encounter. Swedish referee retired after that episode after reporting death threats from Chelsea fans.

Therefore, the Control and Disciplinary Committee of UEFA believes that Mourinho is a repeat offender in his criticism of referees. Its president, Thomas Partl, has also instructed the press officers of the UEFA in the Champions League matches against Barcelona, a full report on the statements of the coaches and players from both teams after two games. They also have the sanctions applied in past time to the coaches for serious criticism about the fairness of the referees. One of the last, a three games suspension applied by FIFA, for former France coach Domenech, for saying in "Le Parisien" that he had seen "a bought referee" in a match Italy-France (Under-21).

In view of this possible sanction that UEFA will impose Mourinho, the coach will defend in the courts. According to Spanish media, Real Madrid coach will revert to the International Tribunal of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) and whether the decision of this organization was not favorable, he would revert to the ordinary courts of Switzerland. Finally, if the punishment is less than four matches suspension, the Portuguese coach would accept it.

Mourinho plans Real Madrid 2011-2012

For several weeks, Real Madrid has begun planning its future. Nothing depended on what happened in the four Classics because very early, Mourinho identified the shortcomings of the template. Club waited until this time to "give the necessary touches" to improve the team because nobody in the club believes in the winter market unless it was an emergency. Transfers are negotiated better in May. The staff that takes decisions and negotiates contracts is a very small group of people that has become the engine of the club. Is only composed of the president Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez, Zinedine Zidane and Portuguese coach, with the help of a scout to give reports of interesting players.

Zinedine Zidane and Florentino Perez

Since a few weeks ago, Madrid has virtually finished the signing of two players. The first incorporation is Jose Callejon. He will cost five million. The second player for which the club is negotiating with the only need to close some business, is Nuri Sahin, creative midfielder of Borussia Dortmund and voted best player in the Bundesliga for its peers. Sahin hung this information on his Facebook page: "This weekend, I talk to the leaders of the Borussia and will take a decision".

The "bet" for Sahin, definitively ruled out Cesc Fabregas, the player who has been repeatedly offered the chance to lead Real Madrid midfield. Got the offensive midfielder, the coaching staff wants to make three signings: a central defender, another side midfielder and a left back.

Remains to be seen the future of Adebayor. Manchester City striker could stay by 16 million euros, which would rise to 21 million by targets. Mourinho thinks Adebayor is a bargain but at times has doubted that player accepts his role as second or third striker of the team. Mourinho had also identified Didier Drogba as a potential target, but the high fee and relative costs in signing the 33 year old from Chelsea has proven of a deterrant. Furthermore, the club wants more Spanish players in the template, so Morata is a strong candidate to get on the first team.

Separate chapter is that of the outputs, which the club will also be busy. If Kaka gets an offer that meets the expectations, would be welcome. But also, should go Dudek (contract ends this year), Gago (not convinced by his many injuries), Canales (the talented young Spaniard will transfer to take experience) and Pedro Leon (not adapted).

Jose Callejon: Signed by five million euros

Jose Callejón, whose signing will be confirmed by the two clubs at the end of the season, has been a choice of Mourinho, who liked his attitude and actions in the two matches against Espanyol. The striker has "exploded" playing in the sides, a false position from where sometimes he becomes second forward or plays between the enemy lines. His speed and defensive sacrifice are his best weapons. The negotiation was swift: they came warned by a statement of Florentino Pérez in February when he announced the return of a former youth squad. Everything indicated that the "return" would be Dani Parejo, to fill the creative midfield position, but the possible incorporation of Nuri Sahin seems to close the doors to Getafe player.

Callejón, who started 33 times with six goals and ten assists, was signed by Paco Herrera for a million euros from the Castilla and will return to the white club, which had no preferential option, for five million. He will sign for four years and will earn two million per year. The player could have already passed medical checks in the capital of Spain.

The Espanyol player, whose buyout clause is eight million, ends his contract next season and negotiations for renewal were stranded. Real Madrid wants more Spanish players in the staff and although it is rumored that the player could be part of an operation during the summer, Mourinho wants that the player will improve the competitiveness of a young squad with great future.

Jose Callejón