BOCA JUNIORS, VALDEBEBAS 2 ?

Posted by Paulo Martin,Spain
Real Madrid has a preferential option over five of Boca Juniors brightest youth products.

The Argentines broke an agreement which Real Madrid had with the club over a preferential option on Ever Banega when Boca sold the player to Valencia. Real Madrid decided not to take the matter of breach of contract any further if Boca Juniors gave Real Madrid a preferential option on Florin, Muñoz, Araujo, Cabrera and Fragapane.

It seems like Real Madrid want to make Boca Juniors some sorts of extension of Valdebebas in Buenos Aires. The whites have demonstrated a excellent following of the Argentine market in recent years having secured the likes of Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain and want to keep their grasp in that market by securing a preferential option on five of Boca Juniors most promising youngsters.

The five players are Juan Forlin, Ezequiel Muñoz, Sergio Araujo, Nicolas Cabrera and Franco Fragapane. The scouts at Real Madrid have been following these players for some time and have no doubt of there ability and expect all of them to have a bright future in European football.

Real Madrid`s preferential option on these players was signed little over a month ago when Carlos Bianchi who was Boca Juniors ex manager and now is a director at the club came to Madrid to meet with Carlos Bucero and reach an agreement to end a conflict between the clubs that could have ended up in the CAS and would have ended up with Boca Juniors receiving a hefty fine.

In that meeting, Real Madrid claimed that Boca Juniors had broken a contract clause included int he signing of Fernando Gago, the clause stipulated that Real Madrid had a preferential option over three other Boca Juniors players; Mathias Cahais, Jonathan Maidana and Ever Banega. BoCA Juniors sold Ever Banega last winter to Valencia without honoring the preferential option that Real Madrid had signed with the club. Real Madrid then negotiated the option of the five players mentioned above in exchange for not taking Boca Juniors to the CAS.

Jorge Amor Ameal, Boca Juniors president is convinced that Real Madrid has made an excellent deal. " These kids have an enormous future ahead of them and i am confident that they will make it, various big European clubs have been keeping tabs on them". Real Madrid got a great deal from a problematic situation and both parties seem happy that the matter is resolved.

Those who have seen the players in action claim that they will form a new generation similar to that of Messi`s and Aguero`s. Folrin and Muñoz are already regular first team players for Boca Juniors and Forlin has already been named as part of the squad for the Argentinian national team that will face Venezuela and Bolivia question remains if he will be short listed or not.

But not only Real Madrid have shown interest in Forlin, also Barcelona have taken an interest in the player with Barça sporting director Txiqui Beguiristain scouting the player on several occasions. This young center back already had a very brief encounter with Real Madrid when he was at Real Madrid B in 2007 but a complication in his passport and visa forced him to return to Argentina.

FIVE STARS:




JUAN FORLIN: (Reconquista,Sta.Fe, 10-01-1988) He`s 21 years old, He plays as a center back and starts on a regular basis for Boca Juniors and was one of the stars of his team that won the Apertura 2008 coached by Carlos Isquia. He is technically gifted, he can play on the left or right, He`s very quick, and his formidable conditions has seduced even the great Maradona.




EZEQUIEL MUÑOZ: (Pergamio, Province of Buenos Aires, 08-10-1990) Considered by the great Carlos Bianchi as the future center back for the national team. He has a strong physical presence (1`85 and 82 kg), he`s strong int he air, he has a strong personality
and a great character. He made his debut int he past South American Cup against Quito. His footballing mirror is Roberto Ayala.





SERGIO ARAUJO: At just 17 years old he is considered one of the great Argentine talents. He is a striker who is extremely quick, an authentic product of baby football, he is technically very gifted and is very habile with the ball at his feet, has great
ability to take on players in small areas and has good mobility and drops to either wing. He first started playing at Club Parque under Ramon Maddoni the same person who groomed Fernando Gago. Muñoz is constantly being compared to a young Kun Aguero.


GONZALO CABRERA: (Buenos Aires 15-01-1989) He is an attacking midfielder who can play as a creative midfielder or as an attacking midfielder. A similar player to Pablo Aimar. His preferred foot is his right but can easily switch to his left considering he is ambidextrous. He has a strong physical presence (1`89) and is good in the air.

FRANCO FRANGAPANE: (Mendoza, 06-02-1993) He is the youngest of the five and is only 16 years old. He is a very fast striker but his preferred position is on the right wing. Very talented on the ball and lethal on one-on-ones. Because of his mobility and pace
he is compared to Rodrigo Palacio. Very habile in taking on players and shooting on goal.


Hala Madrid

An Atletico Man who chased a REAL Dream

posted by-suresh J V,India

Raul Gonzalez Blanco, This is one name which immediately touches chord with millions of Madridista's all around the world. This is one name which single handedly bought pride and spot light like back to Real Madrid at start of this century. This is one name which always get's spoken along with the greats like De Stefano, Puskas, Gento's and others who played there best for Real Madrid.  Raul Gonzalez Blanco who has been revered, as icon and pride of Real Madrid would not have been one, if he did not join Real Madrid after certain Jesus Gil the once president of Atletico Madrid decided to scrap Atletico's youth system where Raul was getting ready to dawn the colors of Rojiblancos. Atletico later found out that arguably this was their greatest gift ever to their cross town rival's.

                   Raul was born into a humble working class family, whose head was a passionate supporter of Atletico Madrid. His father might have felt the pain rip through his heart, when he saw his son play for Real Madrid and not for his beloved Atletico, but such was the passion and dedication, Raul had for Real Madrid that no one ever mentioned or questioned his Atletico roots with cynicism. Raul was a boy when he first played for Real Madrid. Playing along with the idols like Butragueño, Michel, Zamorano, Redondo, Sanchis and Buyo would have overwhelmed many, but not Raul. In fact playing along with his idols spurred him and made him the legend he is today.  Raul true to his commitment has reminded a single club man even though he commanded the highest transfer fee's in peak of his powers. Raul's commitment to the club was unparalleled even when he was chased and haunted by many multi million transfer offers, that no one in the club lost sleep even for a day with the prospect of loosing there most prized asset looming large.

                  Raul is respected all around the world not just for his footballing skills, but for his passion, commitment and outstanding behavior. Raul stands as a beacon in the world of football which is losing its sheen and slowly been taken over by football playing thugs, who don't mind slugging it out in a pub after their day's game. Not receiving a single red card in entire professional career spanning over 14 years is a feat which deserves the highest accolade and a benchmark which any self respecting footballer needs to strive to achieve.

Many love Real Madrid because they love football, but there are many more who love football because they love Real Madrid. For those many more supporters Raul is not just a top scorer, a great and a legend, but an identity which they will ever be proud to associate themselves with. Let the history etch his name in footballing folklore for many million youngsters who will not be fortunate to see this legend playing.

Long live the king. Long live his kingdom.

amen

New Maradona v New Pele- A Tale of Two Talents

Posted by: Suresh, India.

Since the time these two greats graced the footballing arena, the footballing crowd has been spoiled for quality. Before and along with these two south American talents were many great footballers like Alfred De Stefano, Puskas, Johan Cruff, Franz Beckenbauer,Michel Platini, Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Bobby Carlton and etc; however no one were ever spoken about in the same vein as these two were. Even though the destiny of greatness united these two (in a way), they were distinctly separated by their temperament. Pele was always considered a perfect professional & a perfect role model because of his on field and off field behavior; however Diego was always the most mercurial player surrounded with controversy and bad press linked to his behavior and personal problems.

Over the years, impostors of many shapes and sizes from Argentina and Brazil have been compared to these two greats and none of them were able to fill up the vacuum left by these two in the hearts of football lovers. However off late, the emergence of Messi and Robinho has triggered the talk of the New Maradona and the New Pele again. In many ways Robinho and Messi share there masters’ class, vision and prodigious talent, but this is where the similarities end.

Since the time Messi started playing with Barca’s first team, he has lived up to all the comparisons to the Argentinean legend. In fact, Messi has gone from strength to strength and even drawn comparison from no other than Maradona himself, but having said, that Messi reminds us of Maradona in all aspects except his temperament, where surprisingly he reminds us of Pele and not Maradona. Messi's ascend to the top has been built on strong foundation with the right mix of commitment, maturity, hard work and professionalism. Many clubs have tried to lure him away from Barcelona, however Messi's commitment to the club, has made the club's decision easy and simple. It was not a surprise to most people, when Messi performed the same miracles as his predecessor, scoring goals that Maradona did in a similar fashion. Consequently, it won't be a surprise if Messi surpasses Maradona’s talents with some of his own and sets examples for future Messis to follow.

On the contrary Robinho with his mercurial talent has set the world stage on fire, and of late it is not because of football that he is in the news. He showed glimpses of his talent when he was playing in Santos and was tipped for bigger things when he signed for Real Madrid, however surprisingly he does not have the temperament of his master, but surprisingly that of Maradona. During his three years stint for Los Blancos he promised but failed to deliver when it came to talent on the pitch. He was so unprofessional that he drew comments from the sporting director of the club who had complained about Robinho smelling of booze in the dressing room. To add to his expanding list of unprofessional acts, his transfer saga drew a lot of criticism from even the unexpected quarters, with Pele condoning his move to Manchester (City). It's difficult not to be tempted with big money in the offing, however considering the fact that Robinho's desire was to be the best in the world, it would have been a easy choice to make. It would have been the right choice if he had chose to on at Real Madrid and continue in his quest to achieve greatness. And the Bernabeu faithful absolutely loved and adored Robinho. Instead Robinho chose not to confront the problems that he was facing and decided to be the big fish in the small pond by accepting a backdoor exit move to Manchester City. He allowed his lust for money to kill his footballing soul. From a very promising career and possible greatness, Robinho is now all set to confront his worst fear, with demons of relegation lurking in the shadows. His temperament, has time and time again, put his master to shame and has pushed Pele to the extent of recommending professional counseling for his off field behavior.

It is almost certain that Messi will perform just to the expectations, but it would be foolish to write Robinho off because he still has a long career ahead of him. But it would hardly be a surprise for most, if Robinho turns out to be a gaffer and does nothing to fulfill his potential. We will wait for the future to answer this question.

Official: Real Madrid withdraw appeal filed with CAS

Posted by: Ashay K, India
Credits: UEFA's official website.

You can also view the article here.

UEFA has issued the following statement on Tuesday concerning the withdrawal of an appeal by Real Madrid CF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"UEFA President, Michel Platini, last Thursday met the new President of Real Madrid CF, Vicente Boluda, at the House of European Football in Nyon, in particular to discuss the appeal filed by Real Madrid CF with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision of UEFA's Appeal Body of 13 January 2009, regarding the requested registration of the two players Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra for the final (knockout) phase of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League.

During the meeting, both UEFA and Real Madrid CF were able to explain their own positions regarding the matter, in a spirit of open and sincere communication and with reciprocal respect.
Following the meeting, and upon the invitation of the UEFA President to reconsider their position, Real Madrid CF have decided to withdraw the appeal filed with CAS and to accept the decision of UEFA of 13 January 2009. Thus, Real Madrid CF will inform the UEFA administration, within the prescribed deadline, which of the two players, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Lassana Diarra, they would like to register on the A list for the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League first knockout round matches onwards.

The UEFA President was very appreciative of the manner and the style in which Real Madrid CF developed the discussions of last Thursday and commented: 'This does not come as a surprise to me. Real Madrid CF are one of the most successful teams in European football, the all-time record-holder of titles in the UEFA Champions League and have a great tradition.'

The UEFA President concluded by stating that the issues raised by Real Madrid CF 'cannot have any influence on the current UEFA Champions League season, but they were raised in good faith and are a good opportunity to discuss within the competent UEFA bodies the question of whether article 17.18 of the current UEFA Champions League regulations may need to be amended for the future seasons.'

©uefa.com 1998-2009. All rights reserved.

Kakaphony - A War of Tabloids

Posted by-Shibarjun Ghosh,India

Kaka almost had one foot in Manchester, Now he has two in Milan…with a head in Madrid", AS wrote in its article regarding Kaka's much lampooned and finally failed transfer speculations . Come to think of it, it makes quite a good line. Ever since the big money transfer of Kaka to Manchester City broke down the cacophony regarding his future has already started. The rumour mill has been working overtime and now there are speculations and predictions galore. Predictably, the Madrid based (or should I say Madrid biased) daily have seem to taken the upper hand on this one keeping well in mind that their cross town rivals took the cake, pie and cherry in the Ronaldo saga that enfolded in the summer of last year. AS chipped in with trivias here and there, but its a known fact that it was MARCA that was running the "Cristiano Ronaldo Show".

But who are these guys in AS??? Well they are very much like u and me; Madrid over-enthusiasts, but also a bit more imaginative. AS is so pumped up and so over excited about the fact that they have got the best seller plot of the month they don't care if the facts they are stating are true or not; like stating the fact that that Kaka's contract ends in 2011 instead of 2013, which in fact is the case.

So much so is their verve about the new scoop that they have not hesitated taking digs at the recently crowned FIFA player of the year Ronaldo (who of course was the main protagonist of the summer blockbuster scripted by Marca) and have also gone on the extent of saying that "Ronaldo needs a team to shine whereas Kaka makes a team shine", not exactly true by my diagnosis. Ronaldo has scored 42 goals last season and has won the Double with Man Utd, leading the charge from the front, enough for Real Madrid to go on a wild goose chase with the a possiblity of smashing transfer records left right and centre. As for Kaka, no doubt he is a great player, probably one of the greatest to have graced the footballing world of late, but playing in the uefa cup certainly is not my definition of "shining".

However AS is taking no chance; they are doing everything to juice it up, like putting words in people's mouth, citing "undisclosed inside sources" and also introducing Barcelona as the new "twist in the tale". People like Emerson with their few predictions and on-the-record antics have got more media coverage than they have managed in the whole of this season with their onfield activities. Suddenly everyone wants to be part of this blockbuster and have been contributing in with their share of lip service. And Emerson has apparently also gone to the extent that not only Kaka, but even Pato would be joining Madrid in the near future. And in this saga fraught with contradictions, Emerson has again gone on record denying that he made any such claims!

Now AS certainly doesn't want to leave anything to chance this time. Once bitten, twice shy, they have learnt from their mistakes and have not forgotten the lesson they learnt the last summer when Marca stole all the limelight with the Ronaldo saga and AS was relegated to playing second fiddle in the war of the tabloids. However, what if all these reports are really true? I would be shouting “Vamos!” at the top of my voice but for the time being it’s not about Kaka, Milan, Madrid or City because the real action is in the tabloid columns and not anywhere else. It’s 2009 and the score is Marca 0-1 AS.

As of now, I am waiting for a fitting reply from Marca with the hope that they can come up with an equally engrossing and exciting plot where there is no shortage of drama, emotions, betrayal, loyalty and lots of money (like this one). There are a lot of protagonists up for the taking. Benzema, Villa, Walcott, Ibrahimovic or may be Ronaldo once more, to name a few. Until then guys, grab your popcorn and enjoy the bytes; this show is not over as yet, and another blockbuster’s already blooming!...hope its just AS good.

Entre, Vicente!

Posted by: Ashay K, India.

The deputy President of Real Madrid Vicente Boluda, who now takes charge of the club, listens to the President of Real Madrid Ramon Calderon during a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Friday Jan. 16, 2009. Ramon Calderon quit as Real Madrid president on Friday following a vote-rigging scandal. Calderon's turbulent tenure as head of the world's biggest football club appears to have come to an end after a Spanish newspaper reported that the 57-year-old lawyer had manipulated a general assembly vote, effectively a vote of confidence, in December.

Construction, Law and now Shipping. This defines the various backgrounds of the last three presidents on Real Madrid. While Florentino Perez was a construction magnate and Ramon Calderon made his name as a lawyer, Vicente Boluda has made his name in the shipping industry.

Balouda has a masters in Legal Advice for Business and a Masters in Maritime Law. He is also the president of the 'National Association of Shipowners and Tow-Trucks', a delegate in the 'Upper Counsel of the Chambers of Commerce', the first vice-president of the 'Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Valencia', and vice-president of the 'Spanish Shipping Association.'

In 1998 he received the 'Enterpriser of the Year' award for his work in the Boluda Group, against rivals such as La Caixa and IBM. Along with his own personal success, Boluda has a very successful family, with his grandfather, Boluda Marí, giving rise to a naval empire that has since expanded massively to cover various ports around the world. Now, they operate not just on the shore but also at sea, where they participate in off-shore rescue, and fight against contamination.

Coming to you from Real Madrid's official website, Boluda's opening words to the press and to the masses of Real Madrid....

"I would like to begin by expressing, in the name of Real Madrid, my thanks to Ramón Calderón for the job he has done these past two and a half years. On a personal level, I would like to add that I feel proud for having been part of
his Board and for being his friend."

"I take over the Presidency as an act of responsibility and an obligation I cannot refuse. An institution like Real Madrid can't be devoid of power until the next election, which will take place this summer. I ask Madridismo to stand united and to act responsibly, and I wish to ask all of you to allow us to do our jobs in a calm and confident atmosphere."

"Our football and basketball squads have important goals to achieve this season and they deserve our support more than ever. I offer our fans and Club Members my full dedication to this organisation. I will defend the interests of the Club with all my heart. Thank you."

This is "Called-a-Run"

Posted by: Ashay K, India.

Well, there has always been immense pressure in a managerial position of any capacity at Real Madrid. So much pressure that one has difficulty surviving even if all he is doing is in the best interests of the club. But the audacity of Ramon Calderon, the scandals and the fact that the image of the club is tarnished has kept many wondering as to how Calderon survived for so long.
Marca explained that as well, in great detail. As a result, we finally get to hear Calderon address the Real Madrid faithful, and we hope, for the last time.

We would like to directly quote Calderon since this is such a momentous occassion for most madridistas...

"As I said in my previous press conference, I am not a coward and I have nothing to hide. I wish to swear again that the things that have been said in some media about my direct or indirect responsibility with what happened in the last General Assembly are false."

"Against the wishes of all the Members of the Board, I have decided to yield the Presidency. I hope that by handing in my head -highly sought after since the day my office began- I help to pacify a social strata that is permanently agitated by the information that appears in the media on a daily basis and that is divulged and elaborated with absolute disregard to moral ethics."

"I have given my soul and all my strength to Real Madrid these last two and a half years and my hands are clean. I have a clear conscience and I feel proud for having served the most important club in the world. I honestly believe that the success of those who have repeatedly sought my exit of the Club is also the triumph of injustice and evil doing. I have made mistakes as a consecuence to my limitations, but I have never taken part in any irregularities. The mistakes I made never sought personal benefit."

"I wish now to express my gratitude to the Board and to those whose loyalty is hard to emulate. Thanks to them, this Club has won 5 titles in two years: 3 in football and 2 in basketball. The Club's accounts regarding both income and expenditure are the best in its history. I also wish to thank the employees and collaborators I've had these years. They make this entity and myself proud with their efficient work, support and affection."

"I love and feel for this Club with all my heart and I wish to ask our Club Members and fans to stand united in support of the new President. I also wish to ask the fans to support our football and basketball players, who are great professionals that are deeply involved with the Club and their work. I can say the same of two exceptional coaches that make the Club proud. United, the teams and the fans can win all the competitions they are playing in."

"I wish to publicly manifest my unconditional support for all my successors and I renounce any act of obstruction or opposition. Finally, and most importantly, I wish to thank my family, my mother, my brothers and, especially, Teresa, an expectional woman without whom I would have never achieved anything in my life and who has suffered and accepted in silence and with affection all the absences, problems and unpleasantness derived from this position."

"Naturally, I can't forget my children, Leticia, Jaime and Mariana. Not only have they suffered for what's happening to their father, but they have also been permanently harassed and slandered. Their photos and personal details have been used with unscrupulousness. I ask you as a final favour to respect them. They are the most important thing in my life, as for every husband and father, and the decision I've made today has been heavily influenced by the relentless hounding they are subjected to and the suffering it has caused them."

"I leave with my head held high and stressing once again that I have a clear conscience because I have always been true and sought to make good."

"Thank you very much. God bless you."

...That emotional and touchy conference has left us quite subdued. So with a heavy heart, we wish Calderon the very best for whatever he takes up in the future and we hope tht he and our club never cross paths ever again.

Disclaimer: Though the thoughts in the post are our own, Calderon's comments have been picked verbatim from the Real Madrid official website.

Et Tu, Marca?

Posted by: Ashay K.

Julius Caesar's words echo strong in this case. The only change being this time its Calderon and there's no Brutus, only Marca. After carrying out a long campaign against Ramon Calderon, Marca seems to have finally succeeded.

Marca reports that Ramon Calderon has sensationally resigned from the post of Club President. Calderon is due to hold a press conference explaining his decision to stand down at 18:00 CET.
Keep watchin this space, we'll post more once the news is official followed by a detailed analysis of Calderon's tenure here at Real Madrid.