raul gonzalez: June 2014

REAL MADRID - BAYERN MUNICH NEGOTIATING FOR TONI KROSS?

Spanish Sports paper "Marca" has gone out this morning with the story that Spanish Football Club Real Madrid CF & Bayern Munich have began negotiations over German International Player & 24 year old midfielder Toni Kross. This "rumour" has been ongoing for months & it seems - according to the paper - that it is slowly becoming a reality.

The Bayern Munich player has one year of contract

JAMES RODRIGUEZ LINKED TO REAL MADRID? IT IS MORE LIKE FALCAO

James Rodriguez, 22 year old French Club Monaco & Colombian International forward is currently the sensation of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil & of World Soccer. The player has currently 5 goals & if his National Team can keep on advancing & he keeps on scoring James Rodriguez will eclipse Neymar & Messi.

The comments given to Spanish Radio "Cope" post-match after defeating Uruguay 2-0 has set on

LOOKING FOR A STRIKER | FC BARCELONA - REAL MADRID CF

Leaving aside the Luis Suarez "biting incident" & his severe FIFA sanction, the news is that FC Barcelona remains interested in signing the Uruguayan striker. The Barcelona based Spanish Sports papers are very adamant that Luis Suarez has given his OK to FC Barcelona & that the latter now only needs to begin negotiations with Liverpool FC. Barça from their end wish to take advantage of the Luis

FC BARCELONA WINS ACB LIGA TITLE | SPANISH BASKETBALL

FC Barcelona won tonight the Spanish Basketball League (ACB) after defeating 83-81 Real Madrid & taking the "Best of 5 games" Final with a final 3 - 1 aggregate. Rough & tough game with controversial referee decision along with Real Madrid Coach Pablo Laso being expelled from the game. Very tension as Real Madrid needed to win to stay alive.

FC Barcelona player & Captain Juan Carlos Navarro was

WORLD CUP 2014 BRAZIL | THE FLOPPING RANKING | SPAIN Nº 28

Do you know what "Flopping" means in Football? I had no idea until I came across an article in the "Wall Street Journal". According to the definition give by the prestigious American journal, flopping is the amount of time a player spends on the ground "faking" an injury in order to halt play.

Curiously this same media source has undertaken a study to rank the National Teams players after 32

THE LUIS SUAREZ BITING INCIDENT A PLAN TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL FC?

Everyone knows that Uruguayan International & Liverpool FC forward Luis Suarez wants to leave English Football. Football insiders comment that Suarez included a "listen to offers" clause on his renovated contract with Liverpool last year precisely to allow his wanted exit.There is one place that Luis Suarez wants to play, & that is in Spanish Football. The only two Clubs that the Liverpool FC

REAL MADRID EARNS 57.4M€ WINNING UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UEFA has released today the revenue distribution to Clubs for the Champions League competition season 2013-2014. The winner Real Madrid got the biggest UEFA payment with 57.4M€ ($78.3 M).

French Club Paris Saint-Germain was second in the revenue share, getting 54.4M€($74.2 M) despite losing in the quarter-finals stage of the Champions League competition. The reason for this is that PSG has big

SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM, WHAT NEXT?

The Spain Football Team is back home after a disastrous World Cup 2014 campaign. Their elimination from the Group phase was humiliating & their poor exhibition is still an unknown. But the question now is, what next?

After some reflection & deep analysis some people have to assume responsibility & embark on making some deep changes & determined decisions . Current Selector & Coach Vicente Del

MANCHESTER UNITED ABOUT TO TIE ANDER HERRERA

Looks as if this time around Manchester United are serious. The English Premier League Club left last season hanging Athletic Club Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrara until the last minute. News is that Manchester United has not forgotten the young Spanish talent & will deposit within hours the 36M€ contract release clause that liberates the player to become a new "Red" for next season. Manchester

SPAIN SAYS GOODBYE WINNING 0 - 3 AUSTRALIA | WORLD CUP 2014

Last match for Spain in this World Cup in Brazil with a 0 - 3 victory over Group B opponents Australia. Both teams leave eliminated from the competition with Spain at least finding today its "lost Football" & winning back some lost pride, while Australia is a young side that is building up experience with the Asian Cup - which they host - coming as their next big objective in the near future.

ANDRES INIESTA TO REACH HIS 100TH GAME WITH SPAIN

The Spanish National Football Team plays its last match this afternoon against Australia in Group B of the 2014 World Cup. A match that gives the team the opportunity to "clean" their disastrous image & win back some lost pride. It is also a "trap" as Australia are super keen to defeat the reigning World Champs & go back home on a high, while Spain psychologically is low with some internal

REAL MADRID EYES MATEO KOVACIC OF INTER MILAN

Spanish Football Club Real Madrid wants to reinforce its midfield for next season, a player with a similar profile as Xabi Alonso. Names have been published in the front pages of most Sports press such as Pogba & Arturo Vidal of Juventus FC, Ramires of Chelsea FC & Verratti of Paris St Germain. The first two have dropped in the list due to their high prices &/or Juventus does not wish to sell,

SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM | THE WOUNDS REOPEN

Spanish International midfielder Xabi Alonso has always been a "no bullshit man". Characterised by his straight to the grain views & opinions his post Chile comments has caused bad feeling within the Spanish Team Camp.When Xabi Alonso was asked by media, before leaving the "Maracana Stadium" after losing its second Group match 0 - 2 to Chile & thus being eliminated, to why he thought Spain sank &

WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT IS NEXT? | SPAIN ELIMINATED FROM 2014 WORLD CUP

What happened? What now? We here in Spain along with the rest of the World has witnessed the debacle of the reigning World Champions which has dominated World Soccer for the pass 6 years. The end of a "cycle" was predictable as players age & along with that their physical powers, but what has shocked us is the way, the manner & the exhibition shown in the elimination of the Spanish National

SPAIN 0 CHILE 2 | SPAIN ELIMINATED FROM 2014 WORLD CUP

The first National Football Team to be eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil is the reigning World Champions SPAIN which lost 0 - 2 to CHILE in today's Group B match. A devastating blow to the Spain Football Team & Spanish Football which ends their nearly 8 years of domination in World Soccer. Chile with this win seals, along with Holland, their pass onto the next phase of the World

THE FUTURE OF XAVI HERNANDEZ LOOKS MORE OUT OF FC BARCELONA

News & last minute manoeuvres coming out of the city of Barcelona indicate that Spanish International & Barça 34 year old midfielder XAVI HERNANDEZ may leave his actual Club. The arrival of new Coach Luis Enrique (no good feeling between them) & the effects of age has heated up the speculations levels for the past weeks of a departure.

It is known that Xavi Hernandez has an offer from New York (

SPAIN vs CHILE PREVIEW | PLAYER CHANGES ASKED FOR IN STARTING XI LINE-UP

Tomorrow is "D-DAY" for the Spanish Football National Team. After their disastrous start in their Group B match losing 1 - 5 to Holland, they must win Chile tomorrow to stay alive in the FIFA World Cup 2014 being held in Brazil.

The match against Holland put into doubt same players, Casillas, Pique, Busquets, Xavi Hernandez & Silva. Many local Football observers, media specialists & Spanish

REVISED FASTEST FOOTBALL - SOCCER PLAYERS IN THE WORLD | FIFA RANKING

Some time ago I published a list by FIFA listing the "Fastest Football Players on the Planet". The current & ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil has put on show some of those listed & apparently has lead to modify the list. One devastating example was the opening match of Group B between Spain & Holland, where Arjen Robben reached 37 Km/h to overtake Sergio Ramos & later score. This registered

FC BARCELONA ANNOUNCES IVAN RATIKIC OFFICIALLY

As posted here a week ago Croatian International midfielder IVAN RATIKIC leaves Sevilla FC & becomes a new player for FC Barcelona. The Spanish Football Club has officially announced the new signing on their Club Website.

The player costs FC Barcelona around 18M€ plus variables & included in the operation was young Barça promise Denis Suarez who goes over to Sevilla FC for the next two season

FC BARCELONA - GONZALO HIGUAIN HAVE AN AGREEMENT FOR NEXT SEASON ?

Surprise, surprise. Spanish Sports paper "Marca" advances that ex-Real Madrid & now Napoli Argentine International Gonzalo Higuain is very close to landing at FC Barcelona for next season. That is right, as you read, according to the media source Higuain has come to an agreement with with Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona to be their new forward signing for next season.The only thing now needed

POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM XI AGAINST CHILE ?

The 1 - 5 defeat by Spain at the hands of Holland in last Wednesdays FIFA World Cup Group B opener is still causing debate, especially locally as everyone attempts to figure out what went wrong.

The Spanish National Football Team is now back at their base camp in the city of Curitiba recovering physically & morally thinking about their next match against Chile. The mathematics are quite simple,

SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM CRITICISMS | THE AFTERMATH

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. For those suspicious it was perhaps the worst day to start a World Cup campaign, for others Iker Casillas needs to be asked if he saw a Black Cat cross his path yesterday. The 1 - 5 defeat by Spain at the hands of Holland was humiliating & complicates their Group B qualification. Spain has to now defeat (yes or yes) a very difficult Chile, & then defeat Australia

SPAIN 1 - HOLLAND 5 | WORLD CUP 2014 GROUP B RESULT

Not even in the Spain Football Team (or ours) worst nightmare would have they have thought that their opening FIFA World Cup 2014 Group B match against Holland would end in a 1 - 5 defeat. A devastating blow to Spain which had a horrific 2º half with unusual defensive mistakes & mental lapses that cumulated in a moral deterioration that will hurt & leave deep scares.If Holland thought this to be

POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UPS SPAIN - HOLLAND | WORLD CUP 2014

The FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicked off last night with Brazil winning Croatia in controversial fashion. Tonight the defending World Champions Spain play Holland in their Group B opener. A repeat of the 2010 Final with Holland having 6 still in the team from last time. A very defensive Holland is expected with up to 5 defenders to halt Spain with perhaps the added "touch" of some physical

REAL MADRID CF RICHEST FOOTBALL CLUB IN THE WORLD 2014

The prestigious American business & finance magazine "Forbes" has published its list of "Richest Football Clubs in World Football". The study was done last month of May & two Spanish Football Clubs top the list as the "most valuable".UEFA Champions Real Madrid stands at the Nº1 spot with a economic value of 3.440M US$ followed by Spanish rival & Club FC Barcelona with 3.200M US$. The rest are

ALEXIS SANCHEZ | JUVENTUS FC & MANCHESTER UNITED INTEREST

The offices at FC Barcelona are very busy these days as the Club plans its "mini-revolution" & new look squad for next season under new Coach Luis Enrique. Everyday there are new rumours of offers & current players about to exit.

One name is Chilean International Alexis Sanchez, which has been sounding for the last 6 months as an exit candidate. However these past weeks the "noise" has

LAKAKU AN OPTION FOR ATLETICO DE MADRID

Everyone accepts that Atletico de Madrid & Spanish International forward Diego Costa will be heading over to London next season to play at Chelsea FC. The news last week broke out from the UK & was picked up locally that the English Club had tied up Costa. Even the man himself - Diego Costa - said in an interview yesterday from Brazil that perhaps it is correct he will end up at Chelsea FC when

FC BARCELONA SIGNS IVAN RATIKIC

Both Sevilla FC & FC Barcelona still have to make it official, but both Barcelona based Spanish Sports papers - "Sport" & "Mundo Deportivo" - have already pasted on their front page of their online editions. Croatian International midfielder IVAN RATIKIC is on his way to FC BARCELONA after Sevilla FC & Barça Directives negotiated all day to shut the deal.

The terms between Clubs is said to be

SPAIN THE MOST VALUABLE TEAM IN FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

Have you ever wondered which Nation participating in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil is the economically most valuable? That is, if we sum up the current Football Market Prices of the individual players in their respective squads, which National Team would have the highest value?

The answer is the SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM according to the prestigious American magazine "Time"

SPANISH SPORTS | RAFAEL NADAL WINS HIS 9th FRENCH OPEN

Although this blog has a high percentage (a majority) of Spanish Football content, as its title suggest, there is space for other Sports, especially when Spanish Sportsman rise to the highest level. It is again an enormous pleasure & honour to announce that Spanish Tennis Player & World Nº1 Rafael Nadal has won his 9th French Open Title this afternoon.

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic 3-6,

SPAIN 2 EL SALVADOR 0 | INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY RESULT

Spain played its last International Friendly before flying off to Brazil to defend its World Champions Title against El Salvador in Washington DC (USA). The final result was a 2 - 0 result victory by the Spanish Football National Team.

Spanish Coach Vicent Del Bosque took the opportunity given by this match to give the Real Madrid & Atletico de Madrid members of the squad minutes to get

TONI KROSS IN THE LIST OF REAL MADRID POSSIBILITIES

Real Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti has given instructions to Club Directives for the desired new incorporations for next season. The names are many but the "main plan/area" is to build up further the midfield zone (apart from others), thus Ancelotti has given a "list" of candidates" with the other areas - like a Centre Forward - open to a wider decision that will be warmly welcomed if it occurs.

FC BARCELONA | IVAN RATIKIC THE SUBSTITUTE FOR CESC FABREGAS ?

It was the best friend of Cesc Fabregas, team-mate Gerard Pique who unwittingly let the cat out of the bag when an open microphone captured the conversation between himself & Spanish Football National Team Selector & Coach Vicente del Bosque two days ago. While both were waiting for the press conference to start, Pique said that Cesc was leaving FC Barcelona,... that it was a done deal & that the

LIVERPOOL FC SECURES DEFENDER ALBERTO MORENO OF SEVILLA FC

Sevilla FC & Spanish International left-back defender Alberto Moreno has come to an agreement with English Premier League Club Liverpool FC to fly over to join the Club as of next season. The 22 year old Spanish Football promise will soon sign a 5 year contract with "the Reds" with the transfer valued around the 22M€ mark. Insiders say that the player will next week be on his way to Liverpool to

SPAIN GOES INTO WORLD CUP Nº1 IN FIFA RANKING

SPAIN goes into the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil as the Nº1 Ranked Football Nation. FIFA has released its monthly rankings with Spain remaining Nº1 with 1485pts, followed by Germany with 1300 pts & hosts Brazil third with 1242.

The Spanish Football National Team are the current World Champions & will attempt to defend title, a feat that is very difficult as no Nation has won back-to-back

REAL MADRID U-17 WORLD CLUBS CHAMPIONS

Relatively few people knew that this past week the U/17 World Clubs Championships were being held in Madrid. The best World Football youngsters along with their Clubs were on show demonstrating the future & top level Football.

Yesterday the World U-17 World Clubs Final was between Brazilian Club Corinthians & Spanish Football Club Real Madrid CF. The final result was a 0 - 2 victory to Real

CHELSEA FC SEALS DIEGO COSTA OF ATLETICO DE MADRID

According to the Spanish Sports press this afternoon, English Premier League Club Chelsea FC is on the verge of paying the 40M€ contract release clause that liberates Atletico de Madrid & Spanish International forward Diego Costa. That is, barring last moment contractual issues, Diego Costa will be signed by Chelsea FC for the next season. This has been a badly kept secret as even the visiting

SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM SHIRT NUMBERS FOR WORLD CUP 2014

The shirt numbers of the members of the Spanish Football National Team for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 have been officially distributed & allocated.

Following is the number & the assigned player:

Iker Casillas
Albiol
Pique
Javi Martinez
Juanfran
Iniesta
Villa
Xavi
Torres
Fabregas
Pedro
David De Gea
Mata
Xavi Alonso
Ramos
Busquets
Koke
Jordi Alba
Diego Costa
Cazorla
Silva
Azpilicueta

SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM "PROTOTYPE" 11 PLAYERS

As one would expect the SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM takes up all the spotlight & most of the main pages of the Spanish Sports media. Part of those pages are about the possible Spanish Football Team starting line-up, or the "standard" prototype 11 expected to make up the team in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil.The majority of observers correctly point out that Spanish Football National

ATLETICO DE MADRID "LOCKS" DEFENDER GUILLERME SIQUEIRA

The name of current Benfica Brazilian left-back Guillerme Siqueira has been associated with the Spanish Football Club Real Madrid in the past months. I posted here that the defender was seen as the replacement for Coentrao at Real Madrid.

However, Football has its quick turns & new angles. The Brazilian is now more closer to Atletico de Madrid than elsewhere. The reason is that current Atletico

SPANISH FOOTBALL PLAYERS DOMINANTE UEFA IDEAL CHAMPIONS SQUAD

UEFA experts & Football technical team got together after the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid & Atletico de Madrid to put forward their "IDEAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD" for season 2013-2014.

This years UEFA Champions League Winners, Real Madrid has 7 players on the list, while sub-Champions, Atletico de Madrid has 4 players. The other Spanish Football Club with a representative is

SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM PHOTO FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

This post is for all the SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM fans & followers around the World. Managed to find the official Spain Team photo done this morning taken during the last local training session before flying off to the US (Washington) for a Friendly International against El Salvador.After this the Spanish Football Team flies off to Brazil to prepare their World Cup 2014 Group match opener

CHELSEA FC CLOSE TO SIGNING CESC FABREGAS?

Spanish Football National Team midfielder & FC Barcelona player CESC FABREGAS is more out of Barça than in for next season. The speculation mounts as Football observers give more weight to the idea that Barça desires to sell their player. The rumours lifted this weekend when Cesc Fabregas was seen in London on his days of from the Spain Football Team leading media to speculate that perhaps he was

REAL MADRID EYES JUVENTUS PAIR VIDAL & POGBA ?

The big European Football - Soccer Clubs are already planning for the next season. Spanish Football Clubs are no different as FC Barcelona, Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid CF exhibit with the daily generation of rumours & speculations that appear in the Sports press.In the case of Real Madrid, new information is appearing after last weeks "summit" of Club President, Directives & Coach Ancelotti.

FC BARCELONA SIGNING - PLAYERS WISH LIST SEASON 2014-2015

Lot of speculation & talk coming out of Barcelona & from Spanish Sports media on the "new look FC BARCELONA" for next season under Coach Luis Enrique. Plenty of rumours on possible exits & new incorporations, so much so, that media & even Club Directives speak of a "mini-revolution".Today Spanish Sports paper based in "Barcelona", Sport , puts on their front cover the "List of Coach Luis Enrique"