Real vs Atlético

Found this nice video comparing Real supporters and Atleti supporters.

Part of the Game TV

Mayhem in Madrid as Spain Qualify for WC Final

I’m a bit worried that the Spanish football fans (i.e. 99% of the population) have peaked too early. The scenes in central Madrid last night were incredible considering nothing has been won yet, and confidence about the final is sky high.

Still, let’s enjoy it while we can (a very Spanish trait) and look forward to Sunday’s World Cup final vs Los Países Bajos.

¡Aupa Atleti!

It had been a long wait – 1996 was the last time Atlético de Madrid had won silverware (the League and Cup double, no less) – so last night’s Europa Cup win served as a massive catharsis for the mattress makers.

Your writer is a committed Real fan but was definitely supporting Atleti, although that was mainly so as to be able to join in the party afterwards and get lots of free drinks.

But no, really, well done Atleti. Finally your ‘Fe’ has been rewarded:

Muy Grande.

Holidays

Madrid looks forward to receiving the Special One and his Internazionale team on 22 May.

Real Madrid – Largest Sports Club in the World

Deloitte Football Money League published its annual list of Richest Football Clubs in the World yesterday. As measured by annual revenue, Real Madrid topped the list (Figures were for financial year 2008/09)

These rankings are published as the ‘Football Money League’ by the specialist sports group department of Deloitte. The revenue figures include commercial income, matchday revenues and broadcasting. Real Madrid were top for the fifth successive year, becoming the first team in any sport to generate revenue of over €400m.

You can see the top ten football clubs here.

A Proper Football Match

There is a fantastic report on a lower league football match (AD Alcorcón vs Real Madrid Castilla) in the Spanish leagues at the European Football Weekends website which I wanted to alert any readers to. Wry and evocative, it also has some great photos that really capture the essence of the day. Please check it out

“The Ridicule of the Century…”

…so said the daily sports paper most associated with Real Madrid, following los blancos midweek 4-0 loss to third division Alcorcon. Other comments from the daily papers included:

“…it was an embarrassment of historic proportions.” – AS

“Alcorcon made Madrid look ridiculous.” – El Mundo Deportivo

“…one of the most humiliating defeats in their history.” – Sport

“Alcorcongate” – Marca

Mostly, Madrid Uno likes to write only about the good things going on in the city, but mini dramas like this should be noted too. Real was the club M1 was immediately told to support by the first friends he made on arrival here and supporting the team has provided a proper insight into what it ‘is’ to be a madrileño – as well as providing many excuses to go out and share a beer. Hopefully, last night will be as bad as it will get. M1 does enjoy the midweek pub meet but since Real fans don’t do humiliation well, it’s likely to be a while before everyone’s stable enough to enjoy a match. hay k ver.

A Madrileño Wins The Tour De France

Alberto with friend

Local pride, the default mode of which is ‘stratospheric’, was raised even further yesterday when Alberto Contador returned home from winning the world’s leading drug taking contest, bicycle race.

It’s Contador’s second win and some say he would have won three by now if he hadn’t had to miss last year’s event because of his team’s (Astana) complicity in the doping scandals that have previously dogged the race. Still, there’s time for more wins because he’s young (born in 1982 – grew up in the nondescript suburb of Pinto, in the South of the Communidad de Madrid) and Lance Armstrong, the bike racer most feared by the rest, is old.

After being greeted by family, friends and fans at Madrid’s Barajas airport, Contador was given a victory reception by the president of Madrid’s regional government in the centre of the capital, at which, every single opportunity was taken to play the Spanish national anthem – a not so subtle rebuke to the Tour de France organisers who had ‘accidentally’ played the national anthem of Denmark at the podium ceremony on Sunday.

Hail The Messiah – Ronaldo Makes First Appearance in Madrid

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.

Real Madrid Finally Capture Ronaldo

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?