Despite being a very naughty boy in California during the summer break, Cristiano Ronaldo was welcomed to Madrid today in the manner of a messiah, with an estimated 80,000 fans packing the Santiago Bernabeu to catch their first glimpse of the Portuguese superstar football player.

The local TV news proudly reported that this number of fans turning up just for a player unveiling was a world record, beating even the welcoming of Maradona (dirty Argie cheat) to Napoli in 1984.

Frankly, this is madness, and also seems a bit desperate. Yes, it was a torrid 2008/09 season, having to watch Barca win the ‘Triple’  and, yes, we have had two weeks of absolutely scorchio weather that has made even grizzled Manchego farmers complain of being hot, but 80,000 people, waiting up to 3 hours, just to see a bloke strut down a catwalk and give a press conference? Lunacy.

The madness was even affecting the club physio who stated he was ‘amazed’ at Cristiano’s condition and that the player has “an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity.” Riiiiiight. Whatever.

Florentino Pérez, the Real Madrid president and architect of the Ronaldo and Kaká transfers, looked on at the proceedings with a smile a kilometer wide. Let’s hope that smile is still there halfway through next season. He’s called in some serious financial favours to fund these acquisitions and he desperately needs them to pay off. He’s already started trying to cover his back by calling for a new Euro Super League only for big clubs in order to guarantee them sufficient revenues.

Compra Oro

Sign reads – Buy / Sell Gold, watches and shiny things.

Retiro Park in central Madrid has been hosting an exhibition (Universo Urbano) by the sculptor Juan Ripollés. If you want to see more of these unusual and beautiful sculptures I recommend this great photo gallery on Flickr by Colgantitos.

New Real Madrid president Perez has captured his second Ballon D’Or player in one week, this time paying £80 million for Man Utd’s Ronaldo. Added to the estimated £57 million the football club paid AC Milan for Kaka it’s been quite an expensive week.

A Madrid statement read: “Real Madrid confirm they have made an offer to Manchester United for the acquisition of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo . The club hope to reach an agreement with the player in the next few days.”

Last year, Scotch misery guts Ferguson had insisted that he “wouldn’t sell a virus to that mob” when asked about selling Ronaldo to Real. Maybe the swine flu pandemic announced by the WHO has changed his mind. Whatever the reason, Real have been given until 30th June to settle personal terms with the player and if all that goes OK, the step-over king will be on his way to the Bernabeu. Reaction in the city is generally positive although some wonder if he’ll get distracted by all the pretty girls and other distractions in the city that never sleeps. Still, La Liga 2009/10 is already shaping up nicely. Now what can Barca bring to the table in response?

Tonight, the Real Madrid website has announced that the 27 year old Brazilian football star Kaka has been sold from AC Milan and that he has agreed a six-year contract to come to Spain and play at the Bernabeu.

A statement on the Milan website read: “From next season, Kaka will play at Real Madrid… It will be very difficult to fill the void that will be left by Kaka, a shining example of commitment and professionalism. AC Milan, on behalf of the the managers, players and supporters of the Rossoneri, offer him the most cordial and affectionate wishes for continuation of his sporting career.”

The transfer fee is reputed to be approximately £57 million, which would be  world record.

The announcement on the English part of Real Madrid’s website read: “Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, Kaka, now plays for Real Madrid following the deal reached with A.C. Milan. The Brazilian footballer satisfactorily passed a full medical checkup. Kaka has signed a contract linking him to Real Madrid for the next six seasons.”

Kaka is a great striker and goal provider, but he brings something more. He is a marketing dream. Clean cut and handsome his religious faith is well documented. He regularly tithes a portion of his earnings to his church, his favourite book is the Bible, and his favourite band is a gospel rock group called Resgate, “redemption” in Portuguese. Maybe he will be the source of redemption for Real, who desperately need some after a poor year of failure on the pitch and internecine squabbling amongst the ’socios’.

When Brazil won the World Cup in 2002, and again when Milan triumphed in the Champions League final of 2007, Kaka revealed a T-shirt emblazoned with the words: “I belong to Jesus.” Well now, he belongs to Real Madrid as well. Desde Madrid al cielo? Vamos a ver.

Advertising for exhibition at Casa de Vacas in Parque del Retiro.

Antonio de Felipe

at El Corte Inglés in Nuevos Ministerios, central Madrid.

Summertime

A joint study on pollutants in the city atmosphere by CIEMAT and CSIC has been published and the results of their tests show some surprising findings.

According to the pointy heads, air samples taken throughout different zones in the city showed traces of the following illegal drugs: cocaine, amphetamines, LSD, opiates and cannabis. In one zone they also detected heroin. The scientists were quick to point out though that the levels measured (between 98 and 240 picograms) did not pose any harm and that it would take “a thousand years of breathing to get a decent hit” (I’m paraphrasing, obviously).

Madrid-born Antonio Vega Tallés, lead singer and guitarist for the band Nacha Pop and writer of one of Spain’s best loved pop songs “Chica de ayer“, died today aged only 51 years.

Every news programme in Spain has covered his passing away because he and his band were genuine stars in the Movida Madrileña, the late 1970s / early 1980s artistic and socio-cultural movement that occurred in the aftermath of Spain’s ‘Transition’.

The band had split in 1988 and Antonio had forged a respected solo career, only to be cut short by pneumonia brought on by cancer of the heart.

RIP.