madristar

Will Benzema be the Real deal? Real Madrid director-general Jorge Valdano hopes that Karin Benzema will overcome his slow start at the club. Benzema has struggled to impress since his big-money move from Lyon in 2009 and his match-winning strike in last night's 1-0 win over Real Mallorca was only his second league goal of the season. Benzema has found himself in the spotlight after the loss of Higuain with a serious back injury left the 23-year-old Frenchman as the only senior centre-forward available to Jose Mourinho, but Valdano is hoping for better times ahead. "Goals are essential to strikers. A striker needs confidence and it comes with goals," Valdano told Madrid's website. "He (Benzema) had a good game and scored a goal that allowed us to take three points." Higuain found himself under the microscope after failing to score in his first nine appearances for Madrid following his move from River Plate four years ago. He did not have such a successful second season either until a purple patch at the end of the campaign when he scored eight goals in 11 games. Since then Higuain has netted 49 league goals in two seasons to finish as Madrid's leading scorer on both occasions, while he had struck 10 times in 18 competitive games this season before being sidelined by his back problem. Valdano added: "In the past, it was players like Higuain who had to resolve similar situations as they were heavily scrutinised, and Higuain has turned out to be a great striker for Real Madrid. "We hope the same happens to Benzema." Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, meanwhile, wants Benzema to be left to develop in peace. Spain's World Cup-winning captain said: "We should all just talk about football. Benzema is another player in the squad and he scored a nice goal. "It will do him a lot of good. He should be left alone to do his job. A lot has been asked of him since he arrived, he is very young and we need to take things bit by bit." DISQUS...

el ex capitán criticó la política del club Guti: "La llegada de Mourinho le queda grande a ciertas personas de dentro del club" * · Los efectos secundarios de la llegada de Mou, la lesión de Higuaín y el nivel del Barça; principales problemas del actual Real Madrid 25/01/11 - 20:27. * imprime * envía Cerrar Envía esta noticia por correo electrónico a: Email de tu amigo Tu nombre Tu email Comentario Envíalo a varias personas separando los correos con comas * comparte Cerrar o Facebook o Twitter o Menéame o Fresqui o MySpace o Google Bookmarks o Yahoo o MSN Reporter * 263 comenta José María Gutiérrez 'Guti' es un personaje singular tanto dentro como fuera del campo. El ex capitán merengue, que ahora compite a las órdenes de Schuster en el Besiktas turco, fue muy claro a la hora de repasar la actualidad de su ex equipo para el programa 'Tiramillas' de MARCA TV. El '14' diagnosticó dos principales problemas en el actual Real Madrid. El primero trata sobre los efectos secundarios que genera la presencia de Mourinho en el banquillo blanco. "Han fichado a un gran entrenador pero lo que está ocurriendo es que les queda grande a ciertas personas de dentro del club", explicó sin reparos. El segundo contratiempo pasa por la lesión de Higuaín cuya ausencia la considera "una desgracia". "Lo estaba haciendo muy bien, la lesión les va a parar un poco", afirma. El canterano no duda de que el conjunto capitalino necesita a un delantero de garantías aunque considera que "tienen que dar más confianza a Benzema que es uno de los mejores delanteros de Europa". Guti opina que el problema del Madrid no viene de una planificación veraniega sino del nivel de un rival inalcanzable. "El Madrid se ha reforzado muy bien, pero el problema no es fichar ni tener a grandes jugadores. La cosa es que el Barça lleva muchos años haciendo las cosas bien y va a ser complicado quitarle la Liga o cualquier otra competición", sentencia. Crítico con gestiones anteriores "El rubio", como así le llama su actual entrenador Bern Schuster, se mostró crítico con la forma de gestionar el club en tiempos pretéritos. "No se respetaba el trabajo del entrenador. Pellegrini o Del Bosque hicieron las cosas muy bien. Los aficionados del Madrid lo saben, es algo evidente y que no podemos decir lo contrario", aunque el de Torrejón piensa que Mourinho ha dado un golpe de timón. "Al final ha tenido que venir uno que ha decidido que por encima de todas las cosas deportivas está él. Espero que las cosas le salgan bien". Alabanzas a Adebayor El ex madridista también tuvo tiempo para elogiar al último refuerzo del Real Madrid. "Adebayor es un grandísimo jugador y delantero. Aunque por encima de un delantero está la calidad que tiene el Real Madrid. Cualquier atacante que tenga unas condiciones buenas va a triunfar en el Real Madrid. A todo el mundo le gustaría tener al lado a Kaká, Özil, Cristiano... así las cosas son mucho más fáciles", concluyó.

Over in Turkey, Guti (weah!) talked with Marca TV’s Tiramillas program, where he analyzed the current state of affairs. Regarding the effects of Mourinho’s presence on the bench, his take was, “the club signed a great coach but what happened is that he’s overshadowing certain people inside the club.” Guti also advised the club to “have more confidence in Benzema, who is one of the best forwards in Europe.” He also criticized the club’s handling of affairs in recent years: “they didn’t respect the work of the coach. Pellegrino or Del Bosque, to give some examples, did things very well. The fans knew that, it was obvious and we can’t deny it.”

Sergio, due to his status as a former Sevilla player, talked to RMTV yesterday about today’s game. During the interview, he said some things that were quite obvious (I blame it on the questions asked) such as that the entire team wants to win the Copa, and that they’re going to Sevilla to try and get a good result and above all, score (¿En serio? ¡No me digas!). The more interesting parts came when he talked about the team Sevilla, saying that it was always special to return to the place where he played his first games and where he has very nice memories. Sergio added that the team has a special “corner” in his heart because his entire family is sevillista (supporters of Sevilla). He also praised the “great” fans that the team has and the “good” team.

Moratti: No Inter return for Mourinho Inter Milan supremo Massimo Moratti has dismissed the possibility of Jose Mourinho returning to the club for now. Under Mourino, Inter enjoyed a stellar season last term by winning the European Cup, Serie A title and Coppa Italia. The Portuguese left in the summer to join Real Madrid, but recent reports indicate his future at the club is in doubt following a breakdown in his working relationship with club figure Jorge Valdano. Valdon had publicly been critical of the team's playing style. However, Inter have only just found a replacement for Rafa Benitez, the man who succeeded Mourinho at theGiuseppe Meazza, when they hired Leonardo in December. Moratti, who saw his Inter side lose 3-1 to Udinese at the weekend, was keen not to add further distractions to what has been an unsettling season so far. "Mourinho is the best coach I ever had," Moratti told Sky Sport Italia. "The way he works, professionalism and dedication are perfect. (But) This doesn't mean that Mourinho could return to Inter in the future. "I currently have a coach (Leonardo) who is very good." Inter remain nine points behind league leader and city rival AC Milan having played one game less. Meanwhile, Real look set to solve their striker shortage with the season-long loan signing of Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor.

Iker – and his inseparable scarf – which must be best friends with his mobile phone and his purse, since we hardly ever see him without all three in the winter – spoke with AS on the eve of the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg game against Sevilla. He talked about being named a UN ambassador, Sevilla’s controversial video and Valdano vs. Mourinho! Q: How was your trip to Geneva to be named as a UN goodwill ambassador? A: It was great. It’s a wonderful challenge. Q: You have a new job. A: More than a job, it’s an added responsibility. I’ve always liked to help out. And the things I saw during trips helped me to realize that I wanted to do this. It’s a new experience. Wherever my name is, Madrid and this organization will be there too. I hope to make everyone proud of me. Q: Have you been able to shift gears to focus on the Copa? A: Of course. That is on the personal level, and the other is my profession, which I’ve been doing for the past 11 years. The game against Sevilla is very important. Q: It’s the last step towards a final in which you have pinned a lot of hope. A: Yes. The team hasn’t advanced past the round of 16 in the last three years, despite playing weak teams. This year, we’ve done things well. Bit by bit, we’ve given this competition the value it deserves and we want to continue like this until April 20, the day of the final. We all hope to be there. But before that, there’s Sevilla. Another final. It’s going to be a complicated game. Q: What’s your opinion on the video they made? A: If I tell the truth, the players sometimes aren’t even aware of the things that the rival prepares. We found out through the media. It’s a way of motivating the players and the fans. But I assure you that we have the same motivation. Q: They say in Sevilla that the Portuguese phrase [the phrase "Vamos a deixar-te sem o titulo" or "we're going to leave you without a title" appears at the end of the video] was not aimed at Mourinho. Was it for Cristiano? A: These types of things help to motivate us even more for the game, but that’s my opinion. Q: And you return to the site where you made that impossible save against Perotti… A: Everything happened very quickly. And in hindsight, it was more an act of faith than anything else [so modest!]. Q: Has the new forward soap opera affected the team? A: No. We’re conscious of what happened and we read newspapers. We’re footballers, and we have to focus on playing and doing things well. If the club wants a forward, it’s not an issue for us. It’s an issue for the coach and the directors. Q: What are your thoughts on the tension between Valdano and Mourinho? A: I don’t know if there is tension or not. We’re focusing on our things, and everyone wants and desires the best for Madrid. The míster does it in his way, the same with Jorge and the president. I’m not going to comment on this. Anything that is good for Madrid is welcome. There are people who are rubbing their hands with glee, but we have to protect our fans and our shareholders.

more pics of his house

Kaka left out of Brazil squad Kaka has not been included in Mano Menezes' 23-man Brazil squad ahead of next month's friendly international against France. Kaka returned to the Real Madrid first team earlier this month after seven months on the sidelines following knee surgery, but Menezes has decided the 28-year-old should remain in Spain. Young star Neymar was also excluded for the match on February 9 in Paris as he is playing at the South American Championship with the Under-20 side in Peru. Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar returns to the group - for the first time under Menezes - but his club-mates Lucio and Maicon miss out. Midfielders Renato Augusto and Jadson, who play at Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively, and Dynamo Kiev forward Andre are the surprise names in Menezes' list. The coach decided not to call any home-based players as pre-season is just starting in Brazil. "Our players would suffer in the next games and would play rivals in a different form," he said. "It is important for us to have the same form, the same physical condition. Brazilian teams are playing Copa Libertadores matches the same day. "Anyway, we are not going to France with a weak team at all." Menezes named six England-based players in the squad - Tottenham pair Heurelho Gomes and Sandro, Manchester United duo Rafael and Anderson, Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva and Chelsea's Ramires. Brazil squad: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham), Neto (Fiorentina); Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Rafael (Manchester United), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Breno (Bayern Munich), David Luiz (Benfica), Luisao (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan); Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Sandro (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Hernanes (Lazio), Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen), Jadson (Shakhtar Donetsk), Anderson (Manchester United); Robinho (AC Milan), Andre (Dynamo Kiev), Hulk (Porto), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan).

Adebayor moves to Real Madrid Emmanuel Adebayor's stormy time at Manchester City came to a temporary close when he joined Real Madrid on loan. The Togolese will be with los Blancos for the remainder of the season. The Spanish club announced on their website this evening that they have reached agreement with City for Adebayor to move to Madrid on loan, with "a unilateral option" for them to purchase the 26-year-old in the summer. Their statement read: "Real Madrid CF and Manchester City FC have reached a deal that will see Emmanuel Adebayor play on loan for the former club. "The player will remain at Real Madrid until the end of the current season, at which point the club hold a unilateral option to purchase the player." Initially a massive hit following his £25million move north from Arsenal 18 months ago, scoring in his first four games for City, Adebayor's star faded after Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes as manager. By the end of last season it had already become apparent that the striker could no longer command a regular place for the Blues. Things got no better this term and, although he scored a Europa League hat-trick against Lech Poznan on October, the arrival of Mario Balotelli had shunted Adebayor further down the pecking order and he openly spoke of his desire to move elsewhere. Monaco expressed a firm interest but were unable to come up with the necessary finance, leaving the way clear for Real, once Jose Mourinho overcame some reservations amongst the Bernabeu hierarchy over his desire to bring Adebayor - who would be available for the Champions League - in as cover for Gonzalo Higuain, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a back injury. The move is the second high-profile striking departure in the past six months following Robinho's move to AC Milan. Undoubtedly, the high point of Adebayor's time at City - during which time he scored 19 goals in 43 games - was his first appearance against Arsenal last September when he raced the length of the field to celebrate in front of the Gunners supporters after scoring City's third goal. However, that day saw the best and worst of Adebayor's character as he incurred a three-match ban for raking his studs down the side of Robin van Persie's face. Adebayor's time in Manchester has already been scarred by tragedy as the Togo team bus was attacked by terrorists during last year's African Nations Cup in Angola, leaving the coach driver dead. It triggered Adebayor's decision to retire from international football - a move that Mourinho no doubt welcomes as he plots glory in La Liga and the Champions League. As the loan is specifically to cover Higuain's absence, it is debatable whether a permanent transfer will follow but it would appear highly unlikely Adebayor will appear for the Blues again. City confirmed on Tuesday night they had agreed to loan Adebayor and the striker would travel to Madrid for a medical the following day.

@ fashionicon,the first pic is wrong...

THIS is Cris' house...

isnt that Raul house in the first picture?

He;s so ugly..its a crime to put him in the hot guys thread...yuck...

Happy Bday!