Latest news with #madridistas
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
'Great club legend' Lucas Vázquez ending long stint with Real Madrid
Lucas Vázquez, an important player for Real Madrid during one of its most successful eras, is ending his stint with the Spanish powerhouse. The club and the player said Wednesday that he is not returning for another season. 'I'm leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me,' Vázquez said on social media. 'Wherever I go, I will proudly say that I had the honor of playing for the best team in the world. Thank you for joining me on the most beautiful journey of my life.' Madrid is preparing a farewell ceremony on Thursday for the 34-year-old Vázquez. 'Real Madrid would like to express our gratitude and affection to Lucas Vázquez, one of the great legends of our club,' it said in a statement. Vázquez is one of the winningest players with Madrid, having helped the club capture 23 titles, including five Champions Leagues and four Spanish leagues. He made 402 appearances, playing mostly as a right back but also as a forward attacking midfielder and contributing off the bench. 'Lucas Vázquez represents in an exemplary way the values of Real Madrid, which has made him one of the most loved players by our fans,' club president Florentino Pérez said. 'The figure of Lucas Vázquez symbolizes the hard work, perseverance, humility, and winning spirit that are essential for success in this shirt. He is a player who has the affection and recognition of all madridistas. Real Madrid is and always will be his home.' Vázquez joined the club's youth academy in 2007 as a 16-year-old. After a season on loan at Espanyol, he made his debut with Madrid's first team in 2015. He did not immediately announce his plans for the future. Madrid is coming off a disappointing season by its high standards, losing the Spanish league title to Barcelona and failing to reach the final in the Club World Cup or the Champions League.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Great club legend' Lucas Vázquez ending long stint with Real Madrid
MADRID (AP) — Lucas Vázquez, an important player for Real Madrid during one of its most successful eras, is ending his stint with the Spanish powerhouse. The club and the player said Wednesday that he is not returning for another season. Advertisement 'I'm leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me," Vázquez said on social media. "Wherever I go, I will proudly say that I had the honor of playing for the best team in the world. Thank you for joining me on the most beautiful journey of my life.' Madrid is preparing a farewell ceremony on Thursday for the 34-year-old Vázquez. 'Real Madrid would like to express our gratitude and affection to Lucas Vázquez, one of the great legends of our club,' it said in a statement. Vázquez is one of the winningest players with Madrid, having helped the club capture 23 titles, including five Champions Leagues and four Spanish leagues. He made 402 appearances, playing mostly as a right back but also as a forward, attacking midfielder and contributing off the bench. Advertisement 'Lucas Vázquez represents in an exemplary way the values of Real Madrid, which has made him one of the most loved players by our fans," club president Florentino Pérez said. "The figure of Lucas Vázquez symbolizes the hard work, perseverance, humility and winning spirit that are essential for success in this shirt. He is a player who has the affection and recognition of all madridistas. Real Madrid is and always will be his home.' Vázquez joined the club's youth academy in 2007 as a 16-year-old. After a season on loan at Espanyol, he made his debut with Madrid's first team in 2015. He did not immediately announce his plans for the future. Advertisement Madrid is coming off a disappointing season by its high standards, losing the Spanish league title to Barcelona and failing to reach the final in the Club World Cup or the Champions League. ___ AP soccer: Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
'Great club legend' Lucas Vázquez ending long stint with Real Madrid
MADRID (AP) — Lucas Vázquez, an important player for Real Madrid during one of its most successful eras, is ending his stint with the Spanish powerhouse. The club and the player said Wednesday that he is not returning for another season. 'I'm leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me,' Vázquez said on social media. 'Wherever I go, I will proudly say that I had the honor of playing for the best team in the world. Thank you for joining me on the most beautiful journey of my life.' Madrid is preparing a farewell ceremony on Thursday for the 34-year-old Vázquez. 'Real Madrid would like to express our gratitude and affection to Lucas Vázquez, one of the great legends of our club,' it said in a statement. Vázquez is one of the winningest players with Madrid, having helped the club capture 23 titles, including five Champions Leagues and four Spanish leagues. He made 402 appearances, playing mostly as a right back but also as a forward, attacking midfielder and contributing off the bench. 'Lucas Vázquez represents in an exemplary way the values of Real Madrid, which has made him one of the most loved players by our fans,' club president Florentino Pérez said. 'The figure of Lucas Vázquez symbolizes the hard work, perseverance, humility and winning spirit that are essential for success in this shirt. He is a player who has the affection and recognition of all madridistas. Real Madrid is and always will be his home.' Vázquez joined the club's youth academy in 2007 as a 16-year-old. After a season on loan at Espanyol, he made his debut with Madrid's first team in 2015. He did not immediately announce his plans for the future. Madrid is coming off a disappointing season by its high standards, losing the Spanish league title to Barcelona and failing to reach the final in the Club World Cup or the Champions League. ___ AP soccer:
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid balancing act – and rebrand from Liverpool days
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez read carefully from his speech as he called the club's new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold 'one of the best full-backs in the world' and welcomed 'beloved Trent' to 'the club of the 15 European Cups'. Sitting in the front row alongside his partner and family, Alexander-Arnold watched Thursday's proceedings of his presentation as a Real Madrid player with a shy half-smile on his face. When Perez finished speaking, the arrival from Liverpool got to his feet, exchanged a quick embrace with his new boss, and took to the stage himself. Advertisement 'Thanks to president Florentino Perez and this club for this opportunity,' Alexander-Arnold said, surprising everyone by starting his speech in Spanish. 'To sign for a club like Real Madrid does not happen every day, it's a dream come true,' he continued, in very good Spanish, delivered without reading any notes. 'I'm happy and proud to be here, and really looking forward to showing madridistas how I play. I'm ready to give everything for this club and these fans. I want to win many trophies, and improve among the best players in the world. Thanks, and hala Madrid!' The camera cut to the audience of besuited Madrid figures in the seats at the basketball pavilion at the club's training ground. Those present included venerable club directors and former first-team stars now working for the club. Many of the faces clearly showed their surprise at the England international's unexpected language skills. 🗣️🇪🇸 Señor Alexander-Arnold#WelcomeTrent — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 12, 2025 When Jude Bellingham was presented as a Madrid signing on the same stage back in June 2023, he said one sentence in Spanish ('Hello everyone, hello madridistas') before switching to his native English. In under two minutes, Alexander Arnold had already spoken more Spanish in public than fellow-Brit Gareth Bale did during his nine years at Madrid between 2013 and 2022. It showed a level of preparation and awareness that is quite rare, even at the top level in football. Kylian Mbappe could do his entire presentation and first Madrid press conference in Spanish, but then the Frenchman had over a decade to prepare for his arrival. Just how long Alexander-Arnold has known he would be joining Madrid remains something of a mystery, and a controversial topic for many back at Anfield. The 26-year-old was clearly aware of the sensitivity. Advertisement Asked how long he had been learning Spanish, Alexander-Arnold replied 'a few months' with a smile that showed he knew it was a potential trick question, given some Liverpool fans have felt hurt by him and his camp having spoken to Madrid at least as early as April 2024. When asked by Real Madrid TV for his feelings on arriving at Madrid, he said it had been 'a day I've been waiting for, for a long time now'. The next question was obvious — just exactly how long had he been waiting? Alexander-Arnold was quick to realise the right thing to say. 'To be clear, by waiting a long time I mean a couple of weeks, not years,' he said. 'But I'm very excited to be here. Whether you support the club or not, you have to respect the club's trophies and history. I grew up watching this club win Champions Leagues. A big reason why I joined is to be a part of the amazing history of the club, and its success going forward.' Other Madrid galacticos, including Mbappe and Bale, have been presented along with old family photos of them wearing Real Madrid jerseys as kids. Alexander-Arnold was clear that he had always been a Liverpool fan, and he will also have known that, in a 2021 interview, he told GQ magazine that 'my other favourite team is Barcelona'. There was no attempt to whitewash any of his past. Instead, we got what looked like an honest and straightforward explanation that, while he loved Liverpool, he also believed he had every right to leave to join Madrid, and he was very happy to have made that decision. The impression was an event which had been very carefully stage-managed and planned out. That was also the case as Alexander-Arnold explained why he will use the name 'Trent' on his jersey over his new number 12 at Madrid. 'It's quite easy to be honest,' he said, with another smile. 'In Europe, the double-barrelled name situation confuses people. People call me Arnold, Alexander, Alex, Trent. I thought: let's make it easy, and to be known as Trent — that's my name.' Advertisement That is likely only half the reason. The 'rebrand' to Trent has also taken place on his Instagram account, and will likely help with marketing, both for Madrid and for him. Being able to present yourself well and taking advantage of commercial opportunities is always important at Madrid. Even Perez's speech was aimed at many different audiences — maybe even some players at other clubs who could end up arriving at Madrid in the coming years. 'The Bernabeu is waiting for you,' he said to Alexander-Arnold and everyone watching. 'There, you will experience unique moments that will sometimes be difficult to understand. It's magic and its mystique will excite you.' Perez also highlighted the importance to Madrid of winning the upcoming Club World Cup, which is seen as an important priority. That might not be easy. Madrid have a new coach in Xabi Alonso, new signings (including Alexander-Arnold) to fit in, and are coming off a 2024-25 domestic and European campaign that went badly off the rails and resulted in an acrimonious exit for former coach Carlo Ancelotti. But Alexander-Arnold's arrival is part of what Perez is presenting as a fresh start, and he did not put a foot wrong on his first day as a Real Madrid player. He was also respectful and intelligent when speaking about his team-mates, playing down the idea he saw himself as a Ballon d'Or candidate ahead of Mbappe, Vinicius Jr or Bellingham, while also showing respect for Madrid's long-serving first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal, the club captain who is soon returning from injury. It was not easy to balance two different messages to two different audiences, and Liverpool supporters may still have some grievances over his exit. But Madrid fans should be excited that, off the pitch at least, they are getting a player who understands the Bernabeu club very, very well. While Alexander-Arnold's amazing level of Spanish speaking will have left some Liverpool fans scratching their heads at just how long he has been preparing for his move to Madrid, the former Anfield favourite did speak highly of his former club and said the right things, even if not everyone wants to hear it. It won't hurt that he said Liverpool are 'the biggest team in England'. That line alone will not undo the hurt some fans feel at his low-fee departure with his peak years ahead of him. But saying it on such a massive stage as his Madrid presentation felt like a bit of a flag plant. He stepped into 'Brit abroad territory' when comparing Liverpool and Madrid's weather but didn't get bogged down in that cliché too much. Overall, listening to him speak, you could clearly see how much of a big moment this was for him and his family. He was well prepared and his Spanish showed that, but I'm not sure the reality of his achievement has actually hit him yet. Maybe winning the Club World Cup will be the thing that does it. Advertisement The fact that he is now using 'Trent' on the back of his shirt and as his new Instagram handle feels like an outstanding branding move as much as an ode to Liverpool. During his Liverpool career, he was referred to as Alexander-Arnold but most of the time when fans discussed him, they simply said 'Trent'. It was like they knew him personally — which is why, depending on who you ask, it feels surreal to some and hurtful to others that the lad from West Derby who felt like their mate has moved to sunny Madrid. Caoimhe O'Neill Aside from pitch-sweeping passes and unrivalled creativity from out wide, Alexander-Arnold opens up more options for new coach Xabi Alonso's Madrid team. He is equally happy to play a marauding wing-back role, jump into midfield or even tuck into a wide centre-back role, where he can get on the ball and create from deep, allowing the full-back on the opposite flank to push on. He will not replace Toni Kroos, but his desire to fire long passes out to the wing will help recoup some of what Madrid lost when the German retired last summer. The visualisation below — curling crosses into the box, probing passes down the line, and raking switches of play — shows how he could help get the most out of Madrid's rapid wide players and clinical finishers by finding the spaces in behind defences. While there may be lingering concerns surrounding his defensive capabilities, Alexander-Arnold will only help to level up Madrid's in-possession play. Expect the super-flexible Alonso to blur positional boundaries even more as he looks to get the most from this remarkable passer of a football. Thom Harris
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Real Madrid great Raúl ending his academy role to coach elsewhere
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid great Raúl González is leaving his role as a coach in the club's youth academy. The 47-year-old Raúl spent seven years in the academy and coached several youth teams in the 2018-19 season. He helped the under-19s win the Youth League in 2020. 'Raúl has informed the club of his decision to end his time as a coach at our youth academy,' Madrid said on Tuesday. 'Real Madrid is proud to have had one of the greatest legends in our history and world football as a coach and trainer at our youth academy. Raúl also exemplifies all the values of Real Madrid. Values that he has also passed on as a coach.' Raúl said he enjoyed the job, which made him 'grow as a professional and as a person.' 'I want to thank the club of my life for the opportunity it has given me,' Raúl said. 'A new phase begins in my life as a coach outside of this club, with the certainty that I'll eventually return to this place that will always be my home.' Raúl starred for Madrid as a player from the late 1990s until 2010, and with Spain until 2006. 'Raúl will always be in the hearts of all madridistas, and Real Madrid will always be his home,' the club added. Madrid's B team is set to be coached by former player Álvaro Arbeloa. ___ AP soccer:
