Latest La Liga News

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Manchester United May Not Have Acquired Cristiano Ronaldo If Ronaldinho Had Signed

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo may never have had the pleasure of plying his trade with the Red Devils if the English club had succeeded in signing Ronaldinho.

"I thought we'd clinched the deal [for Ronaldinho], but when I flew to Paris to speak with him, the goalposts seemed to have moved somehow," the Scot is quoted by The Irish Independent as saying.

"His people complained to me that it didn't seem as though they were getting the same deal we'd previously agreed.

"The next thing I know, he was at Barcelona the following day.

"It was a big disappointment at the time," he reminisced.

"But we signed Cristiano Ronaldo that very same summer and perhaps we wouldn't have ended up with Ronaldo had we got Ronaldinho."

However, the 67-year-old manager admitted that the club would have monitored the young Ronaldo, since the Red Devils had agreed to a pre-contract arrangement with Sporting.

"We probably would have kept tabs on Ronaldo, though, because we had a pre-contract agreement with Sporting," 'Fergie' mused.

"However, maybe we wouldn't have accelerated the Ronaldo deal in the way we did."

Ronaldo, who joined the Manchester outfit in 2003, was handed the famous No. 7 jersey upon his arrival. After six years of terrorising defences in the Premier League, the player left for greener pastures when he signed for los Blancos in a deal worth about €93 million.

Sir Alex spoke about the loss that the club faces.

"Obviously, Cristiano is a big loss in terms of the goals that he gave us, but we'll just have to find them from somewhere else and our tactics will adjust accordingly," he concluded.

 

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Malaga Set To Make Mateja Kezman Move - Report

Malaga are set to open talks about an audacious bid to sign Mateja Kezman from Paris Saint-Germain this summer as the striker looks set to leave the French outfit.

The Spanish side are hopeful that they can attract the 30-year-old after a successful return to la Primera Division last term almost saw them qualify for Europe.

Now Malaga are intent on building on that and want to add more quality to their squad and view Kezman as the goalscorer who could secure them a place in the top six, according to Le Parisien.

After spending just a year in the French capital, with six months of that on loan from Fenerbahce, the striker appears to be surplus to requirements and set to leave.

A return to Spanish football could be an attractive option and with Malaga proving their ambition with a change of coach and ten new players, Kezman could be persuaded.

After an underwhelming spell with Chelsea, the PSV hotshot spent a year with Atletico de Madrid, where he netted eight goals in 30 games, and then moved to Turkey in 2006.

Malaga have brought back promotion-winning coach Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz from Racing Santander and given him the support to bolster his squad with a host of new signings.

While many of the new faces are fringe players from big clubs such as Barca, Deportivo and Porto, Kezman would be seen as something of a coup and he would enjoy being the star once more.

 

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Rennes Forward Olivier Thomert Issues Espanyol Plea

Olivier Thomert has issued a plea to Espanyol to sign him from Rennes as he believes a move to the Catalan outfit would be the step up that he needs.

The 29-year-old forward has been told of the interest coming from the Blanc i Blau and has made it clear that if they made an official bid he would jump at the chance to sign for them.

Espanyol may be in mourning after the loss of their captain Daniel Jarque, but negotiations are set to take place about adding to their squad for the new season.

While Rennes have not received a concrete bid, it is believed that they would want around €1 million for the former Le Mans and Lens player.

"I want to push my career forward," he was quoted as saying by L'Equipe.

"Espanyol is a good club. The coach speaks French, they have a new stadium and great players like Ivan de la Pena.

"It would be an adventure that would test me."

 

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Rafael van der Vaart Could Exit Real Madrid For Nothing

Rafael van der Vaart has been linked with a new challenge after falling out of favour at Real Madrid following the club's star signings this summer.

Inter and VfB Stuttgart are both understood to be keen on the 26-year-old, and, according to Wil Van Megen, an attorney for FIFPro, they could capture the Holland international for nothing.

Van Megen cites the fact that Van der Vaart has lost his jersey number to Esteban Granero as the reason why Real will not be entitled to any sum for the player's services.

"They have not given the player any number, which makes it seem like that they have not respected the contract they signed with him," Van Megen told Voetbal International.

Van der Vaart, who cost Real €13 million, made 40 appearances for the Spanish giants last season, netting five goals.

 

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Christoph Metzelder: Winning All Is Always Real Madrid's Objective

Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder has spoken of the demands of playing for Los Merengues and says that winning is what it is all about at the Bernabeu.

According to AS, the 28-year-old is close to returning from injury and he is keen to return to playing, especially with the likes of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Of the new signings, Metzelder said, "It is an honour to have such quality in the side."

However, he doesn't believe the expectation at Madrid has changed this year.

"This team always has to win all, it's difficult. Especially the Champions League where there are many great teams, but the goal is the same, win," stressed the former Borussia Dortmund defender.

He also said that the absence of "the team's best defender", Pepe, who is set to miss the first five games of the season, was a big loss.

 

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Report: Guardiola Seeks Assurances Before Renewing Barcelona Contract

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has sought to put his own contract negotiations with the club to one side in the interest of what he deems more important matters, such as finalising the Blaugrana squad for the coming season.

Negotiations had apparently reached an impasse due to the possible change of president at next year's club elections, but Barca and Guardiola have agreed to a clause which will re-address his position as coach once the elections are concluded.

Now the trainer wants to secure the futures of the likes of Carles Puyol, Rafael Marquez and Lionel Messi before finalising his own. A deal to sign a defender or midfielder will also take priority.

It is expected now, according to AS, that the destiny of Guardiola and his technical staff will not be sorted until after August 31.

Guardiola's discretion will come as no surprise as he previously turned down the opportunity to extend his deal in January, preferring to concentrate on football matters.

His historic treble success last season will surely prove a valuable bargaining tool in contract negotiations.

 

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Cesar Sanchez: Valencia's Games With Sevilla Are Never Friendly

Valencia goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez has spoken of the rivalry ahead of his side's friendly encounter with Sevilla this Friday.

"Games against Sevilla are never friendly. The character of the sides ensures this. It cannot be friendly if each team is trying to reach their maximum level as quickly as possible," said Cesar.

The score won't matter though, he tells Super Deporte. All that matters is that the team is ready for its first official game, a Europa League away tie with Norwegian outfit Stabaek on August 20.

The 37-year-old shot-stopper will receive stiff competition for a starting place next season from Miguel Angel Moya, who arrived this summer from Mallorca.

The veteran has welcomed the competition 25-year-old Moya will bring.

"It's not good to believe you job is secure," he said, but added, "From my point of view, at my age and with the experience I have, I will not do anything but enjoy, and train and play every game as if it were the last."

 

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Nacho Monreal & Diego Lopez Thrilled With First Spain Caps

Nacho Monreal and Diego Lopez both had reasons to be cheerful last night after both made debut appearances for Spain in the 3-2 victory over Macedonia in Skopje.

Villarreal goalkeeper Lopez replaced Liverpool’s Pepe Reina shortly after the hour mark to make his bow. He later described the experience as the best day of his life and suggested it was an important moment for his career.

“I am happy to make my debut. It is the happiest day of my life and an important step in my career,” said the 27-year-old shot-stopper.

Monreal, who replaced Capdevila for the final quarter of an hour, said it was a dream come true.

“It was a very important game for me and it was good to get the victory,” said the Osasuna defender.

“I hope to return now that I have realised my dream.”

 

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Villarreal Coach Valverde Lifted By Juventus Result

Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde told Marca that although victories in pre-season friendlies don't hold much significance, they can help preparations. This comes following his side's 4-1 thrashing of Juventus last week.

"Results always give you confidence," said Valverde. "The game against Juventus showed that."

The trainer is hoping that they can bring that confidence into today's friendly against Genoa, who he expects to give Villarreal a tough game.

"Like any Italian team they will be difficult to beat, they are very strong," he stressed.

Valverde is hoping that the confidence his team is showing can spill over to the supporters at the Madrigal stadium.

"Playing at home we want our supporters to like what they see. We want them laving the stadium convinced that we can have a good year," he said.

 

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Lazio 1-1 (5-4 penalties) Osasuna: Muslera Saves The Day For Lazio

Lazio hosted Osasuna in a friendly match at the Stadio Olimpico last night, an evening that marked the official presentation of the Italian Super Cup to the Aquile fans.

Approximately 15,000 supporters were in attendance for the contest and the presentation, but they were silenced on 22 minutes when Juanfran opened the scoring for the visitors.

The midfielder pounced on an error made by Aleksandar Kolarov to give his side a well-deserved lead, following a dominant opening to proceedings.

It took the Biancocelesti just under 15 minutes to get back level though, as Mauro Zarate tapped in from close range after some great work by Cristian Brocchi.

The Rome-based club were the better side in the second half, yet they failed to net a second goal, which meant that the match would be decided in a penalty shoot-out.

The Lazio goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, was undoubtedly the hero of the lottery, as he managed to deny the visitors’ final three spot kicks to assure his side of a come-from-behind victory in the shoot-out.

Line-ups:

Lazio (4-4-2): Bizzarri (61’ Muslera); Scaloni (46’ Lichtsteiner), Cribari, Siviglia (46’ Diakite), Kolarov (46’ Radu); Baronio, Brocchi (61’ Dabo), Eliseu (46’ Del Nero), Foggia (71’ Meghni); Cruz (63’ Matuzalem), Zarate.

Osasuna (4-4-2): Ricardo; Miguel Flano (81’ Josexto), Azpilicueta, Sergio, Esparza (62’ Monreal); Ruper (73’ Vadocz), Calleja, Puñal, Juanfran; Pandiani, Aranda (73’ Dady).

 

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Inter & Real Madrid Agree Fee For Wesley Sneijder – Report

Inter may have made a breakthrough in their negotiations with Real Madrid over the transfer of Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, however, it seems that the 25-year-old will take some persuasion to leave the Bernabeu.

The clubs have agreed a €19 million fee, according to 24oredisport.com, €8.5m of which will be paid this summer and the remaining €10.5m in June 2010. A contract has been drawn up for Sneijder, which will see him sign with the Beneamata until 2013 on a €3.7m-per-year deal.

The former Ajax man has been insistent, however, that he wants to fight for his place at Real Madrid. Despite the heavy competition for spots in Manuel Pellegrini's team, Sneijder declared after the Netherlands' friendly with England on Wednesday that he is not interested in joining the Italian champions.

Sneijder would be assured of a place in Jose Mourinho's side, as the Portuguese tactician has been desperately searching for a trequartista to play behind the new strike-pairing of Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito. While Dejan Stankovic was effective in the role last year, the ‘Special One’ has made the attacking midfield position his top priority in the transfer market this summer.

Should the Dutchman reject Inter's contract offer, the Nerazzurri are likely to return to Bordeaux with an offer for former Milan player Yoann Gourcuff.

 

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Barcelona Add Cicinho And Grygera To Wanted List - Report

Barcelona are weighing up up a move for former Real Madrid defender Cicinho to bolster their defensive options as the list of potential targets grows, according to a report.

The Catalan outfit have been linked with Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue and Manchester City's Vincent Kompay in recent days and are now said to be also looking in Italy.

If a bid for Cicinho is not successful, the Juventus full-back Zdenek Grygera could find himself at the centre of the continuing speculation, Sport state.

After the tour of the United States, Barca decided that a new right-back to challenge Dani Alves was required, and if that player could also play in the middle then so much the better.

While Cicinho may not be able to double up as a central defender, the diminutive Brazilian is an attractive option given that he would not need any time to integrate.

The 29-year-old spent two seasons with Real Madrid before moving to Roma in 2007 and would not command a huge fee, which would suit Barca as they look to spend big on a midfielder.

Grygera is the same age as the Brazilian and has been at Juventus for two seasons, but as a regular in the Vecchia Signora squad, the Blaugrana may encounter greater resistance to their interest.

 

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Real Madrid Outcast Van Der Vaart: I Have Turned Down Ajax Return

Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that he has turned down the chance to return to Ajax, and will only leave Real Madrid to play in one of Europe's major leagues.

The 26-year-old has been told that he is surplus to requirements at the Santiago Bernabeu and vowed not to play again under coach Manuel Pellegrini.

But one of the first clubs to make contact was Ajax, and Van der Vaart was not keen on taking a step back in time by joining the club where he came through the ranks.

"Martin Jol has already contacted me, but I do not intend to return to my former team," Van der Vaart, who worked with Jol at Hamburg, told reporters in Spain.

"My dream is to play in a major championships namely England, Spain, Italy or Germany. Other proposals from abroad do not interest me."

Van der Vaart rejected interest from Juventus and Atletico de Madrid to sign for Real Madrid last summer and revealed that it was a dream move for him.

With a Spanish mother, the Dutch international was proud to have signed for Los Merengues, but he struggled throughout the campaign to play regularly and has now been told he must leave.

 

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Frank Rijkaard Eyeing Guti For Galatasaray - Report

Frank Rijkaard has asked Galatasaray to try and sign Guti from Real Madrid as he continues his squad rebuilding plan with the Turkish giants, according to a report.

The Dutchman took over at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium earlier this summer and is constructing a new-look side in a bid to regain the Super League title next term.

While Elano has joined from Manchester City and Leo Franco from Atletico de Madrid, already part of Gala's foreign contingent were Milan Baros and Harry Kewell.

Now Rijkaard wants a playmaker and believes that Guti could be tempted to try his luck in Turkey with the promise of regular first-team football, El Mundo state.

With the influx of stars at Real Madrid, the 32-year-old looks set to once again play a back-up role at the Santiago Bernabeu and be chosen when suspensions or injuries allow.

Having spent his entire career with Madrid, Guti has rarely played regularly and that frustration could persuade him to decide to continue his career elsewhere.

 

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Real Madrid's Bid For Franck Ribery Hindered By Lack Of Sales - Report

Real Madrid must sell before they can contemplate trying to prise Franck Ribery away from Bayern Munich this month, as they have raised just €30 million from sales and spent around €250 million.

The Spanish giants are still being linked with a move for Bayern's French winger, but until they can off-load at least four more first-team players, no bid will be made.

According to Marca, coach Manuel Pellegrini is not making things easy at the Bernabeu as he does not want to see the players who would recoup the most in transfer fees being sold.

Wesley Sneijder could leave for Inter for €25 million, but the Dutch player is not keen on the move, and the Chilean trainer also sees the midfielder as someone who is part of his plans.

Arjen Robben could command a similar fee should clubs be offered his services, and again Pellegrini has publicly stated that he wants to use the wideman next term.

Three players are certainly on their way out, according to the report, with Rafael van der Vaart, Alvaro Negredo and Miguel Torres all seeing their time at the club come to an end.

But even selling that trio would not be enough as Madrid have only managed to raise €15 million from the sale of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, €7 million for Javi Garcia, €5 million for Javier Saviola and €3 million for Dani Parejo.

Michel Salgado and Garbiel Heinze were both given free transfers, so any move for Ribery looks like a forlorn quest at the moment.

 

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Racing Santander Want Barcelona Starlet Jeffren Suarez - Report

Racing Santander have made an enquiry about taking Barcelona's highly-rated youngster Jeffren Suarez on loan for the forthcoming season, according to a report.

The 21-year-old has spent the summer training with Pep Guardiola's first-team squad and is said to be keen to play regularly at the highest level.

A move to El Sardinero could provide the Venezuelan-born winger with the chance that he craves and allow Barca to see how he grows when pitted against Primera Division opposition every week.

Jeffren travelled with Barcelona on tour to England and then the United States and it was across the Pond where he stood out as he finished joint top scorer.

Barcelona have no intention of allowing the player, who has represented Spain at Under-17, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 level, to leave - but a loan deal could suit them.

Racing Santander are still rebuilding after another relatively successful campaign last time out and adding loan players and bargain buys has been key to their continuity.

 

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Fernando Amorebieta: Athletic Bilbao Can Beat Barcelona

Athletic Bilbao clash with Barcelona this Sunday for the Spanish Super Cup and centre-back Fernando Amorebieta is fancying his side's chances of causing the Champions League holders a major upset.

"We see ourselves capable of beating Barcelona, otherwise we would not play the match," Amorebieta is quoted as saying in AS.

The 24-year-old has finally regained full fitness and is available to play against Barcelona, saying, "I trained with the squad today and I felt really fine, me playing this match is at the hands of the coach."

And while the Catalan club will not feature a full-strength squad on Sunday, Amorebieta has warned his side against complacency.

"We must not get relaxed because as we have seen in pre-season, the players from Barca's youth squad are very good and they will play the match eagerly," he noted.

After the Super Cup, Athletic will meet Tromso in the play-off round of the Europa League, a match Amorebieta describes as being very important.

"On Sunday we play for a title and we must not get relaxed because it is against Barcelona," he explained.

"On Thursday it is very different but we can enter the Europa League so both matches will be very important."

 

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I Am Under No Pressure At Barcelona – Bojan Krkic

Bojan Krkic does not believe that he is under any extra pressure at Barcelona as he prepares to lead the front line in the Supercopa de Espana against Athletic Club this weekend.

The 18-year-old is set to be given the chance to start as Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still recovering from a hand injury, and the teenager is relishing the prospect.

Having risen up through the ranks at Camp Nou, Bojan has resisted offers to go out on loan, despite seeing his chances of regular football being limited last term.

"There's no added pressure to be the starting striker at Barca. I've spent my whole life playing at this club," he told a press conference on Friday.

"Sunday's game is like any other where we'll be going for the win.

"Guardiola has not said anything to me, but if there are so many doubts [over Ibrahimovic] then it is possible that I could be in the starting XI. I hope that everyone's fit and we enjoy playing together."

'Ibra' arrived at Camp Nou as part of a swap deal involving Samuel Eto'o, and rather than see him as a rival for a place, Bojan is keen to learn from the Swede.

"It's really great seeing him at first hand, how he plays and moves about the park," he continued.

"I need to learn a lot from him and from everyone else because they're not the best in the world for nothing.

"I always say that a footballer never stops learning. I'm almost 19 and I'm at the start of the learning curve, and even with the things I'm good at I try to do them better."

 

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Juventus' Zdenek Grygera Is Unlikely To Join Barcelona - Agent

Juventus defender Zdenek Grygera has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent days, but the player's agent, Mino Raiola, believes that in the end the Czech Republic international will remain in Turin.

However, Raiola did leave the door open for a possible move this summer, stating that there are many clubs interested in his client.

"For the time being the situation is calm, although interested clubs are not lacking," declared the player's agent to Tuttomercatoweb.com.

"The player is fine at Juventus and they have stated that he is not for sale. However, the transfer market is still long, and as you know, in football anything can happen."

The 29-year-old player joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2007, and has since played a total of 55 league games, contributing three goals for his club.

 

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Espanyol Tracking Lazio’s Guglielmo Stendardo And Lorenzo De Silvestri - Report

According to recent reports from Tuttomercatoweb, Espanyol are said to be monitoring the Italian market as they look to find reinforcements for their rearguard.

After considering a move to bring in 33 year old Lorenzo Stovini, it now seems the Spanish outfit have turned their attention to another of Lazio’s unsettled defenders.

Sources in Spain have suggested that the Barcelona outfit are tempted by Lazio’s desire to reduce squad numbers, and a double swoop could certainly prove financially rewarding for the Rome-based club.

With De Silvestri currently injured, following his exploits for the Italian U21’s, it remains to be seen whether the Spaniards could obtain a discount as they look to break down Claudio Lotito’s €8m asking price for the home-grown full-back.

With Lazio set to push forward on the transfer market on Monday, it is more than likely that Espanyol will have to wait until next week to make enquiries for the Biancocelesti duo.