IKER CASILLAS - XAVI HERNANDEZ WIN "PREMIO PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS"
Yesterday a Spanish - a popular late night footy programme - let known that this pre-deal may have got more complex. That is, that it may not go through at all & that the deal maybe in danger. Why?
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Neymar |
The Brazilian Club SANTOS is asking Barça to lift their offer, as "other" European Clubs have approached the Club & have offered more than the Spaniards ( according to Santos). If FC Barcelona does not sign the Brazilian they could also lose the 10M€ advance done to "reserve" the player.
Sounds unprofessional? Santos did the something to Real Madrid which also had a "pre-agreement" before Barcelona stepped in. The Brazilian Club has a long history of not keeping its word or promise & they see Neymar as a "gold-mine" to exploit.
FC Barcelona Directives are said to be concerned, but I feel ( without the full facts ) that it is a tactic from Santos to force a lift in their offer of 60M€.
Stay tuned!
REAL MADRID IS THE DREAM OF FALCAO
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Falcao |
All the above puts the man in the spotlight & on the front pages of the most Sports media. This raises debate & the inevitable speculation & half-truths. The latter are the massive offers - or at least talks/efforts - to take the forward over to Manchester City or Chelsea FC with succulent offers.
The other are the rumours. One which has caught on fire locally is that REAL MADRID has Falcao on its agenda for next season. One would take this as another piece of news selling speculation, however from Colombia we get news that gives the rumour strong possibilities.
The father of Falcao has gone on Colombian radio to say that the wishes of his son is to play for Real Madrid, a from childhood. His desire is to win a Champions League title.
Perhaps we have the first signs of what maybe a future move to bigger & brighter things. I will keep you informed on developments.
IKER CASILLAS - XAVI HERNANDEZ WIN "PREMIO PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS"
The "Premio Principe de Asturias" , is the equivalent of the "Nobel Prize" for Spanish speaking Nations. There are many categories - Social Sciences, Medicine, Literatura, Arts etc - & it is not shut to only Spanish speaking persons or organizations, as many non-Spaniards have been awarded like Woody Allen, Norman Foster, Google, Al Gore, Paul Krugman & Bob Dylan, just to mention a few.
This year the "Sports Award" has being handed to Spanish Football players IKER CASILLAS & XAVI HERNANDEZ for their contribution to Sport, Spanish Football History & for being exemplary models for the youth. These two players have been pivotal in the success of the Spanish National Football Team in winning back to back European Titles & the first ever FIFA World Cup Title. Apart from this they symbolize an off the field "friendship" & Sportsmanship that sets an example to all even though both represent & defend different Club colours locally in which the rivalry has been so fierce the last couple of years that it has bordered on violence
Casillas & Xavi maintain a personal & professional relationship since their youth years representing Spain in all levels that has endured & has been maintain against all external "influences" up till now. The Award prizes their social labours & work .
The "Premios Principe de Asturias" selection committee gave both as "joint-winners" over the other also worthy candidate the "International Paralympic Commitee".
Congratulations to both, as they win more than just a personal prize, they also accept the Award in the name of Spanish Football & perhaps a never to be repeated generation of Spanish Football players.
This year the "Sports Award" has being handed to Spanish Football players IKER CASILLAS & XAVI HERNANDEZ for their contribution to Sport, Spanish Football History & for being exemplary models for the youth. These two players have been pivotal in the success of the Spanish National Football Team in winning back to back European Titles & the first ever FIFA World Cup Title. Apart from this they symbolize an off the field "friendship" & Sportsmanship that sets an example to all even though both represent & defend different Club colours locally in which the rivalry has been so fierce the last couple of years that it has bordered on violence
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Celebrating Euro 2012 title |
Casillas & Xavi maintain a personal & professional relationship since their youth years representing Spain in all levels that has endured & has been maintain against all external "influences" up till now. The Award prizes their social labours & work .
The "Premios Principe de Asturias" selection committee gave both as "joint-winners" over the other also worthy candidate the "International Paralympic Commitee".
Congratulations to both, as they win more than just a personal prize, they also accept the Award in the name of Spanish Football & perhaps a never to be repeated generation of Spanish Football players.
If your visiting this website from outside Spain, as the majority of the readers of "Spanish Football Sports Blog" do, you may be visiting to find out more about the latest CRISTIANO RONALDO affair, or "Crisis". In fact it is the only thing that the local Football & Sports media are talking & writing about today, as the post-match words yesterday from the REAL MADRID star that he was "unhappy" has rocked the Club, fans & baffled (bewildered) insiders & observers.
To put you in the picture, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals yesterday against Granada in Round 3 of "La Liga" match. People noticed that the Portuguese forward did not celebrate his two goals & was logically asked by media for his reasons after the match. The Ronaldo reply was totally "unexpected", as he announced to National media that he was "unhappy" & "sad" & that the Club knew the reasons why. The issues are professional & not personal. This has opened the "Box of Pandora" of speculations & rumours.
Why is Ronaldo unhappy?
The National Sports & Football late-night media shows ( TV & radio ) did not wait & their journalists began working hard to find the scoop & more "juicy" news. It came to light later as the hours passed, that Ronaldo solicited to have a few words with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez the day before where he told him that ..." I feel sad & uncomfortable at the Club & that he desired to leave. He expressed he did not want to continue at the Club" .
A Bombshell!
As you can imagine the Club contacted immediately his representative Jorge Mendes to find out if he had received a "super offer" from another Club that Real Madrid did not know about. The answer was NO. Coach José Mourinho is said to also be in the dark, although he does suspect (logical) something is not right. I believe Mourinho knows much more than he lets us think, he shares the players representative Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo s team-mates when asked were just as surprised as Gonzalo Higuain mentioned..." He looks OK to us". No one apparently knows & thus this is a fertile ground for all types of rumours, speculations & for bad minded tongues.
The suspected motives are various & let's be honest, without any solid evidence at this moment, they are simply more circumstantial than anything else. However, here is a list of the more popular "reasons" being splashed, voiced & put on the table for debate by our local hungry media:
• Problems with Marcelo, who in an interview a month back suggested Iker Casillas deserved to win the"Golden Ball". In fact, some say Ronaldo stopped speaking to Marcelo weeks back.
• That REAL MADRID does not do enough to back him in his quest to be a firm favorite
for this year's "Golden Ball". Real Madrid does not go out publically voicing its preference as Barcelona does with Messi, for example.
• He is not "loved" by the Real Madrid fans as much as he deserves, or at least not all appreciated, as he feels he deserves.
• The Spanish Football crowds have over the seasons pilled on too much verbal abuse on the field towards his persona which may have taken its toll.
• The Real Madrid dressing room & his team-mates do not appreciate him. Possible internal "problems" with the "Spanish Bloc".
• He has a massive offer from Paris St Germain (story from Portugal, there is NO evidence at all)
• Real Madrid is taking too long to renew his contract. Other "lesser players" like Albiol, Arbeloa & Higuain have renewed theirs already.
• Fabio Coentrao is being a "bad influence" on Ronaldo ( voiced by Spanish Journalist from "AS" Tomás Roncero)
• He wishes that his contract be bettered to be again at the forefront of players like Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Toure, Torres, Messi & Eto´o in World Football (this has some true weight behind it )
• He has personal problems in the "love" department.
• He is suffering a "deep depression"
• He is frustrated to see others take the World Football limelight like Messi, Iniesta, Xavi etc & etc. Today ex-Real Madrid player Robert Carlos said on radio the Ronaldo is "upset" the Iniesta won the UEFA Best European Player Award.
The list goes on & on, because everyone has an opinion but the main protagonists has not told anyone what his true reasons are, thus humans being humans will fill the vacuum.
Continuing with the speculations, I am lead to think that the main reasons could well be a mix of all the above mentioned points, this added with his pathological - & perhaps psychological obsession - to be first & the number one at everything. Not going to evaluate his childhood or growing years, leave that to a psychologist or a professional. What I am going to evaluate is that, according to inside-journalists Cristiano Ronaldo apparently the Granada match in the dressing rooms, which may signal that Roanldo is actually undergoing a "deep depression" . If this is so, one can understand the "mental instability" the man is undergoing at this point where judgment could be blurred.
However, I am a bit more cynical than all this, & I question the timing of his announcement & the man himself who is an "intelligent" self made person in all aspects. I suspect here a systematic plan & effort to begin a "tussle" of powers within the Club to renew-better his contract & receive a substantial improvement that will equal his status in World Football ( or surpass ) with the likes of other players like Aguero, Toure, Messi, Rooney, Eto´o or Ibrahimovic in the economic front. This & a firm public acknowledgement from Real Madrid that he is irreplaceable & the main star of the Club. Or even a more bizarre & conflictive desire, that he wishes to be the Captain of the team at the expense of Iker Casillas giving up that role to the Portuguese. With this last point I have no evidence at all, but it would not surprise me at all, as we are talking about a "ego-centric" personality that likes for & strives for the spot-light, or at least this is his public profile.
In the coming days or weeks the real reasons will came to the surface. Meanwhile I think we have to put all want is happening & being said into its respective context & call for some common sense. That a person with 27 years of age who earns 12,5M€ per season in wages, along with another 15M€ in publicity be sad is a hard one to digest. A person who plays Football like a "God" & is the desire of all Clubs & World Fans has to be a bit more humble I think. Add to this the personal appeal that he is blessed with that allows his physical & mental whims to be adhered too at any moment. All this & more, houses, businesses, night-Clubs, cars...material wealth & the maximum prize, to be father with a healthy son.
Perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo should exchange roles with a coal miner for two weeks, a baker who wakes up at 03.30am & finishes a 18.30, perhaps a deep sea fisherman, a factory worker & any of the 5 million unemployed Spaniards with families & with their support about to end. Unhappy? Ridiculous. This absurdity exists because the majority of us "mortals" allow it to occur & give it the stick necessary to turn it all into something it is not, an important issue. That the Spanish media is dedicating most of today on this issue is ridiculous, that it is the main talking point for most Spaniards is unbelievable & that I have dedicate so much lines of writing is stupid, except that I wish to put in the picture the blog readers.
Either way it is what it is & we are what we are. While 70% of the World population has a legitimate reason to feel sad, Cristiano Ronaldo gets the front pages. Sometime , somewhere & something went wrong, when I would like to know.
To put you in the picture, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals yesterday against Granada in Round 3 of "La Liga" match. People noticed that the Portuguese forward did not celebrate his two goals & was logically asked by media for his reasons after the match. The Ronaldo reply was totally "unexpected", as he announced to National media that he was "unhappy" & "sad" & that the Club knew the reasons why. The issues are professional & not personal. This has opened the "Box of Pandora" of speculations & rumours.
Why is Ronaldo unhappy?
The National Sports & Football late-night media shows ( TV & radio ) did not wait & their journalists began working hard to find the scoop & more "juicy" news. It came to light later as the hours passed, that Ronaldo solicited to have a few words with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez the day before where he told him that ..." I feel sad & uncomfortable at the Club & that he desired to leave. He expressed he did not want to continue at the Club" .
A Bombshell!
As you can imagine the Club contacted immediately his representative Jorge Mendes to find out if he had received a "super offer" from another Club that Real Madrid did not know about. The answer was NO. Coach José Mourinho is said to also be in the dark, although he does suspect (logical) something is not right. I believe Mourinho knows much more than he lets us think, he shares the players representative Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo s team-mates when asked were just as surprised as Gonzalo Higuain mentioned..." He looks OK to us". No one apparently knows & thus this is a fertile ground for all types of rumours, speculations & for bad minded tongues.
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CR7 |
The suspected motives are various & let's be honest, without any solid evidence at this moment, they are simply more circumstantial than anything else. However, here is a list of the more popular "reasons" being splashed, voiced & put on the table for debate by our local hungry media:
• Problems with Marcelo, who in an interview a month back suggested Iker Casillas deserved to win the"Golden Ball". In fact, some say Ronaldo stopped speaking to Marcelo weeks back.
• That REAL MADRID does not do enough to back him in his quest to be a firm favorite
for this year's "Golden Ball". Real Madrid does not go out publically voicing its preference as Barcelona does with Messi, for example.
• He is not "loved" by the Real Madrid fans as much as he deserves, or at least not all appreciated, as he feels he deserves.
• The Spanish Football crowds have over the seasons pilled on too much verbal abuse on the field towards his persona which may have taken its toll.
• The Real Madrid dressing room & his team-mates do not appreciate him. Possible internal "problems" with the "Spanish Bloc".
• He has a massive offer from Paris St Germain (story from Portugal, there is NO evidence at all)
• Real Madrid is taking too long to renew his contract. Other "lesser players" like Albiol, Arbeloa & Higuain have renewed theirs already.
• Fabio Coentrao is being a "bad influence" on Ronaldo ( voiced by Spanish Journalist from "AS" Tomás Roncero)
• He wishes that his contract be bettered to be again at the forefront of players like Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Toure, Torres, Messi & Eto´o in World Football (this has some true weight behind it )
• He has personal problems in the "love" department.
• He is suffering a "deep depression"
• He is frustrated to see others take the World Football limelight like Messi, Iniesta, Xavi etc & etc. Today ex-Real Madrid player Robert Carlos said on radio the Ronaldo is "upset" the Iniesta won the UEFA Best European Player Award.
The list goes on & on, because everyone has an opinion but the main protagonists has not told anyone what his true reasons are, thus humans being humans will fill the vacuum.
Continuing with the speculations, I am lead to think that the main reasons could well be a mix of all the above mentioned points, this added with his pathological - & perhaps psychological obsession - to be first & the number one at everything. Not going to evaluate his childhood or growing years, leave that to a psychologist or a professional. What I am going to evaluate is that, according to inside-journalists Cristiano Ronaldo apparently the Granada match in the dressing rooms, which may signal that Roanldo is actually undergoing a "deep depression" . If this is so, one can understand the "mental instability" the man is undergoing at this point where judgment could be blurred.
However, I am a bit more cynical than all this, & I question the timing of his announcement & the man himself who is an "intelligent" self made person in all aspects. I suspect here a systematic plan & effort to begin a "tussle" of powers within the Club to renew-better his contract & receive a substantial improvement that will equal his status in World Football ( or surpass ) with the likes of other players like Aguero, Toure, Messi, Rooney, Eto´o or Ibrahimovic in the economic front. This & a firm public acknowledgement from Real Madrid that he is irreplaceable & the main star of the Club. Or even a more bizarre & conflictive desire, that he wishes to be the Captain of the team at the expense of Iker Casillas giving up that role to the Portuguese. With this last point I have no evidence at all, but it would not surprise me at all, as we are talking about a "ego-centric" personality that likes for & strives for the spot-light, or at least this is his public profile.
In the coming days or weeks the real reasons will came to the surface. Meanwhile I think we have to put all want is happening & being said into its respective context & call for some common sense. That a person with 27 years of age who earns 12,5M€ per season in wages, along with another 15M€ in publicity be sad is a hard one to digest. A person who plays Football like a "God" & is the desire of all Clubs & World Fans has to be a bit more humble I think. Add to this the personal appeal that he is blessed with that allows his physical & mental whims to be adhered too at any moment. All this & more, houses, businesses, night-Clubs, cars...material wealth & the maximum prize, to be father with a healthy son.
Perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo should exchange roles with a coal miner for two weeks, a baker who wakes up at 03.30am & finishes a 18.30, perhaps a deep sea fisherman, a factory worker & any of the 5 million unemployed Spaniards with families & with their support about to end. Unhappy? Ridiculous. This absurdity exists because the majority of us "mortals" allow it to occur & give it the stick necessary to turn it all into something it is not, an important issue. That the Spanish media is dedicating most of today on this issue is ridiculous, that it is the main talking point for most Spaniards is unbelievable & that I have dedicate so much lines of writing is stupid, except that I wish to put in the picture the blog readers.
Either way it is what it is & we are what we are. While 70% of the World population has a legitimate reason to feel sad, Cristiano Ronaldo gets the front pages. Sometime , somewhere & something went wrong, when I would like to know.
SPANISH FOOTBALL - LIGA - ROUND 3 RESULTS | SUNDAY GAMES
SPANISH FOOTBALL action today-tonight with Round 3 of the Spanish League - La Liga. Here are all the final results & the scorers.
Madrid Club RAYO VALLECANO hosted SEVILLA FC & drew 0 - 0. One could say that Sevilla lost this game as they missed to convert two penalties. Missed opportunity, missed three points & missed out on luck. One of those Football dates.
ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO managed to turn around a difficult moment internally at the Club to pull-off their first Liga victory 2 - 0 overVALLADOLID. Deserved victory as it could have been more with Susaeta hitting the post in the 36th min.
The goals came via ADURIZ in the 69th min & SUSAETA in the 75th min
Cliff hanger & comeback at LEVANTE with a last minute goal that gave the home team the 3 - 2 victory over RCD ESPANYOL. The visitors were in the driving position when they scored in the 20th min via LAGO & TEJERO in the 24th min.
Then Levante grew & turned things around with a goal from JUANLUin the 54th min, the equalizer in the 56th min via LELL & then the winner in the 92nd min via RAUL RODRIGUEZ.
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Negredo |
Madrid Club RAYO VALLECANO hosted SEVILLA FC & drew 0 - 0. One could say that Sevilla lost this game as they missed to convert two penalties. Missed opportunity, missed three points & missed out on luck. One of those Football dates.
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Aduriz |
ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO managed to turn around a difficult moment internally at the Club to pull-off their first Liga victory 2 - 0 overVALLADOLID. Deserved victory as it could have been more with Susaeta hitting the post in the 36th min.
The goals came via ADURIZ in the 69th min & SUSAETA in the 75th min
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Levante |
Cliff hanger & comeback at LEVANTE with a last minute goal that gave the home team the 3 - 2 victory over RCD ESPANYOL. The visitors were in the driving position when they scored in the 20th min via LAGO & TEJERO in the 24th min.
Then Levante grew & turned things around with a goal from JUANLUin the 54th min, the equalizer in the 56th min via LELL & then the winner in the 92nd min via RAUL RODRIGUEZ.
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CR7 |
REAL MADRID managed their first Liga win scoring 3 - 0 againstGRANADA which was down 10 men from the 59th min. An effective performance from Madrid which did not give an over the top performance but basically just did their job. Granada did not trouble at all Real Madrid throughout the whole game.