Latest news with #ElClasicos
Daily Mirror
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'I've known Cristiano Ronaldo for years – I can't accept claim on Lionel Messi'
Real Madrid icon Marcelo, who played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and faced Lionel Messi multiple times, has shared his thoughts on who is the greatest footballer of all time Real Madrid legend Marcelo has refused to label Lionel Messi the greatest footballer of all time. He witnessed the Argentinian maestro's magic up close during his peak years at Barcelona. The Brazilian left-back, who faced off against Messi in 30 fiery El Clasicos and saw him net 21 goals, also observed the intense rivalry between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as they vied for the title of the world's top player. In their prime, the pair dominated the Ballon d'Or award. Messi has won the trophy eight times to Ronaldo's five. However, Real Madrid hero Marcelo hesitated to declare Messi the sport's best-ever player after the statement was put to him during an appearance on La Revuelta. Presenter David Broncano suggested that Marcelo had encountered the sport's finest in Messi, but the defender responded: "Well, I appreciate him a lot. He's an excellent player, he's unbelievable. I couldn't even see him pass. He's very quick. "It's difficult to choose the best in history. What about those who have played before? Maradona, Pele, Di Stefano, Cruyff..." Marcelo soon began to reflect on the incredible competitiveness between Ronaldo and Messi during their time together in La Liga. The former Brazil international argued that their intense rivalry somewhat overshadowed their individual brilliance. "We are fortunate to have played in the same era as Cristiano and Messi," he said. However, Marcelo was clear about what Ronaldo thought of Messi during his time in Spain. "Cristiano thinks he is better. He has said so," Marcelo said. "Remember that there was a time when it was really difficult because if Messi scored two, Cristiano had to score three. If Cristiano scored three, Messi had to score four. 'We've seen this live, and we've enjoyed it a lot. Many people want to compare them, but they forget to enjoy that.' The Brazilian defender clinched six La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid. He may have won more if it hadn't been for a Messi-inspired Barcelona. The Argentine won 10 league titles and four Champions Leagues during his spell at the Camp Nou. Despite the two clubs' fierce rivalry, Marcelo revealed his bond with several Barca legends. "I get on very well with some Barça players," he said. "Piqué is very genuine, very honest. I like people to be sincere. I have a lot of respect for Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi. Guardiola's era was complicated. We had to try to have the ball, but it was very difficult." Meanwhile, Ronaldo and Messi continue to build on their legacies in the twilight years of their respective careers. Ronaldo recently celebrated Portugal winning the Nations League and will aim to lead his nation at next year's World Cup. Messi's immediate focus is on helping Inter Miami advance in the Club World Cup. Javier Mascherano's team drew their opening match with Egyptian side Al-Ahly on Sunday. The club face Porto on Thursday before concluding their group phase against Palmeiras next Tuesday.
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Watch: Lamine Yamal Mocks Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe With Celebration In El Clasico
Barcelona completed a clean sweep against Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season, winning all four El Clasicos against their arch rivals. The season's final Clasico took place on Sunday as Barcelona and Real Madrid squared off for the final time in La Liga. Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe was on song in the high-profile fixture, scoring a hat-trick. But, it wasn't enough to prevent Barcelona from clinching a 4-3 victory. Barca youngster Lamine Yamal was also influential in the game, scoring his side's second goal, post which, he unleashed the 'Calma' celebration, seemingly to mock Cristiano Ronaldo and Mbappe. The Calma celebration was first brought on the field by Real Madrid legend Ronaldo, a player Mbappe idolises. After the Calma celebration, Yamal also copied Mbappe's trademark celebration, mocking the Frenchman too. Lamine Yamal hiting the calma — MC (@CrewsMat10) May 11, 2025 "It's not been easy for us to work on some things in training. I know that we have to improve (defensively) and we will do it next season," Flick told reporters. Barcelona play with a high defensive line and Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick and two disallowed goals, and Vinicius Junior breached it several times. At the other end, his team's talented attacking stars have put 16 goals past Real Madrid in four meetings this season, Barca triumphing every time. The Catalans were also ousted by Inter 7-6 on aggregate in the Champions League and have arguably been the most entertaining side in Europe this season. "For me, it's not always fun, sometimes I really suffer a lot," admitted Flick. "I'm really happy with what we are doing (in general), and of course, football is a game of making mistakes. "Hopefully, we can make things better and make fewer mistakes." Flick said he did not blame his defenders for the team's struggles to keep goals out, and that it was more of a systematic issue. "I think this journey that we started last year, it's not over -- I know that we have to improve a lot in defence," added the coach. "It has nothing to do with the back four. When we make mistakes, Real have fantastic offensive players." Barcelona can wrap up the title with a win at local rivals Espanyol on Thursday, or before if Madrid lose against Real Mallorca on Wednesday.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three talking points from Barcelona 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid appeared to have sealed the win over Barcelona last night in the final of the Copa del Rey when Aurelien Tchouameni scored from a set-piece to put Los Blancos in the lead after Kylian Mbappe had cancelled out Pedri's goal. Only 13 minutes remained and the Merengues were surely in the driving seat to seal the title. Barcelona, however, had other plans. Advertisement Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres combined to help level the score for the Blaugrana and forced extra-time. In the final 30 minutes, Real Madrid were far from impressive and Jules Kounde eventually capitalised on a passing error to crown the Catalans champions. Real Madrid have now lost three El Clasicos in a row including two in finals. Their wait for the Copa del Rey title will now have to wait at least a year. Madrid Universal brings you three talking points from Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid. A result of slacking off If last night's game against Barcelona showed anything for Real Madrid, it was that Los Blancos could compete neck to neck with the Blaugrana when they wanted and needed to. The issue, however, was that they didn't want it enough. Advertisement Barcelona had the better of Real Madrid throughout the first half with Los Blancos sitting low and not even looking to steal the ball. When they went a goal down and returned after the break, however, Real Madrid began to attack with intensity and dominated the Catalans for over 30 minutes. Between minutes 45 and 75, Real Madrid were clearly the superior of the two teams. If indeed the dressing room has the quality to match an in-form Barcelona, one must question why the player did not dig deep throughout the 90 minutes. After scoring the second goal which gave them the lead, Real Madrid slacked off and never really got back into the game. In fact, the winning goal that Jules Kounde eventually scored for Barcelona was purely because of Brahim Diaz switching off. Advertisement The Moroccan star was far closer to the ball than Kounde who had played 90 minutes more than him, but it was still the Frenchman who had the zeal and energy to steal the ball and score the winner. Real Madrid's defeat last night, thus, can be attributed to the team slacking off on a night when it was simply unacceptable. Serious questions have to be asked. Staring at a season without a major trophy A season without a major trophy on the horizon? (Photo by) When the season began, there was a serious conversation about Real Madrid competing and winning seven competitions. The UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup went their way and they looked set to compete on all fronts. Advertisement Their downfall began earlier this year in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona where they lost, after which they went on a slump in La Liga and even saw themselves eliminated from the UEFA Champions League. The Copa del Rey was thus Real Madrid's biggest chance of sealing a trophy at the end of the current season. Last night's result, however, means that there is a good chance Real Madrid end up with none of the three major trophies they have been competing for in recent months. There is indeed scope for a comeback in La Liga. Barcelona, however, are four points clear and even beating them in the next Clasico will not be enough to mathematically make Los Blancos favourites. For Real Madrid to not win La Liga, the UCL or the Copa del Rey in a season after roping in Kylian Mbappe is gravely concerning and a mark of a serious mess of a situation. The aftermath could be ugly. The aftermath of the collapse The game at La Cartuja ended with Barcelona in jubilance and Real Madrid on their knees, especially after they bottled a 2-1 lead with just 13 minutes to go. Advertisement As has been relayed extensively in recent weeks, there will now be serious consequences of the defeat that the administration will not hesitate to implement. The management, for starters, is almost guaranteed to change now and there is good reason to believe Ancelotti is in the final stages of his stint as the manager of Real Madrid. Santiago Solari or Raul Gonzalez may take over as the interim coach if he is removed immediately. In the more immediate term, however, the Clasico last night leaves Real Madrid in a tight spot with suspensions and injuries all accumulating at a complicated hour. Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Antonio Rudiger all accumulated discomforts with the Frenchman even suffering a fresh injury and will thus be unavailable in the short term. Advertisement The German defender, in particular, has come under serious fire for his unacceptable behaviour on the sidelines including throwing objects at the referee and will likely see a ban of over four games. Having seen the red card on the bench, his prolonged suspension could render him unavailable against not only Celta Vigo but also Barcelona owing to the nature of his punishment. Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez also saw red for their reactions on the field and insults to the referee, and it remains to be seen what kind of sanctions they face. The coming days may see stirring developments in the Spanish capital, for it is clear that a lot needs to change.
The Irish Sun
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jude Bellingham hailed as new Zidane by Premier League cult hero with star ‘easily' comparable to Real Madrid legend
JUDE BELLINGHAM has been compared to Zinedine Zidane and told he could end his career as a Real Madrid great. The 4 Jude Bellingham's fiery side has been praised Credit: Getty 4 He has been tipped to become a Real Madrid great like Zinedine Zidane Credit: Getty 4 Frederic Kanoute believes Bellingham can hit Zidane's levels Credit: JAMES RUDLAND And Frederic Kanoute – who spent seven seasons in LaLiga with Sevilla – reckons there are similarities with the West Midlander and France's World Cup winner. Not just in terms of their incredible talents but the fact Bellingham also plays on the edge and seems to be one second away from a rough tackle or moment of dissent. Kanoute, a former striker for West Ham and Tottenham, told SunSport: 'It would be very easy for me to compare him to Zinedine Zidane. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL 'He's a fan himself. He took his number five and plays for the same club. And he has a little bit of an edge as well. 'Right now, it's not a full comparison. Zidane has proven everything in football and is one of the greatest in history. But I think it's a good benchmark for him to have. "I played against Zidane. The ease that he had to go past his opponents effortlessly, and with class and elegance. 'At the same time, this strength of character that he had, and a winning mentality, it was the full package.' Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Bellingham, who moved to Spain from Borussia Dortmund for £88.5million in the summer of 2023, has scored three goals in five El Clasicos. Yet he does have to curb his temperament and was sent off in a 1-1 draw at Osasuna in February – and then served a two-game ban for New footage 'shows Jude Bellingham in tense standoff with Ancelotti' as Real Madrid boss 'mortally wounded' by Arsenal Kanoute has no issues with that, however, and he said: 'In any sport, you need to have a little bit of that edge. 'Obviously you need to channel it and he's still very young. I think he'll learn how to channel it, not to cross that line. 'But I think you can see all the top players, they have something as they are always competitive. 'It's definitely something that can be turned into a positive. 'Jude has raised the standard in LaLiga. It only happens a few times that English players go and play in LaLiga. 'His adaptation is quite impressive, especially in 'What strikes me with him is the extreme level of confidence he has, and he has had a very positive impact on the team. 'One of his most positive assets of his game is his mental strength. He's a leader. A natural leader. 'He has all the ingredients to become one of the greats in England and at international level.' ++ Kanoute was speaking as La Liga and Bloomsbury Football opened the Harris Academy in St John's Wood, London. This partnership supports youth football in the UK and ensures players from all backgrounds in London have access to the game.
