Ronaldo Moves Into Sixth In European All Time Scoring Charts

Wednesday, 7 January 2015

Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo is now sixth on the list for the highest goal scorers across Europe’s “big five” leagues.

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The Portuguese star’s penalty against Valencia on Sunday took him into sixth on the all-time list, putting him level with South African striker, Gordon Hodgson, who scored 287 goals in England during the 1920s and 1930s.

Ronaldo has scored 203 goals in Spain and a further 84 in England, while thirteenth place Raul Gonzalez (228) and eleventh place Lionel Messi (257) are the only players from Spain’s La Liga to also have made the top 15 on the list.

Ahead of Ronaldo are Jimmy Greaves (366), Gerd Muller (365) and Dixie Dean (310) amongst others. The next player in sight is Argentinian-Italian striker, Delio Onnis, who scored 299 goals in France during the 1970s and 1980s.

Another notable player to make the list is English striker, Alan Shearer, who scored 283 goals in his career.

Cristiano Ronaldo made his senior debut with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, before moving to Manchester United a year later, where he played until 2009, after which he moved to Real Madrid in a highly successful career that has lasted 12 years so far.

He has also scored 52 times in 118 caps for his country.

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Is Barcelona Really Starting to Crumble?

Spanish giants, Barcelona are currently finding themselves on a very slippery slope, with the recent happenings at the club, but could it be starting to crumble before our eyes?

The victories and good play display’s on the park may have been a may have generated a huge smokescreen over questionable decision making.

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It all starts when the club decided not to call elections after Sandro Rosell's departure, but recent defeats and massive legal problems have made it all a little clearer at the Catalan club.

Josep María Bartomeu has tried his best to try keep the high standards at the club, but the mess that he inherited as incoming President has simply been too big, making it almost impossible to restore order.

Things at the club seemed to have really spiralled downhill after Luis Enrique decided not to start Lionel Messi and Neymar against Real Sociedad, which set alarm bells ringing.

When Real Sociedad did score after just one minute on Sunday, television cameras honed in on the Barcelona bench, where coach Luis Enrique had left almost £200m worth of his squad.

The club were unable to take advantage of Real Madrid's slip-up against Valencia at the Mestalla and have now simply made things worse.

Next up was news of Messi failing to attend the open-doors training session on Monday and a few hours later members of the Board demanded Bartomeu to sack club's Sporting Director, Andoni Zubizarreta.

Sacking the Sporting Director will certainly keep Luis Enrique on his toes now, but it won’t do anything but cause unrest amongst the players.  

It’s being reported in the Spanish media that Messi cannot stand his current coach and it seems like Barca have started to realise that now.

The club also seem to realise that the hiring of Luis Enrique might have been one big mistake, as he currently lacks the qualities to lead a group of star players.  

Just to make matters worse, the latest person to leave the club it club legend and former captain Carles Puyol announced his departure after Zubizarreta sacking.

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Enrique: There's A Long Way To Go

FC Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique, says there is still a long way to go in the race for the Spanish La Liga title.

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The Catalan giants are currently a point behind leaders Real Madrid, while they are level on points with Atletico Madrid.

"We have some leeway," Enrique said.

"No one knows how many points Real Madrid and Atlético will get between now and the end of the season. There's a long way to go. We're in the title race."

Enrique added that he was not surprised by CAS' decision to uphold their transfer ban but believes this is chance for the B team players and the players out on loan.

"We're not surprised by the CAS's ruling, though obviously we'd have preferred for them to reach a different decision. It's a big incentive for all the B-team players," he added.

"The players we have out on loan could make a good contribution in the future. There are players I like in the B-team and this club has always been known for drawing on the academy".

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Ronaldo and Benzema Annoyed With Bale

According to Spanish reports the Real Madrid dressing room have not yet forgiven Gareth Bale for his huge miss against Valencia.

It all started from a counter-attacking move in which Bale failed to look to his left to put Benzema through on goal and according to the Spanish news agency Marca the side is still are still very annoyed with the Welshman.

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Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both made their feelings very clear to Bale out on the pitch, as their gestures were caught by 'Cuatro' TV's cameras.  

Real Madrid went from taking the lead to trailing by a goal in the space of just five minutes, which made Bale's mistake all the more costly for them.

The Welshman hung his head as his teammates had words with him for not passing the ball,  Bale also did not dare look to the sidelines when Carlo Ancelotti angrily gestured towards him from the technical area.

Its also been said that Real’s players are not angry with Bale for not scoring, but for the decision he made at the time, we must point out that Cristiano Ronaldo also missed an absolute sitter and nothing has been said about that chance.

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Enrique Angered By Messi’s Actions

Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, was absent from Monday's open training session due to illness, but according to reports this did not sit well with Luis Enrique, who didn’t believe him.

It’s being said that Luis Enrique wanted to reprimand Messi, as he did not fully believe that the Argentine had gastroenteritis, which saw him miss the training session organised by the Barca boss following their defeat against Real Sociedad.

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According to reports in the Barcelona newspaper 'Sport', the three team captains, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were the ones who calmed down Enrique and avoided any further disruption to the dressing room.

The senior players at the club thought that treating a player of Messi's calibre like that was not in the team's best interests of the club and managed to convince the coach to change his mind.

The three senior players will apparently meet up with the Argentine forward to talk over everything that happened in the past few days.

According to reports from other media sources, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets had already contacted Messi to calm him down and may have even told him that the current Barcelona boss's days in the dugout are numbered.

After missing Monday's training open training session, the Argentine apologised to Barcelona’s supporters through a statement on his Facebook account and also turned up at the club's training ground despite the squad having the day off.

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Messi Nets Late Brace In 5-0 Thrashing

Saturday, 20 December 2014

La Liga 

Result: Barcelona 5-0 Cordoba

Date: 20 December 2014

Venue: Camp Nou

View The La Liga Table

Lionel Messi netted a brace as Barcelona ran out 5-0 winners against Cordoba in their La Liga clash on Saturday.

The Catalans made the perfect start as they took the lead after only two minutes. Rakitic gained possession just outside the area before tapping it on for Pedro who took a touch and placed his strike into the top corner of the goal.

Luis Suarez was unlucky not to make it 2-0 in the 12th minute. Jordi Alba made it all the way to the byline before cutting it back for the former Liverpool striker who got a shot away but saw it hit the side netting.

Cordoba were under the pump just before the break as Barca continued pushing forward. A cross from the left flank picked out Gerard Pique who beat the central defenders to the ball and sent a bouncing header on goal, but the keeper kept it out.

It seemed inevitable that the hosts would score again, and they did so in the 53rd minute. Andres Iniesta passed from midfield towards Pedro who drove into the area before playing it back for Suarez to score his first La Liga goal with a smart finish.

The floodgates opened in the last 10 minutes as Barcelona scored a quickfire double. The first came on 80 minutes when Pique headed home after a lovely free kick from Xavi.

It was 4-0 in the 82nd minute as Lionel Messi joined the party. Xavi once more provided the spark from a set piece. The Spain international curled a corner into the box and Cordoba failed to clear, giving Messi the chance to smash home the fourth goal of the clash.

Messi added his second of the game in stoppage time to cap off a dominant display. Alba crossed to the back post where the Argentine was on hand to thump home a volley.

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Barca Youngster Wants To Emulate Messi

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Barcelona youngster, Adama Traore, has claimed that he would like to emulate his teammate, Lionel Messi.

The 18-year-old forward scored his first goal for Barcelona on Tuesday in his club’s Copa Del Rey clash with Huesca with a superb solo strike that was reminiscent of the four-time Ballon D’Or winner.

Having grown up as an admirer of former Barcelona stars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, the Spaniard has now revealed that he would like to follow in the Argentine superstar’s footsteps.

"My heroes were Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, and now it is Messi," the teenager said at an event for Adidas.

Despite his impressive showing in midweek, the young forward is remaining grounded and concluded his interview by talking about how he can improve.

“From the moment I walked into the locker room, everyone has helped me, also on the pitch, I talk a lot.

“My greatest strength is my speed and power. This is what stands out more but I'll get better, I have many attributes. Today I say that my speed and power are my best weapons, but I wish I could talk about other things in the future.

“It was a great joy. The whole youth squad would like to score a goal in Camp Nou and share the dressing room with these players.”

Traore joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy at the age of just eight and has since represented Spain at under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels.

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Madrid Ban 17 Fans For Insulting, Anti-Messi Chants

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Real Madrid Ban 17 Fans For Insulting, Anti-Messi Chants

Real Madrid have reportedly banned 17 fans for insulting chants about Lionel Messi and Catalonia heard during the 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.

The Spanish giants reacted swiftly to a report from the LFP (Professional Football League), who plan to report the incident to the Anti-Violence Commission in Spain.

“Messi’s a retard” and “F***ing Catalonia” were among the insulting chants sung by Real fans, as reported by Marca.

Following an increase in fan trouble over recent weeks, the LFP announced plans to clamp down on crowd unruliness.

An Deportivo La Coruna supporter had died last week after he was injured when dozens of rival fans clashed near the stadium before the club’s La Liga match at Atletico Madrid.

New measures and rules are set to be introduced in Spanish football on 15 December and could see sections of stadiums closed in response of supporter offences.

The LFP and the RFEF in conjunction with the Spanish Sports council agreed last week that verbal abuse during football matches in Spain’s top two divisions would be considered punishable as part of a new legislation in their drive to eradicate violence in sport.

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‘I'm Faster Than Ronaldo & Bale'

Marcelo Jokes He Is Faster Than Cristiano Ronaldo & Gareth Bale

Real Madrid left-back, Marcelo, has joked that he is faster than Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

Real Announce Squad For Club World Cup

The 26-year-old, who had recently won the Champions League, was answering questions that supporters sent in to him via the social media platform, Facebook.

When asked who is faster between Ronaldo and Bale he responded: "Me, hahaha."

The Brazilian also revealed that his biggest achievement was the Champions League triumph and that he would like to finish his career at Bernabeu.

"I have many great memories with this team but of course, now, I have to say that it is the Décima. But it is difficult to choose one,” he said, as quoted by AS.

"I am very happy here and I want to stay here until I retire."

Marcelo then spoke about the importance of competing in every trophy and touched on what it means to wear the clubs colours.

"When you wear the Real Madrid shirt you should always fight for all of the titles and that is what we always do. We hope to give a lot of joy to our fans and that is our big objective," he added.

The Brazilian says that he gets on with everyone in the current squad and insists his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo should definitely win this year’s Ballon d’Or.  

Marcelo has won nine trophies at Los Blancos since joining from Fluminense in 2007 and has made 288 appearances for the club so far.

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Ronaldo Hat-Trick Sends Madrid Four Clear

Spanish La Liga Report: Real Madrid 3-0 Celta Vigo 06 December 2014

A hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo handed Real Madrid a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night.

Madrid should have opened the scoring in the 10th minute but Sergio Ramos blasted wide from three-yards out.

Celta Vigo goalkeeper, Sergio Alvarez, came to his side's rescue in the 27th minute as he pulled off a fine save to deny Ronaldo at the near post.

However, Madrid eventually took the lead in the 34th minute thanks to a penalty from Ronaldo, his 27th goal of the season.

Ronaldo then got his and Madrid's second in the 66th minute with a powerful volley from 12-yards out, after reacting quickest to a loose ball.

Karim Benzema squandered a chance to increase Madrid's lead in the 70th minute as his attempted lob was saved by Alvarez.

Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute, as Gareth Bale played in Marcelo, who picked out Ronaldo and the Portuguese made no mistake from six-yards out.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have now moved four points clear of second-placed Atletico, and five ahead of Barcelona, who take on Espanyol on Sunday night.

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Messi Hat-Trick Leads Barca To Victory

La Liga

Result: Barcelona 5-1 Espanyol 

Date: 7 December 2014

Venue: Camp Nou

View The La Liga Table

Lionel Messi rifled home three goals as Barcelona came back from a goal down to stomp Espanyol 5-1 in their La Liga clash.

The Periquitos were first to open the scoring as Sergio Garcia made it 1-0 in the 13th minute. Sergio Busquets lost possession to Caicedo who played it for Garcia to finish after beating Gerard Pique.

 

The Catalans were back on level terms at the stroke of half-time as Messi opened his account. Xavi held up the ball on the edge of the area before teeing it up for Messi who took a touch past a defender before finding the bottom corner of the goal with his strike.

Five minutes into the second half Barcelona were in the lead for the first time. Neymar took a couple of defenders out of the game with his stepovers before sending it off to Luis Suarez. He made his way down the line and squared it for Messi who beat Fuentes before smashing home with his right foot.

The hosts took complete control of the encounter in the 53rd minute as they stretched their lead to two goals. Rakitic bent a corner kick into the area where Pique rose highest to head home.

In the 77th minute Barcelona were running away with it as they netted their fourth. Jordi Alba picked out Pedro with a superb diagonal pass and the substitute took a touch before moving into the box and striking into the bottom corner of the goal.

Messi completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute to make it 5-1. The Argentine left his marker for dead in midfield, played a slick one-two with Pedro and finished with composure to cap off the dominant win.

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Diego Simeone Wanted Me To Stay At Atletico Madrid – David Villa

Thursday, 9 October 2014

David Villa has revealed that Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone wanted him to stay at the club. 

The former Spanish international joined New York City FC this summer, but he was loaned out to their sister club in Australian side Melbourne City FC earlier this month.

The former Barcelona striker enjoyed a fruitful spell at Atletico Madrid, culminating in a league title win last season.

However, the 32-year-old wanted to experience a different culture after spending so many years in Spain and decided to move out of his homeland. 


“When I was kid I always dreamed of an experience so far from home”, Villa told Radio Onda.

The striker admits that he enjoyed playing at Atletico Madrid and revealed that Simeone wanted him to remain at the Vicente Calderon - but he wanted a new challenge.

“I appreciated the desire they had to keep me but it was time to leave Spain.

“Simeone told me to stay but I wanted a new challenge.”

Villa is Spain’s all-time top scorer on the international stage, scoring 61 goals in 97 appearances for La Furia Roja.

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