Real Madrid Thread

CISCOEG6 · Novice

top 20 players

1. Alfredo Di Stéfano
2. Zinedine Zidane
3. Raúl González
4. Roberto Carlos
5. Santiago Bernabéu
6. Iker Casillas
7. Fernando Hierro
8. Emilio Butragueño
9. Ferenc Puskas
10. Hugo Sánchez
11. Ricardo Zamora
12. José Martínez Sánchez, "Pirri"
13. Fernando Redondo
14. José Antonio Camacho
15. Carlos Alonso González, "Santillana"
16. Francisco Gento
17. Juan Gómez González, "Juanito"
18. Amancio Amaro
19. Vicente del Bosque
20. Manuel Fernández, "Pahiño"

pancho · Rookie

wow Hugo Sánchez made top 10

elfisk · Rookie

jose · Rookie

Abdullah, acclaimed just recently as the nation’s all-times best footballer, ended his playing career as a brilliant striker with his only club Al Nasr in 1998, waiting 10 years to hold his official farewell gala match.

“I believe it was worth the wait. Real Madrid are the club we are having talks with, and the match is to be held next May, I hope,” Abdullah told reporters.

Sources close to the former Saudi Arabia skipper are claiming that Zinedine Zidane is to play in the Al Nasr team that will face Real Madrid, the second between both sides following the Spaniards’ 3-1 win in the 2000 World Club Championship held in Brazil.

Abdullah masterminded his country to the Asian Cup twice in 1984 and 1988, and helped Saudi Arabia reaching the first ever international event when steering the Gulf giants to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games

jose · Rookie

The 26-year-old has been tipped to leave the Spanish-giants for quite sometime now due to his frosty relationship with Coach Bernd Schuster.

Diarra has not been featuring too heavily recently, and Argentine youngster Fernando Gago is now Schuster’s preferred defensive midfielder.

Inter have identified the signing of a top-class centre midfielder as their priority in this summer's transfer market, as the injury-prone Patrick Vieira, who has missed much of the season with injury, is set to turn 32.

Diarra joined Madrid from Lyon in the summer of 2006 for €26m, however he has never really settled in the Spanish capital.

Reports in the Spanish press this morning suggested that Madrid were looking to replace the Mali international with Chelsea’s Michael Essien, who is keen to leave Stamford Bridge following the departure of José Mourinho.

Essien and Diarra were former team-mates at French-outfit Lyon, where they formed a rock-solid partnership in the middle-of-the-park.

jose · Rookie

Predrag Mijatovic approached Peter Kenyon, when he travelled to London to watch the Blues play Fenerbahçe, about the Ghanaian international and was quoted a price of €35m.

That is €10m more than Madrid were preparing to go with, but the sale of Diarrá may see the Spanish giants counter with a bid of €30m

According to reports, the former Lyon midfielder is keen to leave Stamford Bridge following the departure of José Mourinho and has been weighing up where his next move would be.

Diarra looks certain to leave Madrid as his agent agent, Frederic Guerra, revealed that after Barcelona visit the Bernabéu on May 7, the club should be willing to talk about a transfer..

"We will have to see what happens after Madrid play Barcelona," he said. "After that we will know more clearly what could happen. Diarrá is not happy at Madrid because he is not playing very much. It is a worrying situation."

Bernd Schuster is also said to have told Mijatovic that Essien would be a very welcome addition to the squad as he has never been a big fan of Diará and wants a new defensive midfielder.

jose · Rookie

While the Spanish international admitted that the current back line started slowly, he added that it "may well be the best defence in the world."

He said, "Since I've been here I've not had squads in which everyone can occupy different positions in the central side, as do Torres, Sergio and Heinze.

"I feel more covered than ever."

The defence has helped Madrid climb towards the title, but the stopper does not feel that it's been secured just yet.

"We've not yet won, but we've taken a huge step," he said looking back on the match in Santander. We're prudent, calm, and thinking only of winning on Sunday and being champions as soon as possible."

Putting aside talk of Barcelona needing to give Madrid a guard of honour if they wrap up the title soon, he added, "This season is different. The atmosphere is good because we depend on ourselves. Last year we didn't have that advantage."

That advantage, according to Iker, was partially borne of the 3-2 win at Recreativo earlier in the season - a turning point.

"The key moment of the league was in Huelva," he insisted.

Zamora Trophy

Rumours abounded that Casillas is to be benched after the title is secure so as to guarantee his winning the Zamora trophy for best goalkeeper in a statistical sense.

"I was surprised when I heard about this, as we've not discussed it," he bristled.

"I'd like it - I respect that trophy for what it is - but I prefer team prizes."

One of those is the Champions League, which he "envies" having to watch on TV.

"I'm jealous, thinking that it could be Barça-Madrid," he revealed. "We've already done in Spain what Real Madrid deserve to do, now we must do it internationally."

zdirish17 · Division 2 MVP