La Liga - News and Rumors

[rondwisan]

Hat-trick duo lead Real rout
Soccernet - December 23, 2010



Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored hat-tricks as Real Madrid hammered Levante 8-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fifth round tie.

Madrid were 4-0 up at the break thanks to two from Benzema and a goal apiece from Mesut Ozil and Ronaldo. Benzema completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute and Ronaldo followed suit with goals in the 72nd and 74th minutes before Pedro Leon added an eighth in stoppage time.

There were eight goals too at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where Sevilla twice came from behind to beat Malaga 5-3. Alejandro Alfaro opened the scoring for Sevilla after 11 minutes, but a double from Jose Salomon Rondon turned things in Malaga's favour before Alvaro Negredo levelled.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie gave Malaga the advantage going into the break, but Ndri Romaric scored twice after the restart and Diego Capel rounded off the scoring eight minutes from time.

Almeria claimed a slender first-leg advantage as they beat Real Mallorca 4-3 thanks to Leonardo Ulloa's hat-trick. Ulloa twice gave the hosts the lead in the first half, but they were pegged back first by Jonathan De Guzman, then Victor. Goals from Kalu Uche and Ulloa made it 4-2 before Pierre Webo pulled one back to give Mallorca hope in the second leg.

Elsewhere, Simao Sabrosa's penalty gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol, while goals from Miku and Pedro Rios handed Getafe a 2-1 win at Real Betis, who pulled one back late on through Jorge Molina's spot-kick.

[bucay deathbat]

versi Indonesia yg madrid vs levante

________________________

Kamis, 23/12/2010 06:01 WIB
Copa del Rey
Benzema & Ronaldo Hat-trick, Madrid Bantai Levante
Meylan Fredy Ismawan - detiksport

Madrid - Real Madrid menang besar 8-0 atas Levante di babak 16 besar Copa del Rey. Karim Benzema dan Cristiano Ronaldo jadi bintang dengan sama-sama mengukir hat-trick dalam pertandingan ini.

Dalam pertandingan yang dilangsungkan di Santiago Bernabeu, Kamis (23/12/2010) dinihari WIB, Madrid menurunkan hampir semua pemain pemain utamanya. Cristiano Ronaldo yang sempat dikabarkan tidak fit ternyata dimainkan sebagai starter.

Duel Madrid versus Levante berlangsung berat sebelah. Madrid begitu dominan dan unggul empat gol di babak pertama lewat gol Karim Benzema (dua gol), Mesut Oezil, dan Cristiano Ronaldo.

Di babak kedua, Madrid masih terus menggempur Levante dan sukses menyarangkan empat gol lagi lewat Benzema, Ronaldo (dua gol), dan Pedro Leon.

Kemenangan besar ini akan memudahkan tugas Madrid di leg kedua yang akan digelar di kandang Levante. Pertandingan kedua akan dilangsungkan pada 5 Januari 2011 mendatang.

Jalannya Pertandingan

Madrid langsung unggul saat pertandingan baru berumur lima menit lewat Karim Benzema. Aksi solo Benzema di lini pertahanan Levante diakhiri striker Prancis itu dengan tendangan kaki kanan yang menjebol gawang Gustavo Munua.

Los Blancos cuma butuh empat menit untuk menggandakan keunggulan. Mesut Oezil sukses mengkonversi umpan Cristiano Ronaldo menjadi gol dan membuat Madrid memimpin 2-0.

Benzema mencetak gol keduanya di menit ke-31. Ia sukses mengejar umpan terobosan yang gagal dihalau bek Levante. Setelah mengelabui Munua, pemain 23 tahun itudengan mudah menjaringkan bola ke gawang kosong. Madrid unggul 3-0.

Gol Ronaldo di menit ke-45 membuat Madrid menutup babak pertama dengan keunggulan empat gol. Berawal dari kesalahan bek Levante, bola berhasil direbut Benzema yang kemudian mengumpankannya ke Ronaldo. Tanpa kesulitan berarti, pemain asal Portugal itu melesakkan bola ke gawang Munua.

Dominasi Madrid masih berlanjut di paruh kedua. Benzema sukses membuat hattrick di laga ini lewat golnya di menit ke-69. Angel Di Maria yang menusuk dari sayap kanan sukses melepaskan umpan silang ke muka gawang Levante. Benzema yang menyambut umpan Di Maria tanpa kesulitan menjebol gawang Munua.

Tiga menit berselang, gawang Levante kembali bobol. Kembali Di Maria berperan dalam terciptanya gol ini. Umpan pemain asal Argentina ini bisa dikonversi Ronaldo menjadi gol.

Ronaldo ikut membuat hattrick setelah mencetak gol di menit ke-74. Usai bertukar umpan dengan Benzema, CR7 dengan mudah menggetarkan jala gawang Levante.

Pesta gol Madrid atas Levante ditutup oleh Pedro Leon lewat golnya di menit akhir laga. Leon sukses me-rebound tendangan Alvaro Morata yang sebelumnya ditepis Munua.


Susunan pemain:
Madrid: Casillas; Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, L. Diarra; Alonso, Granero (M.Diarra 75'), Oezil (Pedro Leon 75'), Di Maria, C.Ronaldo; Benzema (Morata 77')

Levante: Munua; Ballesteros, Del Horno, Robuste, Cerra; Sergio (Ruben 58'), Juanlu (Valdo 69'), Pallardo, Xavi Torres; Xisco Munoz, F.Caicedo (Stuani 46')

http://www.detiksport.com/sepakbola/...bantai-levante

[zudomiriku]

Messi vs CR7 untuk Sejarah Baru El Pichichi
Doni Wahyudi - detiksport



Lionel Messi dan Cristiano Ronaldo tak cuma bertarung mengusung klubnya jadi juara. Keduanya kini terlibat dalam kompetisi paling seru sepanjang sejarah Liga Spanyol untuk memperebutkan status El Pichichi.

Demikian klaim yang ditulis harian olahraga Spanyol Marca, menyusul serangkaian hasil pertandingan di pekan 22 Liga Spanyol akhir pekan kemarin. Dalam laga yang melibatkan Barcelona dan Real Madrid, nama Messi dan Ronaldo kembali jadi pusat perhatian.

Messi mencetak tiga gol ke gawang Atletico Madrid yang memberi The Catalans kemenangan 3-0. Sementara CR7 dua kali merobek jala Real Sociedad untuk memberi Los Merengues keunggulan 4-1.

Dengan masing-masing gol yang dibuat tersebut, Messi dan Ronaldo kini berbagi puncak daftar pencetak gol dengan jumlah 24. Mereka jauh mengungguli pesaing terdekatnya, David Villa yang "baru" membuat 14 gol.

Meski kompetisi masih panjang, hampir bisa dipastikan kalau pertarungan memperebutkan status El Pichichi kini hanya tinggal menyisakan dua pemain terbaik dunia itu. Dengan rataan gol yang luar biasa, keduanya juga punya peluang mencatatkan rekor jumlah gol terbanyak dalam satu musim yang sebelumnya dipegang Telmo Zarra dan Hugo Sanchez dengan 38 gol.

"Yang menjadi tantangan buat saya adalah mengalahkan 38 gol milik Hugo dan Zarra. Tentu saja (selain) menjadi salah satu top skorer saya memilih menjuarai Liga Champions," sahut Ronaldo beberapa waktu lalu.

Sebagai perbandingan statistik, Messi mencetak 24 gol di La Liga dari 19 penampilan, di mana dalam jumlah tersebut dia mampu juga menciptakan 14 assist. Sementara 24 gol Ronaldo tercipta dari 22 penampilan, plus mengkreasikan enam assist dalam jumlah laga tersebut.

Siapa yang akhirnya mampu mematahkan rekor top skorer La Liga dan membawa pulang gelar El Pichichi?

[zudomiriku]

Newspaper Actually Photoshops Out Player To Make Play Appear Offside



We take it for granted that our local media outlets are going to be homers, and that's generally fine. We're fans, and we want to get coverage from our perspective. But no one can complain about Hawk Harrelson after seeing how a Spanish paper airbrushed a crucial player from a photo to make an erroneous point.

The top image appeared in Monday's edition of AS, a sports daily based in Madrid. AS has long been known to be in Real Madrid's corner, and the story concerned Real's rivals, Barcelona. On the play in question, there was debate whether Barcelona's opening goal was onside. From that top image, it appears Dani Alves was well past the last defender, meaning the score should not have stood.

But enterprising Barca fans found their own screengrab, and what do you know: the real last Athletic Bilbao defender, Koikili (red arrow) was "mysteriously" removed from the shot, making the call a lot less egregious.

AS apologized today, sort of. "We apologise for the error in the computer graphics in the 1-0 incident," the correction read. If true, if this was somehow a computer error, we should be more concerned about this than about Watson: not only are the machines self-aware, but they're Real Madrid bandwagoners too.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b8fmB

[Andi Istiabudi]

"Sepakbola Spanyol Bebas Doping"
Achmad Firdaus - Okezone

MADRID - Sekretaris Negara Spanyol bidang olahraga, Jaime Lissavetzky membantah keras tudingan adanya penggunaan doping dalam sepakbola Spanyol. Lissavetzky menegaskan, sepakbola Spanyol bersih dari doping karena terus memeranginya dan mematuhi aturan yang telah dikeluarkan FIFA maupun UEFA.

“Sepakbola Spanyol bersih (dari doping),” ungkap Lissavetsky. Kami terus mengikuti setiap pedoman yang telah dikeluarkan FIFA dan UEFA, untuk urusan yang satu ini (doping),” sambungnya sebagaimana dikutip Marca, Selasa (15/3/2011).

Sebelumnya, publik Spanyol sempat digemparkan dengan pemberitaan Stasiun Radio Spanyol, Cadena Cope yang baru-baru ini yang menyindir salah satu klub elit La Liga, Barcelona. Dalam sebuah acara, mereka menyebut bahwa pihak El Barca memiliki koneksi dengan dokter yang memiliki latar belakang keruh atau kotor. Dengan kata lain, Cadena Cope secara tak langsung menyebut para pemain El Barca tidak sepenuhnya bebas dari doping.

Kubu Barca sendiri kabarnya telah melakukan bantahan tegas terhadap kabar ini. Klub asal Catalan yang dipimpin Sandro Rossell tersebut bahkan mengancam bakal menempuh tindakan hukum untuk menyelesaikan permasalahan ini.

Meski begitu, kabar ini sempat menyita perhatian sejumlah klub La Liga. Real Madrid misalnya, klub terkaya di dunia bahkan diisukan sempat meminta federasi sepakbola Spanyol (RFEF) untuk lebih memberikan perhatian lebih serius dalam hal standar doping. Namun, Lissavetsky juga membantah kabar ini.

“Saya belum berbicara dengan Florentino Perez (presiden Real Madrid) tentang tuduhan ini. Di Spanyol, kami selalu memerangi doping di setiap bidang olahraga. Seorang perwakilan FIFA bahkan mengatakan kepada saya bahwa Spanyol merupakan salah satu negara yang berada di garis depan dalam memerangi doping,” jelasnya.

“Sejauh ini, saya belum menerima komplain dan sama sekali tidak menerima permintaan dari pihak Real Madrid atau pun klub lain untuk mengubah peraturan soal doping,” tutupnya. (acf)

Source : http://bola.okezone.com

[zudomiriku]

Five Reasons Real Madrid Can Whitewash Barcelona



Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to meet four times in the space of 18 days, in what's being billed as the 'El Clasico World Series,'

The great rivals meet in La Liga on Saturday, at the Bernabeu, before attentions turn to next Wednesday's Copa del Rey final in Valencia.

And then it gets really interesting. A Champions League semi-final over two legs, culminating in what promises to be a tumultuous crescendo at Camp Nou.

Most will expect Barcelona to triumph on all fronts, but there's growing evidence that Real won't let that happen.

Is it possible that Jose Mourinho's team could whitewash the series? Maybe, and here's why...

1. Cristiano Ronaldo Is Back to His Best


Cristiano Ronaldo is back to his best, and is looking every bit the player who dominated for Manchester United.

He's scored 40 times this campaign and has been hugely influential. What's more, he's enjoying himself.

The expression and trickery has returned, and he'll be desperate to prove a point against Lionel Messi of Barcelona.

Messi is the undisputed king of soccer right now. But Ronaldo wants his throne back

2. Madrid Are Defensively Solid


Jose Mourinho's team are a highly organized defensive unit. They've conceded just three times in their last 10 games and are far better prepared to withstand a Barca barrage than they were back in November 2010.

They lost 5-0 in the Camp Nou when the teams last met, but it won't happen again.

Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso have gelled, and they are now well-versed in shielding the back four.

Barcelona won't find it that easy to break them down.

3. Mesut Ozil Is Growing in Confidence


When Mesut Ozil joined Real Madrid, some suggested the young German international would flatter to deceive.

Having excelled at the World Cup, the pressure was on to justify his transfer fee in front of the most fickle fans in football.

But Ozil has reacted brilliantly. He's adapted quickly to the Spanish game and been one of Madrid's key players this season.

His work rate and creativity will frighten Barca.

4. Barcelona Could Be Suffocated Under Weight of Expectancy


We all know how good this Barcelona team are. With the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at their disposal, they're capable of giving any team on the planet a hammering.

But with all this talk of greatness, comes huge expectancy. And expectancy can soon turn to frustration if things don't go Barca's way in the El Clasico World Series.

Pep Guardiola will know he's got a team of world beaters playing for him, but he'll know this crop won't be around forever. And he'll be terrified of wasting another opportunity to take the Champions League.

If Barca don't click on Saturday, it could set the tone for all four matches.

5. The Mourinho Factor


Jose Mourinho will have relived that 5-0 loss at Camp Nou hundreds of times since November.

It was The Special One's worst-ever defeat in management, and dealt a rare blow to his pride.

But there's nobody better in the game to motivate his team for revenge, and nobody more capable of derailing the Barca bullet train.

He did it with Inter Milan last season, and he'll fully believe he can do it again with Madrid.

Don't underestimate him...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/665398-el-clasico-world-series-five-reasons-real-madrid-can-whitewash-barcelona#/articles/665398-el-clasico-world-series-five-reasons-real-madrid-can-whitewash-barcelona

[zudomiriku]

Top 10 Players Who Never Reached Their Potential with Madrid and Barcelona



Starting this weekend, fans of football will get to witness four El Clasico matches before the end of the year. The league meeting at the Bernabéu, The Copa del Rey Final, and a home-and-away tie in the Champions League semi-finals.

Some of the most talented professionals have graced the Camp Nou and the Bernabéu. Ronaldo, Beckham, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho are examples of the types of talent associated with these historic and dominant sides.

The illustrious history of these two clubs is well known, and their style of play and market appeal spans the globe.

However, as highly regarded as these clubs are, Madrid and Barcelona for some reason or another also boast a high record for having young and promising players fail to live up to their potential.

Maybe its the pressure, the price tag, or in some cases the attitude of the player. Some of the most sought-after youngsters have donned the colors of Madrid and Barcelona, only to fail to live up to the hype.

At one point or another, many of these players were considered "the next big thing," only to be found playing in Greece or Turkey sooner rather than later.

One thing is certain, after leaving for greener pastures in Spain, many players found out the cold hard truth. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

Here is the list of the top 10 players who never quite made it with Madrid and Barcelona.

Ricardo Quaresma – Barcelona 2003-2004


Ricardo Quaresma joined Barcelona in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon after mesmerizing audiences with his trickery and flair. A string of promising performances prompted Barcelona to spend 6 million on the gifted 20-year-old.

Under the guidance of Frank Rijkaard, Quaresma failed to replicate the same form in his native Portugal.

The egotistical Portuguese felt that his time under Rijkaard was being jilted, which prompted Quaresma to declare that he would not be willing to play for Barcelona as long as Rijkaard was in charge.

Quaresma's power play did not pay off, as he was sent back to Portugal to play for FC Porto the following summer.

After four years of his self-absorbed and arrogant performances, Inter Milan overpaid by about 18.6 million to land Quaresma. Quaresma spent much of his time from 2008-2010 rotting in the reserves in Italy, and a brief cameo on Chelsea's bench.

Often the question surrounding Ricardo Quaresma is "what could have been?" Unfortunately, many will never see the 27-year-old's potential.

Currently playing for Besiktas in the Turkish league, Quaresma can now be found entertaining easily amused fans with YouTube highlights, and a barrage of step-overs.

Jonathan Woodgate: Real Madrid 2004-2006


Jonathan Woodgate signed for Real Madrid in August 2004 for a transfer fee of £13.4 million. Many viewed this as a surprise, simply because Woodgate was constantly injured during his time at Leeds United and Newcastle United. At the time of his transfer, Woodgate was also injured.

Woodgate failed to make any appearances for Real Madrid during his first year, as injuries kept him sidelined.

Woodgate got around to making his debut on Sept. 22, 2005, in a league match against Athletic Bilbao. The game didn't go very well for him, and he embarrassed himself by scoring an own goal and was later sent off for a second bookable offense.

In the summer of 2006, Woodgate was signed by Middlesbrough for a one-year loan deal. The following summer, the deal was made permanent.

In July 2007, Woodgate was voted the worst signing of the 21st century by users of the website of Spain's leading sports daily Diario Marco, polling 37 percent of the votes cast.

Juan Román Riquelme- Barcelona 2002-2003


After seven seasons with Boca Juniors, Barcelona decided to purchase the 20 year old Argentinian for a fee reported to be around 11 million.

Then coach Louis van Gaal described Riquelme as a "political signing." The move was a failure and was a signing that came from within the club, not his, and he treated the new arrival with indifference. On the rare occasions Riquelme played, it was usually out of position on one of the flanks.

It is hardly Riquelme's fault for failing to find his form in Barcelona, but when he did play he never recaptured the form which saw Barcelona seal his signature.

Riquelme described his move to Villarreal the following year as a rescue to him and his career.

Michael Owen- Real Madrid 2004-2005


After making a name for himself as one of the greatest English strikers of the modern game at Liverpool, Michael Owen failed to replicate the same form at Madrid.

Owen often drew criticisms for his lack of form and constant injuries. Owen was often relegated to the bench despite scoring 16 goals in 45 games.

The arrival of Julio Baptista and Robinho put speculation around Owen's future in doubt. The summer of 2005 Owen was sold to Newcastle United and has still failed to recapture the form of his early years for England and Liverpool.

Alexandr Hleb – Barcelona 2008 – Currently on Loan at Birmingham


Alexandr Hleb had what every footballer could want. A lucrative contract, and an important role in a top team. However, Hleb bought into the hype and believed he was better than he actually was. The lure of trophies, fame and success prompted Hleb to make a decision he must surely regret.

At Barcelona Hleb was not a star, and had no important role in the team. He has since then joined Stuttgart and Birmingham City on loan deals, where he has still failed to feature regularly. Hleb has bemoaned his decisions to leave Arsenal and expressed his regret in leaving the north London club.

Barcelona still owns Hleb's contract, but he is unlikely to return to the Blaugranes.

Thomas Gravesen – Real Madrid 2005 -2006


Danish tough tackling midfielder Thomas Gravesen, joined Madrid following the 2000 European Championships. A successful spell for Everton prompted Madrid to move for the holding midfielder.

Gravesen took his new found role at Madrid, and went slightly over board with it. With Madrid Gravesen racked up 17 yellows and two red cards. It's safe to say Gravesen ended up being slightly crazy and often took his destructive role to the next level.

Los Blancos eventually ended their interest in the ruthless, borderline reckless Dane. Gravesen sealed his own fate when he cracked Robinho in a pre-season training session. The following day Gravesen found himself in a different atmosphere and climate, employed by Celtic.

Fabio Rochemback – Barcelona 2001 – 2005


Brazilian footballer Fabio Rochemback joined Barcelona following a string of impressive performances at Sport Club Internacional in Brazil. Rochemback possed the ability to shoot from anywhere on the pitch, and he often did which prompted Barcelona to spend 8 million to acquire his services.

19 year old Rochemback was billed as being the successor to Pep Guardiola, however things failed to take off for the attacking Portuguese play-maker.

A loan spell at Sporting Lisbon and a stint with Middlesbrough, before returning back to Sporting Lisbon, took Rochemback to Gremio in Brazil where he is currently still trying to hit the target from anywhere on the pitch.

Julio Baptista – Real Madrid 2005 -2008


Julio Baptista, or "the Beast", made a name for himself as a attacking midfielder at Sevilla, his 50 goals in two seasons, and physical fitness prompted Madrid to pay 20 million to land the promising young Brazilian.

At the Bernabeu, the Beast was often played out of position, and was forced to make room for the more marketable Galacticos like Zinedine Zidane and Guti.

After a string of unimpressive performances for Madrid, Baptista's career failed to pick up again despite transfers to Arsenal and Roma. Baptista has now come full circle to La Liga, but now back with relegation battling Malaga

Geovanni – Barcelona 2001 – 2003


Geovanni was full of promise and potential, but the 21 million Barcelona shelled out on the talented 21 year old failed to materialize into anything.

The Brazilian midfielder fell off the radar before he enjoyed the best years of his footballing career playing for Hull City seven years later.

Antonio Cassano- Real Madrid 2006-2008


Antonio Cassano had a history of trouble at Roma but his performances often allowed him remain in good standings. Madrid still decided to gamble on the 23 year old Cassano in hopes that they would be able to unlock the Italians potential.

However, four months into his tenure with the club, he began gaining weight due to poor eating habits. Madrid began fining him for every gram he remained over his playing weight.

Following his weight fines, he was suspended for disrespecting then coach Fabio Capello. Numerous public outbursts about Real Madrid, saw president Ramon Calderon state that Cassano's behavior had become disastrous and unacceptable, and that Cassano would soon be departing the club

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/663614-the-top-10-players-who-never-reached-their-potential-with-madrid-barcelona#/articles/663614-the-top-10-players-who-never-reached-their-potential-with-madrid-barcelona

[zudomiriku]

El Clasico World Series: 10 Reasons Barcelona Have the Beating of Real Madrid



Billed as the greatest match in the world, past Saturday’s El Clasico, the first of four encounters between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid was everything but entertaining. Quite frankly, the match was more akin to FC Barcelona’s bittersweet victory against Inter Milan in the knock-out stages.

One can argue with Jose Mourinho’s tactics, Blanco’s icon Alfredo di Stefano did, but at the end of the day he achieved what he was aiming for, avoiding defeat against FC Barcelona. Nevertheless, it is kind of perplexing seeing the world’s most expensive team ever assembled playing like a bottom feeder club. Perhaps it was an unspoken admission of inferiority.

Taking all into account, I do wonder how Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. claim that Real Madrid is the best club in the world when they have:

a) Not won a single trophy with the club

b) Are part of a squad that plays like Stoke City when facing Arsenal FC

I assume we will never find out what goes on in their mind. Maybe their situation is similar to that of the Miami Heat, hyped into the stratosphere but unless they win the Championship it’s a wiser policy to be quiet. LeBron James or Kobe Bryant—I go with the latter. Bryant might be arrogant but L.J. is disconnected from reality (“The Decision” anyone)?

Even so, there’s still three Clasico’s to be played and a goal fest is still very much in the cards, despite the fact that Jose Mourinho is Los Blanco’s manager.

Here are 10 reasons why FC Barcelona holds the advantage over Real Madrid.

The Mental Aspect


Although Pep’s winning streak came to a halt with Saturday’s boring draw, he remains unbeaten against any Real Madrid manager.

Of Madrid’s regular starting XI only Casillas, Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo know a time pre-FC Barcelona humiliations.

In stark contrast, every current FC Barcelona, except newbie Ibrahim Afellay, was part of a squad that trashed Real Madrid.

Disjointed Performance


In past Saturday’s encounter Real Madrid had a couple of half-chances, but out of those almost none were the result of a team move.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again excelled at what he does best, channeling his inner John Wayne, meaning he shot from every possible angle.

Perhaps someone should tell him to watch Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood instead.

The Mad Men


If there was a stand-out performer in Real Madrid’s ranks, it had to be Pepe.

Even though he isn’t really comfortable with the ball at his feet. he did stifle the creative juices of both, Xavi and Iniesta. By any account, that is no mean feat.

However, Pepe and his Blancos cohort, Sergio Ramos, are known to be rather short-tempered.

The latter has broken Madrid all-time record for red cards in less than six years with the club, look no further than the Clasico in November 2010.

While Pepe….well, Pepe can go off at any time. Besides, he has the body-control of a six year old. Expect one of the two, or both to receive a red card over the remaining three games.

The Santiago Bernabeu Audience


Maybe the continued admiration of FC Barcelona’s brand of football throughout the world has caused the Madrid fans to turn a blind eye to their team’s latest performance in their quest for silverware.

But accepting four games of anti-football?

That would be a stretch, even for the most ardent Merengue. At one point or another Madrid fans will pull out the white handkerchiefs.

Playing FC Barcelona is hard enough; being booed by the home crowd is even harder.

The Camp Nou


What else is there to say, if there’s a venue that is an absolute nightmare for Real Madrid, it’s the Camp Nou.

Before and after Clasico’s, being a Madrid player or fan anywhere near the Camp Nou is nothing short of madness.

Not even foreign ministers need as much security as Real Madrid and its personnel when they visit FC Barcelona. Foreign objects have been known to defy the rules of gravity and fly at the team bus, players and the pitch.

Culé have quite the reputation for even canceling out the noise of landing airplanes. Now imagine being a Madrid player.

El Jefe


Anything Pepe can do, Javier Mascherano can do a lot better.

The Argentine captain has showed considerable improvement over his last few outings in a FC Barcelona shirt and I’m assuming he can only become better.

He does however remains, arguably, the best tackler in football, period.

If FC Barcelona is lacking a physical element in their game, El Jefe provides plenty.

As Cristiano Ronaldo, and all of the Premier League, can attest, Javier Mascherano is not known for taking prisoners. He is a superb tackler and knows how to play a neat pass or two if he has to.

Pepe can defend; Mascherano can defend and then some.

Carles Puyol


It is quite a testament to Puyi’s influence in the FC Barcelona team.

Carles Puyol is far and away the weakest player on the ball in Barca’s ranks.

However, without him FC Barcelona’s defense looks like a rather fragile construct. It’s no coincidence that they conceded a penalty after Puyol left the pitch.

If Xavi makes his teammates better players, then Carles Puyol makes them even more confident. The only Barca defender with as much passion is sidelined; Eric Abidal.

Madrid's Arrogance


Credit where credit is due: Jose Mourinho made Inter Milan treble-winners. But none of his players were quite as arrogant as his current crop of Madrid superstars.

Not a week goes by where a Madrid player doesn’t feel inclined to champion the Merengues as the best team in the world. But so far it has always backfired on them.

Sergio Ramos back in 2009 “…we will beat FC Barcelona in the Santiago Bernabeu”. Result: 2-6

Marcelo in April 2010 (he always predicts a Madrid victory) “…we will win against Barca”. Result: 0-2

Cristiano Ronaldo before the Clasico in November “…let’s see if they (FC Barcelona) can beat us 8-0”. Result: 5-0

Personally, I do hope to hear another of these ill-advised forecasts.

David Villa


El Guaje was one of the heroes in the 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid back in November 2010.

But for the better part of 2011 he is trying to emulate his predecessor Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Perhaps he is trying to outdo his personal streak of 11 games without scoring (he is at 10 now) but since the next Clasico is to be played in his former home, the Mestalla, one wouldn’t bet against him to break end his drought.

And once the floodgate is open, the goals will come again.

Déjà Vu


In 2008 FC Barcelona had lost their opening game too, only to achieve the treble in this very campaign.

They also entered April as league leaders and faced the prospect of a Champions League Final against none other than Manchester United.

As it stands, Manchester United are well-equipped to defeat overachievers Schalke 04 and progress to the final.

Maybe it is fate, maybe just a pure coincidence but not even Hollywood could come up with such a storyline (and there have been some very bad sequels in recent history).

If FC Barcelona defeats Real Madrid in both cup competitions, I suggest that every Culé buys a copy of Boyz II Men’s “End of the road” for their Real Madrid friends.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/670302-el-clasico-world-series-10-reasons-barcelona-have-the-beating-of-real-madrid#/articles/670302-el-clasico-world-series-10-reasons-barcelona-have-the-beating-of-real-madrid

[rondwisan]

Dubai group completes Getafe takeover
Soccernet - April 25, 2011



Royal Emirates Group have completed their purchase of Primera Division side Getafe.

The deal was confirmed by the Dubai-based group in an open letter by their managing director Dr Kaiser Rafiq on the club's website.

There had been speculation last week that the club would be renamed 'Team Dubai' as part of the takeover deal, but both parties confirmed that their identity will remain unchanged.

[zudomiriku]

Originally Posted by rondwisan

Dubai group completes Getafe takeover
Soccernet - April 25, 2011

Getafe sold to Royal Emirates Group, will be called ‘Team Dubai’



After a bit of mystery, it has been revealed that the UAE-based holding company chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail Al Maktoum of The Emirates' ruling family has bought 14th-place La Liga side Getafe. Which means the club will go from having Burger King as a shirt sponsor to the latest football acquisition of the region to host the 2022 World Cup in what seems like a truly fitting progression of these modern times.

But that's not all -- it seems the club is in for a name change, too. From Reuters:

The Royal Emirates Group is to buy the Primera Liga club Getafe for about €90m (£80m), the Dubai firm has announced, reacting to reports linking it to the purchase of a Spanish club.

"It is Getafe … we will announce it in a big way tomorrow [Thursday]," Suleiman al-Butti, the project manager of REG, said.

REG, an investment firm chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail al-Maktoum, said in statement the club would be named "Team Dubai", although it was not clear whether that would become the team's official name.

I'd say there's no way "Team Dubai" will become the club's official name, but who knows anymore. With a member of the Qatari ruling family buying Malaga, the Qatar Foundation becoming Barcelona's new shirt sponsor next season and now REG gobbling up Getafe, keep an eye out for the emirates' future acquisitions, which will include: Buying Spain's World Cup trophy, renaming La Liga "League Dubai," and sponsoring Gerard Pique's love interests. Actually, "Sheikh Butti" would probably be an awesome stage name for Shakira.

UPDATE: Here's what appears to be the club's new crest...



So, yeah, they pretty much just slapped a "Team Dubai" on the bottom of it.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b94kk