Latest news with #FlorentinoPerez
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ex-FC Barcelona Leader Attacks Real Madrid, ‘Can Of Sardines' Bernabeu
An ex-FC Barcelona president criticized Real Madrid and said that its Bernabeu stadium looks like a ... More "can of sardines" while appearing on a popular podcast. An ex-FC Barcelona president criticized Real Madrid and said that its Bernabeu stadium looks like a "can of sardines" while appearing on a popular podcast. Joan Gaspart was the Catalans' leader from 2000 and 2003, and is unfortunately perhaps most remembered for letting Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez steal away Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo in that first mentioned year as the Portuguese switched allegiances across El Clasico's bitter divide. Because of this, Gaspart is unlikely to praise his former club's eternal rival. While appearing on the El 10 del Barca program, Gaspart balked that 'when the Bernabeu is closed, it looks like a can of sardines'. 'Hermetically sealed, with that shape... The model and the photos show it the same. It's not an insult, it's the truth,' he added, admitting that although the Bernabeu is 'beautiful' and 'wonderful', the Spotify Camp Nou, currently being renovated, will be 'much better' when it is finally ready. 'In the photo with the new coach [Xabi Alonso] and president Florentino, you can see the background of the stadium... which is not the real one, it is a render. What does that mean? That they are not as proud of the stadium as they say,' Gaspart continued. Wishing Alonso 'to do well personally', Gaspart of course doesn't want things to pan out well for him and Madrid 'on the sporting side … just as they want the same with [Hansi] Alonso's Real Madrid begins at the Club World Cup on June 14, which Gaspart would have liked to have seen Barca play. 'Of course I would have liked to have played in it. One more title is always important. But since we don't play it, it's better for our players to rest to come back strong," he pointed out. FC Barcelona's players will indeed rest up, and putting less minutes in domestic treble-winning legs over the summer might prove important next season.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Real Madrid Finalises Two New Signings For Club World Cup
Real Madrid has finalised two new signings for the upcoming Club World Cup and 2025/2026 season ... More according to COPE, which cited anonymous sources. Real Madrid has finalised two new signings for the upcoming Club World Cup and 2025/2026 season according to COPE, which cited anonymous sources. Last weekend, President Florentino Perez finally took since departed head coach Carlo Ancelotti's advice to sign a defender by activating Dean Huijsen's $67.5 million (£50 million) release clause at Bournemouth. COPE reported in the following days that Madrid has agreed to buy back its former midfielder Nico Paz from Como after the young Argentina international impressed in Italy under Cesc Fabregas. And while that deal hasn't been confirmed and announced yet, two others have been finalised according to the same outlet. Following in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe in a sense, Trent Alexander-Arnold's free transfer from Real Madrid should be pretty straightforward and a simple case of the England right back switching allegiances when his Liverpool terms expire on June 30. Because Madrid wants the 26-year-old to feature at the Club World Cup, however, it must negotiate some sort of early exit fee with the Premier League champions believed to be around $5.7 million (€5 million) and COPE attests that this has already been ironed out. Alexander-Arnold will act as a long-term heir to Dani Carvajal, who missed most of last term with an ACL rupture and is getting on in years. On the other flank, Fran Garcia and an often-crocked Ferland Mendy need positional rivalry which is where Alvaro Carreras should come in. The 22-year-old has a $57 million (€50 million) release clause at Benfica, which Perez is set to activate for the left back to be taken to the United States for the Club World Cup with new head coach Xabi Alonso and the rest of the travelling squad. Because Benfica is listed on the stock exchange, all the details of how much Madrid will pay the Portuguese and how (i.e. in installments or not) will become publicly known. Of these two transfers, Carreras' is expected to be announced first, with the mentioned, reimagined FIFA tournament kicking off on June 14 and offering the chance to win vast amounts of prize money. After a 2024/2025 season that lacked major silverware, Real Madrid is taking the Club World Cup seriously and is not merely going to the US to make the numbers up, as already communicated by the likes of Mbappe.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Real Madrid's player of 2024-25: Kylian Mbappe shines in a season defined by disappointment
After a season defined by disappointment, choosing the best Real Madrid player of 2024-25 is no easy mission. That is partly down to injuries — several key players, including Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Eder Militao, have been sidelined for much of the campaign. Stars such as Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior have not shone as brightly as last year. Advertisement A select few, chief among them goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde, have performed consistently but not as well as they did in 2023-24, when Madrid lifted a double of La Liga and the Champions League. Others such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Raul Asencio showed themselves to be vital players for Carlo Ancelotti, but are far from becoming true leaders. But if there is one player who has stood out during the season, it is Kylian Mbappe. The France captain arrived last summer with pressure on his shoulders from being a longstanding target for the club and its president, Florentino Perez, since his breakthrough at Monaco in 2016-17. There followed a saga that lasted several summers until Mbappe said no to Madrid in 2022. He finally joined as a free agent last summer after his deal at Paris Saint-Germain expired. While there was no big transfer fee to live up to, Mbappe became the highest paid player in the squad (based on his wage plus bonuses), which only increased the spotlight. Expectations were high — his presentation filled the Bernabeu with 80,000 fans, the same number Cristiano Ronaldo attracted when he joined from Manchester United in 2009. The comparisons with Ronaldo, Mbappe's idol and Madrid's all-time record goalscorer with 450 goals, were inevitable. During his first press conference as a Madrid player, he was asked several questions about the Portugal forward. But Mbappe chose to distance himself from that debate and his opening season was different to Ronaldo's. Mbappe took a while to make a breakthrough and failed to score in his first three games — which highlighted potential issues in the Frenchman playing as a No 9 with Vinicius Jr in his preferred left-wing position. Madrid's coaching staff, meanwhile, were unhappy with Mbappe's lack of work out of possession. Injuries did not help — he suffered from muscular problems at the end of September — and he was not called up to the France squad for either of the first two international breaks of the season. During the second international break in November, France head coach Didier Deschamps said he had 'taken this decision in this camp' and that he had not considered 'extra-sporting problems'. Advertisement Mbappe had to adapt to his new role as a striker and experienced a crisis of confidence in big games, including a crucial missed penalty in a defeat by Athletic Club at the beginning of December which he later called 'the bottom' for him in an interview with Real Madrid TV. Madrid sources, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, believed his last months at PSG and somewhat difficult exit impacted his start at Madrid. Madrid fans begin to catch a glimpse of Mbappe's true leadership qualities in the 5-2 defeat by Barcelona in January's Supercopa de Espana final, in which he opened the scoring in the fifth minute. His hat-trick against Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League play-off underlined that Mbappe had finally arrived at the Bernabeu. It was the first time Madrid had clearly dominated Pep Guardiola's City in all their recent meetings and their headline summer signing was the man responsible for it. Mbappe was not as effective in other big games — he failed to score against Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final exit, for instance — but he still remained Ancelotti's most in-form player in attack. The best demonstration of that was in the final Clasico of the season. Mbappe became only the third Madrid player to score an away hat-trick against Barcelona but could only watch as his team lost 4-3 and squandered any chance of retaining their La Liga title from the previous season. His second goal of that hat-trick made Mbappe the highest-scoring Madrid debutant in history, surpassing Ivan Zamorano's 37 goals from the 1992-93 campaign. Mbappe now has 43 goals in 56 games, with the revamped Club World Cup in the United States to come. Twenty-nine of his goals have come in 2025. It is a stark contrast to how Mbappe started out at Madrid — not that he seems to have had any doubts he would succeed. Advertisement 'I was fine physically, but I had to do more and I knew it,' Mbappe told a pre-match press conference in January. 'It was time to change everything because I didn't come to Madrid to play badly. 'I thought a lot. Too much. How to do this, how to move… and when you think so much, you don't play well… For now, I'm only thinking about Madrid. I'm thinking about playing my best football.' From a Madrid perspective, the most exciting aspect is that Mbappe has even more room to produce his best football after being one of their only bright sparks this season. With a new coach in Xabi Alonso and a summer of change ahead at the Bernabeu, it is a tantalising prospect. (Top photo by Alberto Gardin/Quality)
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What we learned from Xabi Alonso's first Real Madrid press conference
When Xabi Alonso was officially presented as Real Madrid's new manager yesterday, there was an air of nothing having changed. 'I am very happy at what I feel is my home,' he said, almost 11 years after he played his last match for Madrid. 'The link with madridismo never ceased. When I returned to Valdebebas an hour and half ago, that feeling was reborn.' Advertisement The Spanish coach started this phase of his career on the bench at the academy of Los Blancos, a fact highlighted by the club president, Florentino Perez: 'We all knew very well what your fate would be since you first sat on a bench in 2018, with Infantil A,' he said. In an impeccable outfit and without using notes, Alonso commented in particular on his memory of Carlo Ancelotti, who he replaced, and for whom he played at Madrid and Bayern Munich. The two have been in contact in the past few weeks. 'Probably, without his mastery and the learning I had from him, I wouldn't be here,' said Alonso. 'I pick up the legacy with a lot of honour and pride.' Minutes earlier, Alonso had a contract-signing ceremony, during which he posed with president Perez and a Madrid shirt with his name on it. Then he recorded his first message to the madridistas in the room with the Champions League trophies, choosing the La Decima — the 10th — as the background for his video. That was a very special conquest for everyone at the club, coming 12 years after they had last won it and against their great rival Atletico Madrid, who they beat 4-1 in the most agonising of ways. 🤳 ¡El primer mensaje de @XabiAlonso como nuestro nuevo entrenador!🆕 #WelcomeXabi — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 26, 2025 Alonso missed that final due to suspension, but he ran from the stands to the corner to celebrate one of the goals with his team-mates, a sprint that will always be remembered. The presentation of his return as manager was held at the Valdebebas basketball pavilion and Alonso was surrounded by his people, including his wife, Nagore, who was in the front row. Also close by was his technical staff, made up of Sebas Parrilla (assistant coach), Alberto Encinas (assistant), Ismael Camenforte-Lopez (physical trainer) and Benat Labaien (analyst who was not with him at Bayer Leverkusen). Advertisement Present too were the very excited Alvaro Arbeloa, one of Xabi's best friends who this summer will be promoted to coach Real Madrid Castilla (the club's reserve team); Santi Solari, director of football; and Roberto Carlos, ambassador. Raul was not there, despite him usually being at such events, but that is mainly because he is leaving after six seasons in charge of Castilla. The hustle and bustle in the Valdebebas press room reflected how big a day it was for Madrid. It felt more like the prelude to an important Champions League fixture, with 130 journalists in attendance. After a longer wait than expected, at 2.05pm Alonso appeared through the door, escorted by Emilio Butragueno, Madrid legend and director of institutional relations, as well as several staff members from the press department. Alonso made his way to the chair, unbuttoned his suit jacket and said good morning as he sat down and smiled. He left the room 20 minutes later, with a 'Thank you very much', having answered 19 questions. Many of the comments afterwards were about what great shape Alonso is in. He is only 43 years old. Twice he was asked about Luka Modric, only four years his junior, whose contract is not being renewed. The coach avoided clarifying whether or not he asked the club for the Croatian to continue. He also declined to comment on whether he will use a system with two or three central defenders or whether he will play with two or three strikers: 'It's a good question,' he said, without providing an answer. Despite being wary of stepping in any 'puddles', he provided several potential headlines, including that he 'obviously' sees Jude Bellingham as a midfielder. Or on Rodrygo, one of the doubts for this summer, saying 'we need him' and that he will talk to him and all the players. Alonso spoke about how active the club is and will continue to be in the market. 'Our duty is to always want to improve in any facet,' he said. 'I want to have this communication and vision with the club to reach a consensus. It's not that I come with demands, but to work as a team to improve.' Advertisement That is no small statement, coming after four years in which Ancelotti's requests were barely heard by the board. But Alonso has already pushed for the signing of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth and for the arrival of Alvaro Carreras, for whom Madrid is in talks with Benfica. 'I want the people who see us to say, 'This is the team I like', that people go to the stadium to enjoy,' he said. But after the words, it's time for the facts.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🔴 Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso Day, proud to follow Ancelotti👑
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here. It's Xabi Alonso's day at Real Madrid. Today, in fact, the biggest club in the world officially presents its new coach to the press, the man who will have to take over the reins from His Majesty Carlo Ancelotti. It's certainly not an easy task, but in the Spanish capital, they are convinced that there is no better profile than the now former Bayer Leverkusen coach to chase down Flick's the president, it's Xabi Alonso's turn, who thanked Florentino Perez and spoke for the first time as coach of the Blancos: "Without a doubt, this is a very special day for me. A day that will be marked on my calendar for my entire life. I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home. The bond with Madridismo has never ceased to exist and, since I entered Valdebebas an hour and a half ago, this feeling has been reborn. I have the feeling that this is the beginning of a new era. Florentino, thank you very much for your trust. I feel that the fans, the Madridistas, are excited to start this new phase, to grow and to make the history of this club even greater. Thanks also to my family, who are always with me." Xabi then reserved some kind words for Carlo Ancelotti, his former coach: "Before I start talking about the new adventure, I'd like to say something about what has just ended. Carlo was my coach, a great person, and a great influence. Without his mastery, I probably wouldn't be here. I am taking his place and inheriting his legacy with great honor and pride. I hope to live up to expectations and to take the club where we all believe it should be. A period begins in which I feel the club and the fans are united. We have a great team, we have fantastic players and great potential. This gives me reason to come here with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We are convinced that we can achieve important goals, worthy of Real Madrid. We want the fans to be proud and for people to come to the stadium to enjoy themselves. If we can ignite this fire, we will have an unstoppable force. We are convinced we can do wonderful things. Thank you very much, Hala Madrid." The press conference presenting Xabi Alonso as the next Real Madrid coach began with a tribute video. Then, the president of Los Merengues, Florentino Perez, took the floor: "Madridismo is something that is cultivated every day. Real Madrid belongs to the hearts of the people, because this crest represents the values that are worked on here every day. The values that have been necessary to achieve a record that is hard to match and to have experienced, in recent years, one of the most successful periods in our history. The strength of this club is to continue working to fulfill the dreams of Madridismo. That's why today is a very special day. A coach has arrived who is one of the best in the world and who knows what Real Madrid is, what this shirt means. Today we welcome one of our own: Xabi Alonso. The president then added: "Dear Xabi, welcome to your home, welcome to Real Madrid. I am sure you are experiencing a very emotional moment today. You showed it when you arrived in 2009 to defend this shirt. You won six titles that are already part of Real Madrid's history. You are also one of the great legends of the Spanish national team, with whom you won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships. Today, however, you return home. We all knew what your destiny would be when, in 2018, you sat down to coach the Infantil A team. You achieved a milestone that is already part of German football history: winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. This journey has made you one of the greatest figures in football and one of the best coaches in the world. Today you return to Madrid as the first team coach to face one of the greatest challenges of your life. You know how demanding this club is, but I am sure we will share many joys. Dear Xabi: welcome to your home, welcome to Real Madrid." At 12:00, the contract signing will take place, in the presence of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. Half an hour later, the presentation will begin and around 1:30 PM, Xabi Alonso will hold his first press conference as Real Madrid coach.
