REAL MADRID | SUBSTITUTES OR FULL TEAM AGAINST FC BARCELONA ?

For those who may not know, there will be another "Clasico" this weekend. Yes, another match between Real Madrid & FC Barcelona on Saturday at 16.00 as part of Round 26 of La Liga.

For World Football fans this is a blessing but for these Clubs perhaps it is not. In the Barcelona case, they go in after an exhausting Spanish Cup semi last Tuesday which they lost & were eliminated, plus they are going through a rough patch with two losses in a row ( the another was against AC Milan ) & low moral. For Real Madrid its even less comforting as they face next Tuesday an all important Champions League match at Manchester United. The Champions tie is even at 1 - 1 & next weeks match takes on a super important dimension as Real Madrid is totally focused to attempt to win the European competition which is historically their obsession.

Thus the dilemma & Spanish Football debate in the local media & football circles. Will Real Madrid start on Saturday with a side full of substitutes? Some speculate that Coach Mourinho will front a Real Madrid team full of players whom normally don´t get a run or aren´t regulars. This way he keeps fresh those players which he counts on for the Manchester United game three days later. Logical if you think about it, Real Madrid has virtually said good-bye to the Spanish League title with FC Barcelona on top & enjoying a 16 point advantage. So why risk? Pragmatism must rule as the reachable objective is the Champions League & not the Liga.

This case gives players like goalie Adan, Carvalho, Albiol, Marcelo, Nacho, Kaka & young Morata a fabulous opportunity to play a "Clasico", a chance to claim a regular place & give them a "World stage" with millions of spectators to showcase themselves & win some glory.

An in-house survey with Real Madrid fans concluded that 90 % feel that Champions is more important than Liga & would field a team of substitutes. Note, a Real Madrid team of substitutes is better than the first teams of 98% of all World Clubs. 

Less of a game therefore? Not at all, a "Clasico" is one of the best & finest games in World Football. There is more than just Football at play, pride & history play their roles & this will ensure a game not to be missed.   

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SPANISH CUP RESULT SEMI | SEVILLA FC 2 - AT MADRID 2

Atletico de Madrid drew tonight 2 - 2 with Sevilla FC in the second semi-final of the Spanish Cup ( Copa del Rey ) 2º leg clash & will meet Real Madrid in the Final in May.

Atletico settled all the issues in the first 30 minutes when they managed two goals that put everything uphill. Individual ( & collective ) actions brought on the scoring with the first goal in the 6th min by Diego Costa & his fancy ball control. The second was a worked piece by Falcao & Costa which ended in a goal for Falcao in the 30th min. 

This put the semi-final tie nearly out of reach for Sevilla FC but Jesus Navas thought differently & began the attempted comeback. The winger scored a magnificent goal in the 39th min & his fighting spirit was contagious for the rest of his team-mates. Top game & best for his side tonight.

The second half was rough & fiercely fought as the home team felt that they could pull off a miracle. They created chances, plenty of opportunities but failed to convert them into goals (Negredo missed some sitters). Then Sevilla midfielder Medal was sent off & left Sevilla with 10 men this did not help their cause. The locals however did not drop their heads & their pride allowed them to equalize in the 91 st min via Rakitic. True grit.

With the nerves & the frustration Sevila FC player Kondogbia was sent off with an ugly action on Costa right at the end of the match.  

Atletico de Madrid defended their advantage & managed to get themselves in the Spanish Cup Final. The final semi-final tie overall result 3 - 4 agg to At. Madrid.

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FC BARCELONA OFFERS 25M€ FOR AC ROMA DEFENDER MARQUINHOS

According to Italian paper "Il Corriere dello Sport", FC Barcelona has made a 25M€ offer for AC Roma Central Defender Marquinhos. This story has been picked up locally by Spanish Sports media & they add that the Italian Club has rejected the offer, apart from others like Manchester United whom are interested in their forward Erik Lamela.

The interesting news on Marquinhos is that the defender is only 19 years of age & is a Football promise. The player has been at Roma a year & has become a vital piece of his team scheme of play. The Brazilian is winning fame for his powerful physical performances  & good defensive positioning on the field.

These characteristics have attracted FC Barcelona which is looking for young class defenders to replace veterans like Carles Puyol. Apart from this, the youth of Marquinhos allows him to quickly learn the "Barça way of play". Although the first offer has been rejected, we may see an insistent Barça & a determined Marquinhos forcing things to advance. Until then we will keep an eye open for developments & if there is news we´ll inform.

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SPANISH CUP | COPA DEL REY | SCORE | FC BARCELONA 1 REAL MADRID 3 ( 2-4 AGG )

Real Madrid eliminate FC Barcelona from the Spanish Cup ( Copa del Rey ) after defeating the home side 1 - 3. The overall aggregate score for the home & away semi-final tie ended thus 2 - 4 in favour of Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona started better as Real looked nervous & unsettled. Lionel Messi had a golden chance to score early but missed,  & perhaps that was a turning point. Finding their game Real Madrid exploited what they do best, counter-attack & utilize their man in current top form Cristiano Ronaldo who was brilliant tonight & the man of the match.

It was he who running at goal forced Barça defender Pique to foul him in the goal square & call a penalty in the 13 th min. Cool as a cucumber CR7 smashed it pass goalie Pinto & into the net to open proceedings. It was the 6th straight time Ronaldo visits "Camp Nou" & scores against FC Barcelona.

Barcelona had some moments & Messi another golden chance from a free-kick but again failed. It was not going to be the Argentines night at all as he was eclipsed by Cristiano Ronaldo. So much so, that the Portuguese was everywhere, rapid, dangerous & in goal-scoring mood.

Later Di Maria spearheaded a counter-attack, that broke Puyol with dribbling to shot the ball at goalie Pinto which bounced off him to find Cristiano Ronaldo waiting & controlling to score his second in the 57 th min. 

Andres Iniesta tried all night & deserves a mention, but his team was shaken after the second Real Madrid goal to evidence that Barça are going through a "rough patch" with their Football. Rattled & imprecise in their passing the third goal came in the 68th min from a corner that young French defender Varane headed to score, unstoppable.

Outstanding from Varane who once again showed us that we are witnessing the coming of age of something very special, a World Class defender & Footballer, who was all night cool under pressure & grand in defence. 

With the game out of reach & the semi-final tie obviously gone of Barça, Real Madrid relaxed somewhat from their intense efforts & allowed Barcelona more control. In one of those moments Barcelona defender Jordi Alba found space & scored the consolation goal in the 88th min.

A deserved victory for Real Madrid which goes into the Spanish Cup Final against the winner of tomorrow nights semi between Sevilla FC & Atletico de Madrid. 

Both Fc Barcelona & Real Madrid will meet & play again next weekend in the Liga Round 26  fixture. Perhaps Barça will take their revenge, perhaps Real Madrid will re-confirm the drop in Barça´s form. Either way tonight, Real Madrid is victor & will thus enjoy the praises.

Conclusion, it was a top match of Football tonight.

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POSSIBLE REAL MADRID STARTING 11 LINE-UP | SPANISH CUP 2 º LEG SEMI

This line-up comes out of the Real Madrid website, the possible starting 11 line-up against FC Barcelona in tonight's Spanish Cup ( Copa del Rey) 2º leg return semi-final. Seeing that it does come from the "horse's mouth" makes me wonder even more if Coach Mourinho isn´t hiding a card or two up his sleeve. Seems too early & public to have this information circling around before the "Clasico".

Possible starting 11 line-up Real Madrid:
Diego Lopez; Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Coentrao; Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Kaka, Özil, Cristiano Ronaldo & Higuaín.

There are however lingering doubts with the starting line-up with these currently mentioned players having stiff competition for their place:
Higuain ( perhaps Benzema? )
Kaka ( perhaps Di Maria?)
Coentrao ( perhaps Marcelo? )
& Varane? 

Doesn't the French youngster deserve a start for his brilliant performance & goal against Barça in the home 1º st leg match? Perhaps neither Coentrao or Marcelo will start & Arbeloa will be moved over to the left-back side & Sergio Ramos moved to the right-back side to give room for Varane. Why not?

As you can see plenty of variations available for Mourinho. The final starting 11 will be known 45 mins before kick-off. 

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LEVANTE 0 OSASUNA 2 | SPANISH FOOTBALL - LIGA - MONDAY NIGHT SCORE

Last scheduled match of Round 25 of La Liga in the now regular Monday Night Football game. Spanish Football Clubs Levante & Osasuna fought it out in a competitive encounter with the main action happening in the latter part of the clash. The final score went to Osasuna winning 0 - 2 & giving the latter three valuable points to lift them up the classification ladder & out - for now - from the relegation zone. 

As mentioned the game was relatively even up until the last 10 minutes of play that saw some individual pieces shift the balance. The first was the goal from Osasuna player Masoud in the 88 th min with a shot whipped out of nowhere from the outer box area to beat the keeper. Magnificent.

The second Osasuna goal caught a "rattled" & tired Levante off guard to see how Kike Sola scored in the 94th min. A goal that summarized the efforts from Osasuna which never gave in & was compensated with the final prize, the victory & the vital points. Deserved.

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SPANISH CUP | FC BARCELONA POSSIBLE STARTING 11 LINE-UP

Atmosphere building up at Barcelona as the 2º leg of the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) semi-final against Real Madrid is just a day away. The tie is open as the 1º leg home game finished in a 1 - 1 draw. 

While Real Madrid contemplates their starting 11 line-up on whether Kaka starts in place of Di Maria, Barcelona has its own thinking to do as well. The loss in Champions League against AC Milan brought on criticism that Barça hasn´t a "Plan B" when teams put up a defensive strategy. Barça plays its possession game but bounces into & off the "wall" set up by their defensively situated opponents.  Caretaker Coach Roura is meditating the starting 11, as his habitual "star" line-up has only managed 2 wins from the last 5 games. Added to this Barcelona is being scored goals above the rate that we all have been accustomed to in the last seasons.

The speculated starting 11 at this precise moment is most likely:
Pinto ( goalie used for Spanish Cup ) , Alves, Pique, Puyol, Alva, Busquets, Xavi, Cesc , Iniesta, Messi & Pedro. 

Will this finally be the FC Barcelona starting 11 line-up against Real Madrid? 

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SPANISH FOOTBALL LIGA | ROUND 25 SUNDAY GAMES SCORES

Spanish Liga action with four Round 25 Sunday matches scheduled. Here is a brief run-down of events, final scores & the goalscorers.

Madrid Club Rayo Vallecano had their 4th  straight home ground unbeaten run ended after going down 1 - 2 to Valladolid. Match that played an ironic twist on Rayo player Amat when his own goal put Valladolid ahead in the 71st min & then he equalized with a 45 mts shot that surprised the Valladolid goalie. Valladolid forward Manucho got the winner in the 79th min.

Both Celta de Vigo & Granada aren't in great shape on the lower end of the Spanish Football League classification table. Today both played out a disputed encounter with Celta taking the three points winning 2 - 1.

Celta player Aspas opened in the 24 th min & Granada player Ighalo equalized in the 28th min. Very competitive thereafter with chances going to both sides, but it was Bermejo who got the winner for Celta in the 80th min. 

Atletico de Madrid got back to winning ways defeating RCD Espanyol 1 - 0. Good match from Atletico if you consider that they were down 10 men from the 49 th min when Captain Gabi got a red card (double yellow). In fact Atletico played much better with 10 men & dominated the 2º half & could have scored more goals.

The only goal & the winner for Atletico came in the 37 th min with a penalty that Falcao transformed & who got in the process his 21 st Liga goal this season. Great & spirited game from Diego Costa for Atletico who won the penalty & a standing ovation from the home crowd when substituted in the second half.

Sourthern Spain ( Andalucian ) derby between Real Betis & Malaga FC. The home team gave a good "hiding" to Malaga winning 3 - 0. Malaga FC did not recover from the 40 second goal scored by Betis player Molina. The second came relatively soon for Betis via Mario in the 27th min & Pabon got the third in the 45 th min.

Malaga then lost Camacho to a red card in the 62 nd min which killed off any hopes of making a comeback no matter how remote that seemed. 

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MANCHESTER CITY 40M GBP MOVE ON FALCAO ?

There is more news coming out of England regarding Atletico de Madrid Colombian forward Falcao. According to the "Mirror.com" Manchester City has began moves to tempt Falcao & convince Atletico de Madrid with a 40M GBP offer to get the forward over to Manchester.

The Club under Sporting Director Txiki Begiristain ( ex FC Barcelona Football Director ) wishes to place his Club in the front row of the European market that opens the 1 st of July. Nearly all the major European Football Clubs are already scouting , talking & positioning themselves with the future signing objectives. Manchester City does not wish to be left behind, something Manager Mancini has accused the Club in past seasons.

Manchester City will have & has competition in Real Madrid & FC Barcelona. Three City targets Falcao, Cavani & Neymar have the big Spanish Football Clubs already with their homework done & in the case of Barça with a pre-agreement with regards Neymar. The case of Falcao & Real Madrid has been full of speculation with also a rumoured pre-agreement that has not been confirmed. But lately Chelsea FC is rumoured to be in the front running in the race to lure Radamel Falcao.

What can be said however is that the relations between Manchester City & Real Madrid are optimal as both Man City owner & Real Madrid President share more than Football interests. Their friendship is well known & we could see a player swap or even "verbal agreement". If Falcao was to land in Machester City a current striker would have to move elsewhere, that player could be Sergio Aguero to Real Madrid.

Stay tuned!

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FC BARCELONA - REAL MADRID | COMING UP 2º LEG SPANISH CUP SEMI-FINAL

Next Tuesday we will live another "Clasico" of Spanish Soccer between FC Barcelona & Real Madrid. The occasion is the 2º leg return match of the Spanish Cup semi-final at "Camp Nou" ( Barcelona ). The first leg semi at the "Santiago Bernabeu Stadium" ended in a 1 - 1 draw with goals from Cesc Fabregas for Barça & Varane for Real Madrid.

The next couple of days we will be getting more & more media buzz building up to this greatly anticipated match. Meanwhile just in case you missed the 1º st leg Spanish Cup semi game here is a summary of the highlights & the goals on video:

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ANZHI MAKING A MOVE ON VALENCIA CF RAMI

According the Spanish Sports media, French International & Valencia CF defender Rami could be experiencing his last days at Valencia CF. The Russian Football transfer market is open & Russia Club Anzhi has approached the defender to sign.

Anzhi wants to find a class defender to fill the place left open by Samba who transferred to English Premier League Club Queens Park Rangers. 

The contract release clause for Rami was lowered from 25M€ to 12M€ at the beginning of the month & this has made Rami a very attractive asset to go after & attempt to sign. It is said the Anzhi & Rami are negotiating & that Rami asks to a 5M€/ year salary. If they come to an agreement Anzhi would pay directly the 12M€ contract release clause & take the defender from Valencia CF even if they both have a contract until 2015.

Rami would join fellow country-man Lass Diarra ( ex-Real Madrid) who is playing at Anzhi & who has been giving Rami advise & encouragement to go over. The Russian transfer market shuts the 28th of February. 

Stay tuned!

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SPANISH FOOTBALL ROUND 25 SATURDAY GAMES RESULTS

Four games scheduled today of Round 25 of La Liga. Here are all the final scores & the goalscorers.

Real Mallorca lost 1 - 3 to Madrid Club Getafe. The home side got themselves ahead in the 24th min via Giovani & here is were their good play ended. Getafe took over with an equalizer from Diego Castro with a penalty "panenka style", followed by two goal from Colunga in the 82 nd min & 85 th min. Mallorca protested the penalty to Castro but they played like a team suffering relegation trouble.

Good game between Real Zaragoza & Valencia CF that ended in a 2 - 2 draw. The home side looked great until the 36th min. Before this Apoño in the 5th min & Postinga in the 32 nd min have given Zaragoza a healthy advantage.

But Valencia reacted with two goals from Jonas in the 36th min & 69th min. Good comeback & deserved shared points.

Deportivo A Coruña hosted Real Madrid & lost 1 - 2. Real Madrid started without  Cristiano Ronaldo, Ozil & Khedira thinking in the mid-week Spanish Cup return leg against FC Barcelona.

The home side played well & got themselves ahead via Riki in the 35th min. The locals controlled until Real Madrid Coach Mourinho made a triple change bringing on Ozil, Khedira  & Cristiano Ronaldo. The latter turned the game around & allowed Real Madrid to take control & grab the initiative. Kaka got the equalizer in the 72nd min from a curler & Higuain got the winner in the 88th min from a CR7 pass.

Di Maria again received a red card. This player has an ongoing "problem" here.

A close call for Real Madrid - again - but the objective was achieved, a victory. 

FC Barcelona won a difficult & sticky Sevilla FC 2 - 1. Lionel Messi had to "save" his team with some individual actions from a serious Sevilla which could have surprised had they been more effective upfront.

Sevilla got ahead via a Botia header in the 42 nd min. This shook Barça into reaction behaviour with a 52 nd goal from David Villa followed by a 59th min goal from Messi. Sevilla attempted the equalizer but missed a sitter from Negredo that can´t be explained. As said, Barcelona suffered for their victory. 

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REAL MADRID | NEXT SEASON SIGNING RUMOURS

Interesting email received from Jessi (Indonesia) asking me which players are Real Madrid looking at for next season. As Jessi,  I imagine many others maybe a bit confused with all the names being written in all the diverse Sports papers & blogs. Thus the email gives me a great opportunity to put up a post that I hope may help summarize the current state of things at Real Madrid.

Firstly, I cannot affirm 100% the names I am going to put below. My sources are as with most of you the same that you have access to, perhaps a bit more from a contact or two, plus I have more access to the local media, but little more.

Secondly, Real Madrid will celebrate Presidential elections in the coming months & current President Florentino Perez - if nothing changes - will stand for re-election & his historical style is big promises, big signings & plenty of future doses of hope. This signals that to lift the spirits of the Club members & the fan-base we could be seeing some surprise signing promises.

The negative part is that for players to come in others will have to leave. Higuain, Benzema & even Cristiano Ronaldo are sounding. The last is still up in the air as he is in contract renewal time, plus Coach Mourinho is speculated that he will leave & no one knows if CR7 will follow him elsewhere.

With this in the air, theses are the names being speculated as possible next season signings:

• Radamel Falcao ( At. Madrid ) . Some say there is a pre-agreement already. However last rumours say that the player is closer to Chelsea FC. Also if Atletico can guarantee Champions League participation next season the Colombian may stay at Atletico.

• Sergio Aguero ( Man City ). Aguero wishes to get out of England due to personal issues. The player has been said to have offered himself to FC Barcelona, but Real Madrid has always had the player in mind & this coming season may be the moment.

• Neymar ( Santos ) . Although everything points to FC Barcelona, Real Madrid hopes the player will go back on his words ( as he did with Real Madrid ) & end up playing at the "Santiago Bernabeu". Slim however.
• Cavani ( Napoles ) . Sounding hot last couple of weeks. The Uruguayan forward has won places & is a candidate. Not too sure if Napoles will make things easy from Real Madrid or any other Club.
• Gareth Bale ( Tottemham Hotspurs ) . Could be the surprise signing that President Perez wishes to lift his popularity & be re-elected with fanfare. Some say there is some kind of agreement & Zidane went to France last week to check out the player in Champions League. Bayern Munich is said to be also fishing here & the price is around 60M€. 

• Isco ( Malaga FC ) . The 20 year old midfielder is the pearl of Spanish Football at this moment. Voted the best U-21 European Player last season. President Florentino Perez again will pull from an old election promise to make Real Madrid "more Spanish". Isco is seen as the important piece in the plan. Other European Clubs also interested in this talent.

These are just a few names & speculations. Sure more & newer names will be appearing in coming weeks & months.

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FC BARCELONA EYES TOTTENHAM GOALIE LORIS ?

FC Barcelona keeps scouting the European Football market for a goalkeeper that will be the substitute for departing Victor Valdes. Weeks back the name Ter Segen of German Club Borussia Monchengladbach was cited as the chosen player & accompanied with a rumoured pre-agreement.

Seems things may be not so clear as Barcelona based Spanish Sports daily "Sport" writes today that Tottenham Hotspurs French International & Captain Hugo Loris may be in fact the real chosen player. The paper cites that the English Premier League Club is already moving to find a substitute & cite Spanish & Osasuna goalie Andres Fernandez as their candidate.

The Osasuna goalie has a 9M€ contract release clause but Tottenham believes that with negotiations they may be able to reduce that figure. Andres Fernandez has been linked to Real Madrid & even seriously considered as the substitute for Victor Valdes by Barça.

Still early days to categorically affirm the above news, but what can be said is that Hugo Loris joins Ter Segen as serious candidates for FC Barcelona. Stay tuned! Tweet

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SPANISH FOOTBALL - ROUND 25 FRIDAY RESULT | AT.BILBAO 1 - REAL SOCIEDAD 3

Round 25 of the Spanish League kicked -off with the habitual Friday Night match. A special game as it was the anticipated & big "Basque Region" derby between Athletic Club Bilbao & Real Sociedad ( city of San Sebastian ). This "derby" is always special & even more when played at Bilbao in the "Cathedral of Spanish Football" the "San Mames Stadium". The followers of both sides get on well & celebrate jointly in the streets before the match, but both Clubs & their fans are people with pride & the loser feels the pinch. Both teams wish to avoid a loss.

The end result was a 1 - 3 victory to Real Sociedad, a very felt loss for Bilbao on their "sacred" turf & with a convincing scoreline. What hurts more the losers is that this is the last derby in this ground before moving next season to the new Stadium  The last anticipated Bilbao hurray on their century long home ground turned sour.

But there is a reason for the Real Sociedad victory, they are simple better this season & the in Euro positions on the Spanish League ladder while Bilbao is having a very poor & inconsistent season full of internal problems on & off the field.

Bilbao got ahead first in the 19 th min with Ibai, but their Football glory & moment would soon end when Real Sociedad equalized via Griezmann in the 33 rd min. From here onwards the visitors took over & went ahead thanks to Aguirretxe in the 66th min & Mexican Carlos Vela got the third in the 76th min.

What made it even more sweet for Real Sociedad is that they have not won in "San Mames" for the last 12 years, & tonight they did in the night of derby farewells from the mythical home ground of Bilbao. Party poopers indeed.

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ATLETICO DE MADRID EUROPA LEAGUE ELIMINATION A BLESSING

The reigning Europa League Champions Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid was knocked out of the competition yesterday by Russian Club Rubin Kazan going down 2 -1 on aggregate. Unexpected result - in my opinion - as Atletico is a better team than Kazan, & heart felt because the fans & players feel the elimination. 

Important players like Ramadel Falcao commented that he received the elimination very hard & was disillusioned with his performance & the result. Even local hero & Coach Simeone received flack & said sorry for his 1 º st leg decision of sending goalkeeper Asenjo in the last moments to find a goal chance to then see the Russian counter-attack that scored a second goal with an empty goal in the last seconds.

But is the elimination all that bad? I would say that it could be a blessing. Atletico de Madrid is a Club that needs money constantly, lots of money to maintain itself in the Spanish & European Football elite. Remember that years back the government intervened in the Club because its debt was out of control. The Club owns around 200 – 300 M€ to the taxman. With this burden & sword hanging over the Club they sell their big names ( Torres, Forlan, Jurado, De Gea & Aguero... ) to play back the Tax Department & in doing so avoid the humiliation & their intervention in the Clubs management. Its a yearly balancing act for Club Directives & extreme pressure on the rest of the Club.

So where is the big money? What can generate the needed constant cash flow? The money is in Champions League & not in the Europa League, in fact the costs of travelling, players insurance & possible injury to important players convert their efforts in important costs. Plus the money earned from the Europa League, 200.000€ approx for a win, is 11M€ getting to the final. Champions League gets you 20M€ just for getting to the Group stage & more as you keep advancing. Last years Champions League finalists Chelsea FC & Bayern Munich earned themselves 60M€ & 45M€ respectively. Add to this merchandising & stadium ticket sells & you can see the real dimensions of the cash flows. 

Atletico de Madrid needs to finish in La Liga in the "Champions League" positions. This year they have a “golden chance” to finish second on the Spanish League classification table which means an automatic pass into the group phase of the top European Football competition, that is , 20M€ in the pocket before starting.

The Europa League elimination means that Atletico can fully focus on maintaining their current second place position on the ladder & in the worst case secure the third place. This must be their only objective. Achieving this the Club has arguments to keep paying good salaries to their current squad, attract bigger names over to sign & perhaps convince Falcao & company to stay at the Club because they have the possibility to perform on the  Best European Football stage.

So, the elimination is not all bad, in fact it may turn out to be exactly what the Club really needed & may I add as a hunch, what the Club wished. 

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EUROPA LEAGUE | ATLETICO ELIMINATED - LEVANTE CONTINUES

Europa League competition tonight with two Spanish Football Clubs in action, one was eliminated & the other went through onto the next round. Here is a brief summary with the final scores & goalscorers.

The reigning Europa League Champions Atletico de Madrid were eliminated by Ruben Kazan. The Spaniards won 0 - 1 but paid for their 1º leg game "sins" as they could not turn around the two away goals - advantage - scored by Kazan in Madrid. The final overall result was 2 - 1 on aggregate for the Russians.

Atletico was without Diego Costa & Arda Turan & the team suffered their absence. Needing two goals to force the extra-time At. Madrid poured on the initiative but failed to convert. Plenty of chances but ineffective when it came to scoring the needed goals.  The Russians always had the psychological & game advantage with their two goals in the bag & they worked on conserving it.

The Spanish team was rewarded late for their efforts when Falcao got a goal in the 84th min. This brought back hope & Atletico nearly pulled it off but Miranda was stopped in the last minute by the Kazan goalie.

Other news worth a mention is the red card to Kazan defender Navas in the 88th min.

Spanish Football Club Levante had a three goal advantage going into the 2º leg game against Olympiakos. The Spaniards put it all beyond doubt & out of any reach for the Greeks when MARTINS scored for Levante in the 9th min. From here onwards the visitors conserved their 4 goal aggregate advantage until the end.

Out of all the Spanish Football Teams that have participated in Europe in the last two weeks  ( Champions & Europa League ) Levante has the honour of being the only Spanish Club that has managed a victory. 

Final score, 0 - 1 to Levante ( 4-0 on aggregate)

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MANCHESTER CITY PUTS SEVILLA FC JESUS NAVAS ON LIST FOR NEXT SEASON

Every year around this time Sevilla FC & Spanish International winger JESUS NAVAS gets his name on the habitual signing rumour mill. If it not Real Madrid, its FC Barcelona or Atletico de Madrid, its natural as the player is a quick, skilful & an exceptional winger.

This time around from England & from the newspaper "Daily Mail" come the news that Manchester City has the Spanish Football Player on their list of possible reinforcements for next season. Ex-FC Barcelona Football Director ( & ex player ) Txiki Beriguistian, is now Top Executive at Manchester City & knows well La Liga & Jesus Navas.

Navas has contract with Sevilla FC & will thus make the English Club either negotiate or have to pay the players contract release clause. Either option would mean a high payment & offer if the idea is to have success. Sevilla President Del Nido has a local reputation as being a "fierce" negotiator & will no doubt squeeze Man City to the maximum.

Stay tuned,  as this is currently only rumour & there is still plenty of months left for the end of the season.
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REAL MADRID RETURNS WITH "SPANISH FLAVOUR" PROMISE

Presidential election time coming up soon at Real Madrid & that means lots of promises & fanfare. Today Spanish Sports paper "AS" talks about current President Florentino Perez & his long-time desire to make the team more "Spanish", that is, less foreign players & more local product. Its an idea that comes up every election time & never really gets done. 

This time around Perez has in mind a couple of local material names for next season. The first is 20 year old ISCO of Malaga FC, the pearl of Spanish Football, plus recoup 21 year old right-wing defender Carvajal currently at Bayern Laverkusen.

Isco: Malaga FC

With the latter, why did he leave originally? In fact many home-grown talents have had to leave the Club of their lives to latter return & play: Arbeloa, Diego Lopez, Granero are just a few. In the case of Isco, what about  inhouse youngsters like Morata, Jose Rodriguez, Jese etc. , whom are given little time or opportunities?

It´s  a great idea to give Real Madrid a more Spanish flavour, but I don´t believe it. Heard it all before & the idea never gets put into practice. The "foreign Coach" at the realm nearly always opts for the International composition & leaves the local product "sucking bench" & eventually leaving. Its the characteristic of this Club called Real Madrid, that all the great World players end up playing at the Club ( like Barcelona ) & not always the "Best Spanish players".

Election promises & marketing. Its sound great but Real Madrid fans don't get too excited about it all.
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT | AC MILAN 2 FC BARCELONA 0

Champions League continued tonight with the last Spanish Football representative FC BARCELONA visiting "San Siro Stadium" to play AC MILAN. The result is a bit of a shock as the Italians won 2 - 0 & take over to Barcelona a very nice couple of goals. 

Milan planned their strategy well. Wait for Barcelona, defend well & when given the chance attack to fish up front. They managed to put in place their ideas very well tonight neutralizing Messi & company to just passing & without being able to penetrate close to the goal. It was Milan that had the early chances with Boateng & El Shaarawy almost putting Milan in front.

Naturally after 40 - 50 minutes with the same situation one gets frustrated & some Barça players got nervous & played less. More inaccurate passing, ball losses & fouls began appearing in the Barça scheme of play.

From a free-kick in the 56th min came a drive from Milan midfielder Monteolivo that hit the wall & the ball fell to Boateng who scored pass Victor Valdes. It was a hand-ball & the goal should not have been given but the referee did not see it & gave it as good.

This forced Barcelona to attack more & thus leave spaces open in the defence. Barça put Alexis on for Cesc Fabregas to find a way to crack open the Milan defence but found a solid wall.

Then in the 80th min a defensive lapse by Barcelona allowed Muntari alone in the area who fired in the second goal for the Italians. It was all rush for Barça there after in order to find the away goal at least, but failed in their efforts. The Italians are masters of blocking out the opponent & withstanding the result in their favour, & they did.

Big night for Milan who deserve the win for their persistence & discipline which cancelled out all the Barcelona efforts. Milan is currently in the box seat, but Barcelona at home will be dangerous & wanting to fix tonight's slip & pride hurting loss.

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CARLO ANCELOTTI GIVES HIS VERBAL OK TO REAL MADRID ?

French Paper "Le Parisen" reports that Paris St Germain Italian Coach Carlos Ancelotti has give a verbal OK to Coach REAL MADRID. The Italian has been on the Real Madrid agenda many times in the past & is an "old" desire of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez who has returned to look for the PSG Coach.

However, this is not confirmed 100% & there are other names being rumoured at this moment. Chelsea FC Coach Rafael Benitez blew a kiss this week with loving comments plus Swansea Coach Michael Laudrup is being talked about as well, along with Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp.

Everything looks more clearer as weeks pass that current Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho will leave at the end of the season. The Portuguese Coach leaves due to dressing room problems with "heavy-weights" Ramos & Casillas, plus he feels he hasn't the backing of the President & the Club. In fact, the rumours go further saying that if Real Madrid gets knocked out of Champions League that Mourinho could exit earlier than the end of the season.

Fate could play a hand in this case as Mourinho could well end up at Paris St Germain while Ancelotti lands in Real Madrid. Sort of ironic ( in the good sense ) if this does happen in the end.

Said all this, it is all currently rumour, there is still plenty of matches & months left before the end of the season & Football changes on a daily basis. Mourinho could be throwing a "poker bluff" to get his ways at Real Madrid or cunning up some twisted motivational strategy. Who knows really, but as mentioned, the rumours get hotter as days & weeks go by & I am also thinking that Mourinho has set his mind on leaving.

Stay tuned!

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FC BARCELONA - AC MILAN MUCH MORE IN COMMON

What have all these Football Players in common?
Bojan Krkic. 
Ronaldinho. 
Patrick Kluivert. 
Winston Bogarde. 
Michael Reiziger. 
Ronaldo. 
Rivaldo. 
Ibrahimovic.
Other names
Dugarry, Van Bommel, Maxi López, Zambrotta, Davids & Albertini 

As Spanish Sports paper "Marca" points out today, all are have had played ( Bojan currently playing ) at FC Barcelona & AC Milan. Both Clubs have obviously a very close working relation.

Tonight both Clubs will meet in the away 1º leg Champions League clash at San Siro(Milan).

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FALCAO WANTS TO STAY AT ATLETICO DE MADRID. REALLY ?

RADAMEL FALCAO has been in Spanish Football two seasons & he has scored 60 goals from 75 games with Atletico de Madrid. Not bad, which explains why the big European Clubs are after his services. Two Clubs stand out at the moment & are rumoured to be the Strikers possible next destination next summer : either Real Madrid or Chelsea FC.

However it has been commented that Falcao has said recently that staying at Atletico de Madrid is his best option. He desires to stay out his remaining three years of contract. Falcao wishes to continue growing as a player at Atletico.

If two days is a lifetime in Football how can anyone think ahead three years? Grow further  at Atletico de Madrid? I don't believe the player, not calling him a liar at all, but following orders from his sleek representative Jorge Mendes who knows well to manage the times.

Things are getting too hot with rumours with Falcao lately & its still too far away from the end of the season when the real business begins & gets done. The Colombian International does not want to stir up his Atletico fans either, so its best to dodge the issue & the rumours & fizz out the transfer speculation fires.

Falcao will be a summer Sports paper seller. Stay tuned.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT | OPORTO 1 - MALAGA FC 0

Champions League tonight with Spanish Football Club MALAGA FC visiting OPORTO in the away 1º leg match in the last 16 phase of the European competition. Given that Malaga had a very bad night things could have been worst & the final 1 - 0 result to the Portuguese leaves it all wide open for the return leg.   

Deserved victory for Oporto which pressured all night Malaga to stop them playing comfortably the ball. The midfield was owned by the locals & this frustrated all game the Spaniards who could not get it flowing at all. Regular stars like Isco was a shadow tonight.

The winner came in the 56th min when MOUTINHO - my man of the match - sneaked through the Malaga defence while they watched an excellent passed ball from the left wing brush them all. The video would later show that it looked very much like off-side but the goal stood & it was to be become the winner.

Malaga will leave unhappy, their game was very poor, but as mentioned above this tie isn't decided & that means there is still a chance & hope.

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SPANISH FOOTBALL YOUNG TALENTS

Spanish Sports paper "Marca" did an interesting piece today on Young Liga players that are performing outstandingly with their Clubs. As correctly written they are 19 - 21 year olds who are taking their opportunities to win themselves a place in their respective teams & giving faith to their huge natural Football talent.

Here are just a few names of players who are cuurently starring: 


Thibaut Courtois (20 years - At.Madrid). Currently on loan from Chelsea FC. The player has matured at the Spanish Football Club & this year is turning out to be exceptional. Already with Europa League & Euro SuperCups titles under his belt.

Raphael Varane (19 años - Real Madrid). Defender with the Football World under his feet. Magnificent talent that has already been called up to the full French National Team.

Isco (20 años - MAlaga FC). Voted the Golden Boy 2012 as the Best U-21 European Football Player. Talented midfielder with goal. Debuted with the full Spanish National Team against Uruguay.

Leo Baptistao (20 años - Rayo Vallecano). Young Brazilian with many years in Spain already. One of the sensations of this current season. Will move to At. Madrid next season. Big talent.

Bernat (19 años- Valencia CF). Big hopes placed on this youngster at Valencia CF. Quick & very good with his feet a constant danger for opposition defenders. Could be a local idol.

Joel Campbell (20 años - Real Betis). On loan from Arsenal. The Costa Rica player is giving the Spanish Club important goals. Showing his class in La Liga

Ruben Pardo (20 años - Real Sociedad). So mature for his age. The Real Sociedad midfielder is being followed by the big European Clubs. Future Spanish Football talent assured.

Alvaro Morata (20 años - Real Madrid). A great white hope. Real Madrid longs for a "club-born" player to make it, just like Raul. The forward scored last weekend against Rayo Vallecano.

Koke (21 años - At.Madrid). Spanish junior levels International. Midfieder with goal who is slowly winning his place in At. Madrid. Keeps maturing with every game.

Kondogbia (20 años - Sevilla FC). Powerful French midfieder surprising everyone at Sevilla with his arrivals in the opponents goal area. Becoming a basic piece of the first
team. 

Take note of these names.

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SPANISH FOOTBALL - PICHICHI - TOP GOAL SCORER AFTER ROUND 24

Spanish Football League - La Liga - has already celebrated  24 rounds & there is one player in the goalscoring front that is a clear runaway. So much so that his nearest rival is 13 goals behind & that rival is not just any other Football player. Lionel Messi is currently leading as "Pichichi" ( maximum Spanish League goalscorer ) race with 37 goals ahead of another "Goal machine" Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. This is record-breaking scoring with 13 rounds left of La Liga for season 2012-2013.

In third place is another "goal square killer", Radamel Falcao of Atletico de Madrid with 20 goals & he is not to far behind Cristiano Ronaldo. The current "revelation" this season is Ruben Castro of Real Betis with 12 goals.

I will be keeping you up to date with the goalscorers as the rounds go by in coming weeks. 

Top 15 current goalscorers after 24 Rounds of the Spanish League:

1.Lionel Messi Barcelona 37 goals

2.Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 24

3.Radamel Falcao Atlético Madrid 20

4.Rubén Castro Real Betis 12

5.Aritz Aduriz Athletic de Bilbao 12

6.Roberto Soldado Valencia 12

7.Piti Rayo Vallecano 10

-Álvaro Negredo Sevilla FC 10

-Carlos Vela Real Sociedad 10

10.Óscar González Valladolid 9

-Hélder Postiga Real Zaragoza 9

12.Iago Aspas Celta de Vigo 8

-Isco Malaga 8

-Gonzalo Higuaín Real Madrid 8

-Riki Deportivo La Coruña 8

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ARSENAL FC TO MAKE OFFER FOR VICTOR VALDES ?

If it was any other English paper I would be more confident with the news piece. Seeing the it is "The Sun" one puts the post forward as informative but I would´nt beforehand place a bet on it. Or would I? The news that English Premier League Club Arsenal FC has a 11M€ offer ready to send over to FC Barcelona for their Spanish International goalie VICTOR VALDES is not a far-fetched idea. In fact, most European Clubs given the chance of signing the Barça goalkeeper would jump at it. 

There is another FC Barcelona player sounding loud for Arsenal next season as well. Spanish International forward David Villa has a foot, leg & half body out of the Barcelona door. Football observers from Spain & England are placing the forward in London next season & Arsenal FC is the place. Arsenal made a serious attempt to get Villa last month in the Winter Transfer Market & Manager Wenger personally called Villa to express his wishes to get him over. 

We may see both Valdes & Villa at Arsenal next season. Stay tuned.

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SPANISH FOOTBALL - LEAGUE | ROUND 24 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

Spanish Football celebrated the Sunday games of Round 24 of La Liga with the following final results & goalscorers

REAL SOCIEDAD was frustrated by LEVANTE in  their 1 - 1 draw. The home team again ended up with 10 men which did not help in their objective to win the three points & get closer to Euro positions. Both goals came via penalties, the first to Real Sociedad thanks to Mexican Carlos Vela in the 17 th min & the other to Levante via Michel in the 28th min.

VALENCIA CF was down to 10 men when Tino Costa was sent off in the 27th min. However they managed to defeat a terminally ill REAL MALLORCA 2 - 0 which seems destined for relegation if they continue with this line of Football. The goals came from Ricardo Costa in the 59th min & Roberto Soldado in the 81st min. Special mention to Valencia goalie Alves who became protagonist with his team down 10 men as he made some excellent saves & kept out Mallorca & their hopes.

VALLADOLID went down 0 - 3 to ATLETICO DE MADRID which shook off the mid Europa League blues regaining their Football & confidence. Deserved win as the Madrid team palyed better than the locals the whole game.

Falcao opened things in the 10th min with his goal that was disputed by Valladolid for off-side. In the 53rd min Diego Costa scored the second & Cristian Rodriguez the third in the 89th min from a Valladolid defensive mistake.

REAL MADRID defeated Madrid Club RAYO VALLACANO 2 - 0. Coach Mourinho left on the bench Benzema & surprised when youngster Morata started. The forward did not let go of his opportunity & scored the opener in the 3 rd min. Real Madrid was on a roll & the second came when Sergio Ramos headed the ball into the net in the 12 th min.

Then the crossroads of the match. Sergio Ramos was sent off for a hand-ball that was his second  yellow & left his team with 10 men. Coach Mourinho then made - in my opinion - a strange decision taking off forward Morata to bring on defender Albiol. This changed the teams entire set up & Real Madrid defended & gave the all the initiative to Rayo.

What occurred later is that Rayo Vallecano failed to convert their chances & missed soon excellent chances. A penalty was not called in Rayo favour when Coentrao hand-balled in the square.

If Rayo had converted their chances & been given the penalty we may be now writing something different. What still leaves me bewildered is the Mourinho defensive posture when they had Rayo on the ropes even with 10 men. This will be a post-match talking point.

RCD ESPANYOL continue their winning ways with a 1 - 0 victory over REAL BETIS. Tactical encounter that minimized the opportunities & thus the goal chances. The only goal - & the winner - came early when Sergio Garcia scored for Espanyol in the 7th min. From here onwards the locals were conservative & protected their advantage, while the visitors suffered to move ahead & find the equalizer.

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