Tag: Real Madrid

Gonzalez Perfect Fit For ‘Weak’ Man City: Guardiola

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said the signing of Nico Gonzalez can help the struggling English champions compensate for the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

Spanish midfielder Gonzalez arrived from Porto on the final day of the transfer window earlier this week for a reported 60-million-euro fee (£50 million, $62 million).

The 23-year-old’s father Fran previously worked as a coach at City’s academy and Guardiola was also aware of the player’s abilities as he began his career at his former club Barcelona.

City have struggled without Rodri, who suffered a serious knee injury in September.

A run of four consecutive Premier League titles is almost certain to come to an end as they sit 15 points off runaway leaders Liverpool.

City did sneak into the Champions League group stage but now face the might of holders Real Madrid in the play-off round later this month.

“Really important! It’s a position where we were weak after the absence from Rodri,” said Guardiola on Gonzalez’s signing.

“A young player, 23-years-old, can play number six and number eight, more in the pockets. Physicality – he’s a strong young boy.

“I know him from the Barcelona academy and his father was working here. I’m really pleased from the effort of the club to bring him here for the next years.”

City should at least book their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend when they travel to League One Leyton Orient.

However, Guardiola is wary of a repeat of his side’s exit to third-tier opposition in Wigan back in 2018.

“Always we have problems away in this competition in the FA Cup or Carabao (League) Cup against teams from the Championship, League One, League Two we struggle,” he added. “Every game is an opportunity.”

February 8, 2025
Real Madrid To Face Man City in Champions League Knockout Phase Playoffs
- Both Real Madrid and Manchester City failed to advance automatically to the last 16 as one of the top eight sides.
- Real and City have played each other in four knockout ties since 2020 and will be facing off for a fourth consecutive year.
Defending champions rivalry with 2023 winners Manchester City in a blockbuster knockout phase playoff tie after the two teams were pitted against each other in the draw held in Nyon on Friday.

Both Real and City failed to advance automatically to the last 16 as one of the top eight sides after they finished 11th and 22nd, respectively, in the new league-phase format.

Teams that finished ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to advance to the last 16.

Real and City have played each other in four knockout ties since 2020 and will be facing off for a fourth consecutive year after the Premier League champions avoided drawing Bayern Munich.

“It feels like a derby already, four years in a row facing Real Madrid,” City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters.

“But Bayern or Madrid, both were really tough. Hopefully we can arrive in the first leg here and then at Madrid as best as possible.”

The Spanish league leaders will fancy their chances having eliminated English clubs in the knockout stages 13 times.

Although City thrashed the Spanish club 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals in 2023 en route to the treble, Real exacted revenge last year when they beat Guardiola’s side on penalties in the quarter-finals after two draws.

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t play them, but we weren’t able to get into the top eight and that’s OK,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

“Playing two more or fewer games doesn’t matter … we have the resources to deal with it.”

The competition does not get any easier for either team as they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.

With teams from the same country also allowed to face each other, unlike in previous years, the playoffs will have an all-French tie with Paris St Germain facing Brest. The winners will face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16.

“There will be a French team in the last 16, so we have to see the positive side,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said ahead of Saturday’s Ligue 1 game against the same opponents.

“The French league is not valued enough, yet there are four French teams in the Champions League (knockouts).”

Juventus and AC Milan avoided each other in the draw, with the two Serie A sides facing Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, respectively.

However, the Italian sides may face Inter Milan if they advance to the next round or they could come up against Arsenal.

Last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund take on Portuguese side Sporting while Club Brugge face Atalanta.

Champions League knockout playoffs draw

Sporting v Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City v Real Madrid

Juventus v PSV Eindhoven

Brest v Paris St Germain

*Team mentioned second plays second leg at home

Playoff first leg: February 11/12

Playoff second leg: February 18/19

Last 16 draw: February 21

(Reuters)
January 31, 2025

Real Madrid First Football Club To Generate 1 Billion In Euros Revenue In A Season, Deloitte says

Real Madrid became the first soccer team to register one billion euros ($1.04 billion) in revenue in a single season in 2023-24, with the Spanish side topping the Deloitte Football Money League as the world’s highest revenue-generating club once again.

Real Madrid had overtaken Manchester City to return to the summit after they generated total revenue of 831 million euros in the 2022-23 season.

Three trophies in the 2023-24 campaign — including LaLiga and the Champions League — plus increased matchday revenue following the completion of renovation works at the Bernabeu Stadium ensured they stayed top of the list.

Deloitte said Real’s matchday revenue doubled to 248 million euros while a new sleeve sponsorship and increased merchandise sales produced commercial revenue of 482 million euros — a 19% increase.

The report also said that the top 20 revenue generating clubs in the world made a record 11.2 billion euros in the 2023-24 season thanks to record matchday, broadcast and commercial revenues.

Real’s revenue dwarfs that of even City, who remain in second place in the Money League with 838 million euros in revenue.

Although City beat their own revenue record and remain the highest revenue-generating club in the lucrative English Premier League, the gap between first and second (208 million euros) has never been bigger.

Paris St Germain (806 million euros), Manchester United (771 million) and Bayern Munich (765 million) round out the top five.

EUROPEAN SOCCER

The need for European soccer was highlighted by Juventus’ fall from 11th to 16th after the Serie A side were excluded from European competition in 2023-24 over breaches of UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play rules.

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On the other hand, clubs like Arsenal (717 million euros), Borussia Dortmund (514 million), Newcastle United (372 million) and Aston Villa (310 million) grew revenues by playing in various European competitions.

“While commercial revenue dominates the income of the top 10 Money League clubs, broadcast income remains crucial for teams in the second half of the rankings,” Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said.

“As competitions expand and create more broadcast and matchday opportunities, these can further increase the earning potential for clubs.”

Thanks to their commercial revenue streams, Liverpool (715 million euros), Tottenham Hotspur (615 million) and Chelsea (546 million) still managed to stay in the top 10 despite reduced broadcast income after missing out on the Champions League.

Barcelona also saw a 63 million euros fall in matchday revenue after they were forced to play at the smaller Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys while the Camp Nou was being redeveloped.

But the Spanish club remain top of the list of women’s sides for a third straight year with 17.9 million euros in revenue, a 26% increase from the 2022-23 season.

Arsenal Women (17.9 million euros) are second, followed by Chelsea (13.4 million), Manchester United (10.7 million) and Real Madrid (10.5 million).

RANK	CLUB	TOTAL REVENUE (MILLION EUROS)
1	Real Madrid	1,045.5
2	Manchester City	837.8
3	Paris St Germain	805.9
4	Manchester United	770.6
5	Bayern Munich	765.4
6	Barcelona	760.3
7	Arsenal	716.5
8	Liverpool	714.7
9	Tottenham Hotspur	615.0
10	Chelsea	545.5

($1 = 0.9654 euros)

January 23, 2025

Barcelona Thrash Real 5-2 In Spanish Super Cup Thriller

Barcelona came from an early goal down to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, scoring four goals in a dominant first half and surviving having their goalkeeper sent off to clinch a record-extending 15th trophy.

French forward Kylian Mbappe put Real in front after five minutes, finishing a solo run with a shot inside the far post. However, Lamine Yamal levelled for Barcelona in the 22nd before striker Robert Lewandowski gave them the lead from the spot.

Raphinha increased the advantage with a stunning header from a Jules Kounde cross in the 39th minute and left back Alejandro Balde added a fourth for Barca deep into first-half stoppage time.

Raphinha made it 5-1 just after the break, before Barca were left with 10 men when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for fouling Mbappe in the 56th minute. Rodrygo beat substitute keeper Inaki Pena from the resulting free kick but 10-man Barca easily saw out the win.

January 13, 2025
PSG Star Mbappe Will Join Madrid: La Liga Chief

La Liga president Javier Tebas says Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe will join Real Madrid next season.

The 25-year-old France captain announced last week he is leaving PSG at the end of his contract this summer, without specifying his destination, and Madrid are poised to sign him after years of failed attempts.

“He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole on Monday.

“If they’ve signed a five-year deal, he has five seasons of opportunity (to win the Champions League).”

Mbappe is set to join a star-studded Madrid team led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham.

Los Blancos strolled to the Spanish title and are in the Champions League final at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.

“(Mbappe) is one of the best players in the world, but Vinicius and Bellingham are there too, Madrid will have a great squad,” continued Tebas. “But that does not guarantee you will win leagues.”

Mbappe is PSG’s all-time record scorer with 256 goals, having joined the club from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million).

With PSG he won six French league titles but failed to earn Champions League glory, finishing as runners-up to Bayern Munich in 2020.

By joining record 14-time winners Real Madrid, Mbappe would increase his chances of finally earning club football’s most prestigious trophy.

May 14, 2024
Real Madrid Win Their 36th Spanish LaLiga Title

Real Madrid on Saturday secured their 36th Spanish LaLiga title after Barcelona were handed a 4-2 loss at Girona.

Earlier on Saturday, the Whites beat Cadiz 3-0 as Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham, and Joselu scored for the home team at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, and then Real Madrid waited for Barcelona’s failure.

Barcelona took the lead twice in the first half but Girona were dominant in the second half securing victory against their powerful opponents. Girona’s Portu scored twice against Xavi’s Barcelona in the second half of the six-goal thriller.

Girona, LaLiga’s surprise package, have qualified for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League for the first time in club history.

Real Madrid have 87 points to win the Spanish league title, with four matches to spare.

Second-place Girona have 74 points after beating Barcelona.

Barcelona are on 73 points, moving to the third spot in the standings.

May 4, 2024
Chelsea: Eden Hazard Won’t Stay

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has been caught on a video hinting that he will be leaving Chelsea this summer.

Hazard was recorded reacting negatively to supporters asking him to remain at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian football star has been consistently linked to a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Madrid’s manager Zidane is back at the helm and is looking to overhaul the current squad with well known soccer stars.

Hazard had said that he had already decided his future because of personal issues.

Here’s the the video of him shaking the head and driving off

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxGHhL7hJem/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

May 6, 2019
Barca Triumphs Again

Barca has done it again. This time around in a world class performance from this seasons La Liga championship.

In January, Barca’s advantage was five points, February six, March seven and April eight.

Some then hoped there could be a race when they drew 4-4 at Villarreal but a few days later they hammered Atletico and that was the genesis of their race to victory.

Even if Barcelona had collapsed, Real Madrid were too far behind to capitalize while Atletico, fragile away from home, have never looked capable of the winning the run.

Barcelona may yet prove they are the best team in Europe in the UEFA competitions when they met UK’s Liverpool in the semifinals.

That aside, Barca are indisputably the best in Spain after they wrapped up their fourth La Liga title in five years on Saturday.

Barca are now nine points clear of Atletico Madrid with three games left to play. While Real Madrid gaze set to finish runners up in consecutive seasons behind the titleholders by double numerals in terms of points.

The shortcomings of Real, who now own the pathetic record of winning the La liga only once in seven years, are put down unembellished by the table but a smaller margin compliments Atletico too.

Here’s the video, In Spanish language, of Barcelona’s 1-0 against Levante that secured them the Trophy.

April 28, 2019