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La Liga preview: Deportivo visit wounded Barca
7 March 2013
Barcelona can return to winning ways when they welcome Deportivo La Coruna to Camp Nou, while Real Madrid visit Celta de Vigo in La Liga.
The runaway league leaders fell to just their second defeat of the season in El Clasico last week, losing 2-1 away from home, with an 82nd-minute winner from Sergio Ramos giving Real a moral triumph ahead of Barca's likely reclaiming of the league crown.
Barca lead the league by 11 points from closest challengers Atletico Madrid, with Jose Mourinho's Real still languishing in third, a further two points back.
And Tito Vilanova's men should bounce back emphatically on Saturday, as they host strugglers Deportivo, who sit bottom of the table some 51 points in arrears of Barca.
It will take something special to top the previous meeting between the teams this season, Lionel Messi netting a hat-tick as 10-man Barca beat Deportivo 5-4 away from home.
Atletico will need to win if they are to remain in second when sixth-placed Real Sociedad visit on Sunday - with the latter on an eight-match unbeaten run.
Sociedad have also lost just once in their past 16 - and that came at the hands of Real Madrid.
Mourinho's men can maintain the pressure on their city rivals against drop-zone occupants Celta, however their only visit to the Estadio de Balaidos since 2007 ended in a 2-1 defeat in their Copa del Rey clash in December.
On Friday night, Real Betis can put pressure on the league's top six, as the seventh-placed club host strugglers Osasuna.
Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol are without a win in three and two matches respectively ahead of their date on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Malaga are on the road at Real Valladolid, while second-bottom Mallorca host mid-table Sevilla.
In the early kick-off on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao host Valencia in Basque country before Levante and Getafe go head to head.
Real Betis moved into fifth on the La Liga table after recording a 2-1 win over Osasuna, who ended the match with 10 men on Friday.
In wet conditions at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Betis took the lead in the 19th minute when Jorge Molina headed home Joel Campbell's cross.
Osasuna, who suffered a 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao last week, went into the half-time break trailing and manager Jose Luis Mendilibar rung the changes in a bid to avoid a second successive loss.
Masoud Shojaei and Cejudo replaced Sola and Oier during the interval and the duo's introduction lifted the team.
The visitors were eventually level with just over 15 minutes remaining after Francisco Silva capped off a swift counter-attacking move.
However, Betis restored their lead six minutes later when striker Ruben Castro latched onto a delightful through pass from Dorlan Pabon to net his 13th goal of the season.
Castro is now the fourth-highest scorer in La Liga alongside Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo.
Osasuna pushed for an equaliser but to no avail and their frustration led to the dismissal of goalscorer Silva, who saw red in the final minutes after fouling Molina.
Betis are a solitary point clear of Valencia and level on points with Malaga following Friday's triumph.
La Liga wrap: Messi breaks record in Barcelona win
10 March 2013
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi broke a world record in his club's 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga on Saturday.
Messi became the first ever player to score in 17 consecutive league games with a late goal in the win at Camp Nou.
The Argentine maestro now holds the record himself – overtaking Polish forward Teodor Peterek who scored in 16 straight Polish First Division matches in the 1937/38 season.
Messi has now scored an incredible 40 goals in 27 La Liga fixtures this campaign.
Barca – who lead the table by 14 points – were heavy favourites heading into the home clash against the bottom-placed Deportivo La Coruna.
And they took the luxury of leaving Messi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique on the bench as a result.
But Deportivo were good defensively and Barca were forced to wait 38 minutes to take the lead thanks to a strike from Chilean Alexis Sanchez.
Sanchez's goal, created by Dani Alves, was all Barca had to show for their dominance and although the statistics – which showed them having eight shots on target to zero – were heavily weighted in their favour, they struggled to score a second goal that would have killed the game off.
Messi was introduced off the bench just after the hour-mark and fittingly, when Barcelona needed a goal, he delivered.
The pint-sized forward combined with Sanchez before dinking the ball over Deportivo goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia and into the back of the net with two minutes remaining.
It was far from Barcelona's best performance of the season but it was at least an immediate response to successive defeats against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey and La Liga.
Other La Liga results on Saturday saw fourth-placed Malaga fail to win for the fourth match in a row.
Despite taking an eighth-minute lead through Argentine defender Martin Demichelis, Angolan Manucho equalised for Real Valladolid as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.
Rayo Vallecano beat Espanyol 2-0 thanks to strikes from Alejandro Dominguez and Piti while an Alfaro double fired Mallorca to a 2-1 home success against Sevilla.
La Liga wrap: Ronaldo brace sinks Celta
11 March 2013
Real Madrid had Cristiano Ronaldo to thank as they struggled past a resilient Celta Vigo side 2-1 in La Liga action on Sunday.
The Portuguese star scored twice in what was a sloppy win for Jose Mourinho's side, who looked a far cry from the team that overcame Manchester United in the Champions League last week.
Ronaldo scored his first in the 61st minute after Celta failed to clear a Luka Modric corner before Real were caught out from a quick throw-in just two minutes later, allowing Iago Aspas to level the scores.
Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez nearly gifted Aspas a second after he spilled the ball in the area but the visitors were soon ahead again after Kaka was brought down in the area by Varas, Ronaldo coolly chipping the ball in from the penalty spot.
Gonzalo Higuain missed a pair of chances to add some gloss to the finish and Mourinho's blushes were spared in the last minute of normal time as Park Chu-Young's header hit the bar and went behind.
The win sees Real overtake cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid into second place on the table after Diego Simeone's side suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Real Sociedad.
Xabi Prieto struck what proved to be the match-winner for Sociedad in the 53rd minute as Atletico's winless streak extended to three matches.
In the day's other games, Athletic Bilbao managed a 1-0 win over Valencia while Levante and Getafe played out a 0-0 draw.
Albiol targets Europe and domestic cup success after dismal La Liga
The 27-year-old centre-back has written off los Blancos' hopes of catching Barcelona, but says the team are focusing their efforts on the remaining competitions this season
Ferguson rates Lopez higher than Casillas
The 71-year-old says the Real Madrid No.1 would not have pulled off the heroics Lopez did to ensure los Blancos' passage to the Champions League quarter-finals
Madrid missing creative spark, says Karanka
The 39-year-old assistant boss witnessed los Blancos overcome a resilient Celta Vigo outfit but is concerned about the lack of chances they are creating in front of goal
Pepe praises Madrid graft in Celta triumph
The Portuguese defender insists there is no bad blood between him and Raphael Varane, while Marcelo believes the Blancos showed their battling side on Sunday night
Celta Vigo 1-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo the difference again as double seals win
After a slow start to the game the Portuguese idol netted his 25th and 26th Liga goals of the season to earn his team a hard-fought win over the Galicians
Defeat has damaged our Champions League hopes, says Valverde
The 49-year-old was frustrated that his side were unable to take any points from the clash at San Mames
Dani Alves hits out at Roura critics
The assistant coach has been cited as one of the reasons for the club's poor run of form, but the defender has offered him his full support
Bale: Paris Saint-Germain are a great club, but they don't compare to Real Madrid and Barcelona
The Tottenham star likened the Ligue 1 outfit to big-spending Premier League champions Manchester City, insisting they are not at the level of the Liga giants
Alexis geared up for 'battle' with AC Milan
The Chilean winger has stated that Barcelona will have to fight to rescue their last-16 Champions League tie and is under no illusions at the size of the challenge on Tuesday
Diego Lopez could play all the way to Wembley despite Casillas' recovery
The goalkeeper signed as a stand-in for the injured Iker has been in fine form and coach Jose Mourinho looks set to stick with the Galician instead of restoring the club captain
La Liga is more difficult to win than Champions League, says Alves
The Blaugrana full-back says he believes winning the Spanish domestic league is a tougher challenge than winning the Champions League
Barcelona are 'psyched' for AC Milan game, says Roura
The temporary coach insists the routine win over Deportivo has left his men fired up ahead of the Champions League second leg game against the Rossoneri
Messi breaks world record with goal against Deportivo
The Argentine has become the only player in football history to have netted in 17 consecutive league games following his late strike at Camp Nou on Saturday night
Barcelona 2-0 Deportivo La Coruna: Alexis and Messi earn Blaugrana morale-boosting win
The Argentine emerged from the bench to clinch the game late on for the hosts, who warmed up for their crucial Champions League clash against AC Milan with a much-needed victory
Pepe is integral to Real Madrid, says Karanka
The Spaniard has reiterated his defender's importance to the club's cause, with several key members rested for their weekend fixture
Bale good enough for Barcelona, says Pique
The Tottenham attacker has been in outstanding form, and while the former Manchester United defender says he may suit Real Madrid more, he would welcome the Welshman in Catalonia
Cannavaro hails Real Madrid defence
The World Cup-winner has delivered a glowing appraisal of three members of the Blancos rearguard, while backing his former side to finish the campaign strongly
Karanka coy over possible Real Madrid move for Bale
The reigning Spanish champions have refused to comment on whether or not they are interested in signing the Wales winger
Real Madrid will keep fighting until the end, says Morata
The young striker realises that los Blancos face a tough task in retaining their Liga title, but is refusing to give up just yet
Barcelona have a 90 per cent chance of signing Neymar, says Roberto Carlos
The Brazil legend feels the 21-year-old's future lies at Camp Nou and is confident he will fit in well with the Blaugrana's star names
Ronaldo new ambassador for mangrove conservation in Indonesia
By Chris Kvesa
Mar 11, 2013 3:45:00 PM
The plant helps to preserve the ecosystem in the country, and the Real Madrid star is looking forward to promoting their cause
The Mangrove Care Forum has announced Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as a new ambassador for conservation of the plant in Indonesia.
The project's founder, Tomy Winata, has revealed that the Portuguese is expected to promote awareness of mangroves, which act as a natural sea barrier to fend off climate changes in the country.
"I'm really excited and happy that Ronaldo agreed to support our activities in order to preserve the mangrove forests in Indonesia," he told reporters on Monday.
"Ronaldo is fit to be an ambassador for mangrove rescue, because he has the charm and acts as a role model, so the whole society are more likely to preserve the mangroves."
Ronaldo claimed that he visited the country in the wake of the 2004 tsunami and saw first-hand how much of a difference the plants make.
"I feel privileged to play a role in the conservation of mangrove forests in Indonesia. I went to Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, and the damage caused has made a deep impression on me," the 28-year-old stated.
"I realised mangroves are able to help ecosystems in the face of high waves. More lives could be saved, while reducing the destruction of nature."
Real Zaragoza and Granada missed a chance to move further away from the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw on Monday.
In a half during which both teams struggled to apply a finishing touch, Granada striker Odion Ighalo sent two chances wide, while Ruben Rochina missed the target twice for hosts Zaragoza.
Ighalo was the closest to breaking the deadlock at Estadio de la Romareda, heading Nolito's cross against the woodwork from six yards out.
Granada goalkeeper Tono was finally tested shortly after half-time, as Rochina let fly a volley from outside the area that was palmed away.
Rochina continued to trouble the Granada defence after the break and again forced a save out of Tono with a long-range effort mid-way through the second period.
Some poor marking from Zaragoza nearly saw Granada take a 75th-minute lead as substitute Diego Buonanotte could not beat Leonardo Franco from Nolito's delivery.
Both defences held up in the final stages and the result leaves Granada (27pts) and Real Zaragoza (26pts) just ahead of 18th-placed Mallorca (24pts).
Real Madrid will throw everything at Mallorca, says Karanka
The Blancos assistant is wary of Saturday's opponents, but promises the reigning Liga champions will be at their best
Barcelona rocked by Puyol injury
The Blaugrana will be without their captain for up to a month after he suffered a recurrence of a knee problem
Mallorca can surprise Real Madrid, says Manzano
The former Atletico Madrid boss is confident his players can spring an upset when they travel to the Santiago Bernabeu
Benzema will stay at Real Madrid, says agent
The 25-year-old's representative is insistent that the player will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer
Falcao: We want to lift Copa del Rey at Bernabeu
The Colombian believes winning the Spanish Cup at the home of their great rivals would be a unique moment for the fans of Los Colchoneros
Pochettino: Coutinho has that same quality as Ronaldinho and Messi, but much to prove
Ahead of Southampton's clash with Liverpool on Saturday, the Saints boss has hailed the Brazilian midfielder's ability and compared him to the South American stars
Messi is doing the impossible, says Mascherano
The versatile defender has hailed the forward's consistency and was pleased with the Camp Nou side's display against Milan
Deschamps praises 'mature' Varane and hails impact at Madrid
The 44-year-old has hailed the centre-back's maturity and believes he will develop into a key figure for the national team over time
Chelsea & Manchester City target Falcao wants to become Premier League's top earner
The Atletico Madrid hitman and agent Jorge Mendes are looking to take advantage of interest from the world's richest clubs to land a bumper deal worth more than Wayne Rooney's
Van Nistelrooy: Malaga have nothing to lose
The former Netherlands international has revealed his delight at seeing his former club reach new heights in European competition
Ronaldo is very humble, insists Sahin
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder claims he learned a lot from the Portuguese star during his time at Real Madrid, and revealed he still chats with former boss Jose Mourinho
Joaquin hails Champions League progression as an 'important step' for Malaga
The former Valencia winger remarked on the differences of reaching the last eight with his current club than earlier in his career, but insists the side must continue to compete
Varane & Pogba in France squad to face Georgia & Spain
The teenage pair have been rewarded for their breakthrough campaigns at European giants Real Madrid and Juventus with call-ups to Didier Deschamps' latest Bleus selection
Messi was simply brilliant, says Cruyff
The legendary Dutchman was impressed with the prolific forward's performance, and has rubbished claims the Blaugrana's era could be over
Mourinho: Ronaldo can emulate Giggs & Scholes
The flamboyant coach feels the prolific attacker could keep on playing for several more years, and says anything can happen in the Champions League
Mascherano lauds 'crazy' Barcelona achievements
The Argentine has stressed that the Blaugrana's successes in recent years should not be forgotten, and has urged them to remain focused
Mourinho: Winning Champions League will not determine my fate
The Real Madrid coach says neither winning or losing the Champions League will have a bearing on any decision he makes regarding his future at the Liga champions
Longo happy to extend Espanyol stay
The on-loan Inter striker says he is prepared to spend another season in La Liga and admits it is a dream to play in the Premier League
Vela: Thank God I have silenced critics
The Real Sociedad forward has said that he is proving his doubters wrong and says side are targeting a top-four finish in La Liga
Xavi ruled out of Rayo fixture
The playmaker suffered a knock in the aftermath of the Catalans' win against AC Milan on Tuesday and will now miss the weekend's match against the European hopefuls
Sanz: Isco is destined for greatness
The former Real Madrid defender has nothing but praise for the Spain international, and feels he has a bright future ahead of him
Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois eyeing third loan spell at Atletico Madrid
The Belgian keeper helped the Spanish side reach the Copa del Rey final and hopes to spend another campaign at the Vicente Calderon Stadium rather than return to Stamford Bridge
Life at Real Madrid is perfect, says Khedira
The 25-year-old arrived in Spain from Stuttgart three years ago and admitted he is very much at home at the Bernabeu
Morientes worried for Higuain and Benzema
The 36-year-old has revealed his concerns over the duo after their recent struggle for goals
Miranda signs new deal with Atletico Madrid
The Brazilian has penned a two-year extension with the club and declared his happiness with life in Spain
Negredo: I won't force move from Sevilla
The Spain striker is happy at the club but would understand if they wanted him to leave to ease their financial woes, while he hopes he can fire them to European qualification
Rami and Varane must start against Spain, insists Mexes
The AC Milan central defender thinks his country should look to their younger players ahead of two important qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup
Barcelona want Jackson Martinez, claims agent
The Catalans are just one of a number of teams keeping tabs on the striker, including an "important" Madrid club, following his fine displays this season
Real Madrid will host relegation-threatened Mallorca, while Barcelona take on eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano in La Liga at the weekend.
Trailing the runaway league leaders Barca by 13 points, Real can pull the gap back to 10 - even if it's only for a day - when they welcome Mallorca to the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Gregorio Manzano's men are riding a wave of form, however, after recording back-to-back league wins for the first time since their four-match winning streak towards the end of last season.
Co-incidentally, it was Real that snapped that run with a 4-1 result in Madrid, and Mallorca should really be preparing for an encore of that clash.
Jose Mourinho's side have won seven of their past eight in all competitions, with the only non-win a first-leg draw against Manchester United.
They turned that result into an aggregate win to enter the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and have also won two El Clasicos over Barcelona to boost confidence stocks at the Bernabeu that were previously withering.
While reeling in Barcelona domestically still seems out of the question, Mourinho would certainly like to restore some pride at the club over the final 11 league matches.
Barca have a tricky date with Vallecano on Sunday, with the visitors to Camp Nou failing to concede in their past two league fixtures.
Of course, that statistic pales into insignificance in the knowledge that Barcelona employ a man by the name of Lionel Messi.
The Argentine superstar was at his unstoppable best in the Champions League in mid-week, and is still on a 17-match scoring streak in La Liga - in eight of those matches, he has scored two or more goals.
In other matches, Friday night's clash is a battle between the bottom two sides - Deportivo La Coruna and Celta de Vigo.
Hosts Deportivo are nine points from safety and all but relegated, while Celta have a little more hope of survival, only three points into the drop zone.
On Saturday, Getafe host Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad welcome Real Valladolid and Valencia are at home to Real Betis.
Early kick-off on Sunday sees Malaga entertain Espanyol, before Sevilla and Real Zaragoza do battle, Atletico Madrid are on the road to Osasuna, and Granada host Levante.
Deportivo La Coruna ended their nine-match winless run with a vital 3-1 home win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday.
In a relegation battle between two struggling sides, Deportivo opened the scoring in the ninth minute after Riki controlled a Juan Carlos Valeron pass with his thigh before unleashing a superb volley from just inside the box.
The game then swung even further in Deportivo's favour when Celta striker Iago Aspas was sent off in the 29th minute for head-butting Carlos Marchena following a collision in the box.
Defender Silvio Azevedo sent the Deportivo fans into raptures with a stunning 30-yard volley in the 64th minute before substitute Diogo Salomao made the points safe in the 79th minute.
Park Chu-Young pulled one back for the visitors two minutes later but it proved to be nothing more than mere consolation as Jose Luis Oltra's side ran out deserved winners.
Deportivo remain at the bottom of La Liga on 20 points with Celta in second last three points ahead.
Oltra's men are set to face relegation rivals Mallorca and Real Zaragoza over the next two rounds.
The Colombian believes winning the Spanish Cup at the home of their great rivals would be a unique moment for the fans of Los Colchoneros
Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao says he would love to win the Copa del Rey at the Bernabeu, home of their rivals Real Madrid, when the two sides meet in the final on May 17.
The 27-year-old helped his side overcome Sevilla in the semi-finals, while Real saw off Barcelona at the same stage. It sets up what is sure to be a memorable final, and Falcao would love to win it for the fans of Atleti.
"We want to give joy to our people and it would be even better in the Bernabeu," the Colombian told Marca.
The final will be the first since 1992 to feature both Madrid clubs, and on that occasion it was Atletico who prevailed thanks to a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Bernd Schuster and Paolo Futre.
The Colombian also discussed Atletico's current league position, which has seen them slip to third place behind Los Blancos for the first time all season.
"It is important to finish above Real Madrid, but the main thing is to be in the Champions League," he noted.
Falcao has scored 27 goals in 28 appearances for Atletico this season, including two in the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona re-established their 13-point lead at the top of La Liga thanks to a 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Lionel Messi struck twice to extend his incredible scoring streak to 18 consecutive league games, but it was his understanding with David Villa that was the highlight of the match, with both players dispelling rumours of a rift to combine for all three of Barca's goals.
Villa got the ball rolling 25 minutes in by confidently slotting home a feed from Messi, who himself slid in the second five minutes before half-time after latching onto the Spain striker's through ball.
The Argentine would clip home a brilliant third shortly after the hour mark, though Barca were not able to hold onto their clean sheet when Raul Tamudo poked home a consolation for Rayo with 20 minutes to go.
Ateltico Madrid, meanwhile, closed to within one point of second-placed Real Madrid thanks to a 2-0 win at Osasuna - with Diego Costa scoring either side of half-time for the visitors.
Espanyol enjoyed a 2-0 triumph over Malaga, second-half goals from Diego Colotto and Sergio Garcia doing the damage.
In other results, Sevilla right-back Coke bagged a brace in his team's 4-0 thumping of Real Zaragoza, who are just two points above the relegation zone.
Coke opened the scoring after 28 minutes and proved he was the real thing seven minutes after the interval with his second.
Former Arsenal man Jose Antonio Reyes made it 3-0 just after the hour-mark, and turned provider five minutes later for Negredo to complete the rout.
Granada and Levante played out a 1-1 draw at the former's Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.
A Guilherme Siqueira penalty gave the home side the lead on 32 minutes, but a goal from substitute Robert Acquafresca five minutes into the second half secured a share of the spoils.
La Liga wrap: Real come back to thump Mallorca
17 March 2013
Real Madrid have scored three goals in six minutes to pull off a 5-2 win over Mallorca, with a Luka Modric stunner starting the comeback.
Mallorca made the brighter start to the match thanks to Mexican midfielder Giovani dos Santos, who did brilliantly to beat his man in the sixth minute before sending a cross towards the far post, where Emilio Nsue headed home.
Gonzalo Higuain equalised for Real on the quarter-hour mark, despite suspicions of offside, smashing into an open goal after Pepe rolled the ball into his path.
But six minutes later, the visitors from Mallorca were back in front, when Dos Santos' corner was flicked on by Pedro Bigas for Alejandro Alfaro to nod into the net.
The introduction of Karim Benzema and Mezut Oezil at half-time turned the game for the home side.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed Oezil's corner home in the 52nd minute before Modric's thumping strike from over 20 yards out gave Real the lead two minutes later.
Another assist from Oezil allowed Higuain completed his brace in the 57th minute before the Argentine striker turned provider in second-half stoppage time as Benzema wrapped up the three-goal triumph.
Saturday's victory takes second-placed Real four points clear of local rivals Atletico Madrid, who will play on Sunday, while Barcelona are also yet to play this weekend and sit 10 points ahead at the top of La Liga.
Real Sociedad extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches thanks to a 4-1 thumping of Real Valladolid, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice.
The 21-year-old French striker scored in the 33rd minute to get Sociedad underway before Imanol Agirretxe doubled the home team's lead six minutes later.
Griezmann made it 3-0 a minute before half-time and Sociedad were cruising three minutes after the break when Xabi Prieto got on the scoresheet, while Valladolid could only manage a goal through Javi Guerra in the closing stages.
In other La Liga results, Valencia defeated Real Betis 3-0 and Getafe overcame Athletic Bilbao 1-0.
Mourinho hints at Coach of the Year award fix The 50-year-old did not attend the gala to unveil the recipient of the managerial honour in January, and he has now set the record straight behind his absence
Hulk: I have no relationship with Zenit St Petersburg fans The forward says he does not have a problem with the club's supporters, purely because he does not understand any of their Russian chants
Real Madrid handed Casillas fitness boost The Blancos captain has been sidelined since January with a broken thumb, but he came through Tuesday's session unscathed
Abidal makes long-awaited Barcelona comeback The experienced defender is one step closer to his first-team return after getting playing time with the Catalans' reserves
Perez: Madrid must put pressure on Barcelona The Madrid supremo feels the reigning champions must not give up hopes of holding on to their title just yet as a lot can still happen between now and the end of the season
Rosell: Speaking Catalan is a sign of love for Barcelona The Barca chief says speaking the local language strengthens the identity of the club and helps integration
Villa: I'm at my best physically The Spain international is pleased to have overcome his recent difficulties and has stressed that he is in top condition once more
Villa still very important for us, says Roura The 45-year-old coach believes the striker still has a vital role to play for the Spanish giants after proving his worth in the 3-1 victory at the weekend
Mourinho hints he would like Inter return The Real Madrid boss has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, and will have ignited rumours he could go back to San Siro with his latest comments
Liverpool goalkeeper Reina plays down move to 'great club' Barcelona The Spanish shot-stopper has been linked with a move to the Liga outfit as a replacement for Victor Valdes, but insists he is happy at Anfield despite an indifferent season
Spain need to focus on Finland first, says Del Bosque The Roja coach is confident his side can win both of their upcoming World Cup 2014 qualifiers
Ronaldo: Real Madrid still have a lot to play for The Portuguese remains determined to land two trophies this season after being handed the Marca Player of the Season award
Messi: I did not play well for Argentina The Barcelona forward has admitted to struggling to replicate his club form on the international stage
Modric given timely confidence boost by Manchester United clash The former Tottenham midfielder is in high spirits following his display against the English giants, and has warned that Galatasaray will not be pushovers in the Champions League
Pique: Barcelona in top physical condition The towering defender has hailed his side's fitness and admitted that Rayo Vallecano caused Barca trouble on Sunday
Villa proves again that he must be Messi's first-choice partner The Spain striker scored one and set up the other two goals for the Argentine as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 3-1 on Sunday night. On this form, he still has a big role to play
Villa happy with Messi chemistry The Barcelona star combined well with the Argentine during the 3-1 win over Rayo on Sunday and is happy with his relationship with his team-mate
Zubizarreta: Tito will be back soon The Barcelona sporting director has confirmed that the 44-year-old is set to return from New York after undergoing treatment for cancer
Adriano out for up to six weeks The Catalans have confirmed that the Brazil international is set to spend a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring tear
Ramos: Home fans gave Madrid belief The defender was happy with his side's second-half display against Real Mallorca, and is hopeful the players return from the international break with full fitness
Benzema refuses to rule out future PSG move The France international stresses that he is happy with life at Real Madrid for now but would consider a transfer to the French capital at some point later in his career
Papin: PSG have a real chance against Barcelona The former Olympique de Marseille striker believes that les Parisiens have an excellent opportunity to overhaul the Blaugrana and make the Champions League semi-finals
Pepe: Real Madrid made to 'suffer' on set-plays Los Blancos defender bemoans the vulnerability his side displayed when defending set pieces in their 5-2 win over Mallorca, but insists that their performance merited a win
Madrid fighting for second place, says Karanka Jose Mourinho's assistant has insisted that his side will not slack off in La Liga, despite their exertions on other fronts
Roura: Paris Saint-Germain will be a tough test for Barcelona The stand-in Blaugrana boss believes the big-spending Ligue 1 side will provide stern opposition in their European tie
Taffarel advises Valdes to move to Brazil The former Selecao goalkeeper believes his homeland would be a good destination for the Spaniard after he leaves Camp Nou in 2014
Ronaldo is carrying Real Madrid, says Schuster The 53-year-old has voiced his admiration for the prolific forward, and feels Jose Mourinho has done a good job this season
Jordi Alba: Barcelona must wrap up La Liga as soon as possible The Spain international is eager to win his first piece of silverware with the Blaugrana, and is eagerly anticipating the CL quarter-final against PSG
The Barcelona icon says the former Chelsea manager is not quite the finished article yet, while he is full of praise for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil
Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff feels Real Madrid trainer Jose Mourinho has proven to be a very good coach, but he believes the Portuguese misses something because he never played at the highest level himself.
The 50-year-old Mourinho is seen as one of the best coaches in the history of the game by some after he enjoyed success with Porto, Chelsea, Inter and now Madrid, yet Cruyff is not entirely convinced of his abilities.
"He is a very good coach, but he has never played the game himself. He misses something and that shows," Cruyff told Cadena COPE.
"Those of us who have played notice certain details. That does not mean that he is not a good coach, though.
"He has a lot of good players and he could get more out of some of them. But you have to give them a certain freedom. [Luka] Modric for example is a great player, but it all depends on how you use him."
The Barcelona icon then went on to praise Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil, stating that the latter would fit in well at the Blaugrana.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is having a fantastic season. He's scoring a lot of goals and brings a spectacle to the stadium. Madrid should be very happy with him," he added.
"Ozil has enough quality to adapt his game to a team like Barcelona. If you have the ability to play one-touch football, you have a lot of quality."
Villas-Boas can replace Mourinho at Real Madrid, says Mata The Spaniard feels his former boss at Chelsea has all the quality to coach at the Santiago Bernabeu as speculation over the 50-year-old's future grows
Benzema has les bleus over unfair criticism The former Olympique Lyonnais man feels his detractors should look at what he does for the team rather than just focus on his lack of goals
Arsenal would be 'ideal' for Alexis Sanchez, claims former Udinese sporting director The Chilean has struggled for form and fitness since arriving at Camp Nou in July 2011, and Fabrizio Larini believes his style would suit the Gunners down to the ground
Ozil targets more Real Madrid goals The creative midfielder is pleased with the way he has developed at Madrid, but feels he should score more often
Sergio Ramos: Real Madrid need Busquets The 26-year-old feels the Barca midfielder could prove to be a valuable addition to the Blancos roster if he would ever join Madrid
Mijatovic: Real Madrid have shown to be on par with Barcelona The 44-year-old has voiced his opinion that the Santiago Bernabeu side should not be worried about facing their arch-rivals following this campaign's results
Mourinho: Benitez tried to remove my photos at Inter The 50-year-old built a close relationship with his players at San Siro and believes the Spaniard was envious of that connection during his tenure with the Nerazzurri
Falcao is blessed, says Teo Gutierrez The Colombian says his compatriot if the finest forward in world football and has set his sights on six points in the national team's coming two games
The Real Madrid boss has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, and will have ignited rumours he could go back to San Siro with his latest comments
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has hinted that he would like to return to Inter.
The Portuguese has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this year, with Paris Saint-Germain rumoured to be interested in his services.
However, the former Chelsea boss has reignited talk of him revisiting Serie A and San Siro in the future and he revealed the superb times he had at the Nerazzurri.
"I spent two fantastic years in Italy, at Inter," he said in a message for the Coordown (Co-ordinator of people with Down Syndrome) charity.
"I do not know if I will go back someday, but if I do it will be with great pleasure and excitement."
Mourinho won the Champions League for the second time in his last season at Inter, completing the treble after beating Roma in the Coppa Italia and topping Serie A.
The coach failed to lift the European trophy while at Stamford Bridge after joining from Porto glory, but he is targeting his third Champions League success in his third season at Madrid.
The Blancos face Galatasaray in the quarter-finals having edged past Manchester United with a controversial 2-1 win at Old Trafford after a 1-1 draw on home turf.
Malaga 'very optimistic' of overturning European ban
By Paul Gorst
Mar 20, 2013 3:05:00 PM
The Andalusians think that they have a strong chance of having their exclusion from European competition overruled
Malaga general manager Vicente Casado has claims that the club are “very optimistic” of having their one-season ban from European competition cancelled.
Back in December, the Rosaleda outfit were banned by Uefa from both the next Champions League or Europa League for which they qualify due to their failure to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
However, the Andalusians have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and Casado says they have a strong case to have the ban overturned.
“We are very optimistic,” he told the club’s official website.
“We have met with our obligations and we will prove it.”
The hearing with the CAS is likely to take place on May 14.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side face Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League.
