Real madrid

This was not a night for galácticos, old or new. At a balmy Parc Des Princes Paris Saint-Germain simply overran Real Madrid, pulling apart the hastily-stitched seams of Zinedine Zidane’s team and producing surely the most coherent and powerful performance of Thomas Tuchel’s time in charge. It felt like a humiliation at times – and by the end perhaps something more, a Viking funeral for a team, an era, a way of trying to win. As the seconds ran out there was even the unexpected sight of the Paris full‑backs Juan Bernat and Thomas Meunier bearing down on the Real goal, the midfield crumbling away like a sheet of millefeuille pastry, the defence drowning in all that space. Bernat took the ball from Meunier. Meunier took it back from Bernat. Meunier might have paused to drink in a most unexpected moment in his own career, but instead steered the ball into the corner of the Real net with a brusque, merciful haste to complete a 3-0 win. And make no mistake, Real … [Read more...] about Ángel Di María double helps PSG ease to win against Real Madrid

What does Zinedine Zidane dream about? Cute cats? No, it’s not his style. Cakes? He’s too svelte. Scary monsters? He’s 47 years old for heaven’s sake! No, according to reports in Spain, Zizou goes to bed at night and “dreams of” N’Golo Kanté. The Real Madrid manager believes signing the ultimate defensive midfield pivot will open up a new glittering pathway towards untold glories at the Bernabéu. Kanté won’t come cheap, though, so Florentino Pérez will strap £86m to James Rodríguez and dangle him in front of Stamford Bridge in the hope that Chelsea beancounters bite. Another midfielder who may be on the move is Ivan Rakitic, who has fallen so far down the pecking order at Barcelona that he’s probably making tea for Frenkie de Jong as you read this sentence. It says here that Juventus and Manchester United are interested, though with the Italian champions having around 756 available central midfielders … [Read more...] about Football transfer rumours: Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté to join Real Madrid?

La Liga has asked that this month’s Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid be moved to the capital amid growing protests in Catalonia. Nine Catalan separatist leaders were jailed for between nine and 13 years on Monday over their roles in the failed push for regional independence two years ago, sparking protests and clashes across the region. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. The match is due to take place on 26 October at Barça’s Camp Nou stadium. But La Liga has asked the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to reverse the fixture. The second meeting of the season is due to take place in Madrid in March. “We have requested the competitions committee of the RFEF to meet and change the location of El Clásico to Madrid because of exceptional circumstances beyond our control,” a La Liga spokesman said. The RFEF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The announcement of the jail terms triggered mass protests across … [Read more...] about La Liga calls for upcoming Clásico to be moved from Barcelona to Madrid

The Spanish government has accused the Catalan parliament of committing a “constitutional and democratic atrocity” by approving legislation to allow next month’s bitterly disputed independence referendum to go ahead. On Wednesday night, the region’s ruling, pro-sovereignty coalition – which has a majority in the Catalan parliament – managed to get the referendum law passed despite angry objections from opposition MPs, who complained that usual parliamentary procedures had been disregarded. The legislation passed by 72 votes after 52 opposition MPs walked out of the chamber in Barcelona in protest at the end of an ill-tempered, 11-hour session. The move was denounced by the Spanish government, which once again said it would do everything in its legal and political power to stop the vote from going ahead on 1 October. The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, ordered government lawyers to file a complaint with the country’s constitutional court … [Read more...] about Catalonia to hold independence vote despite anger in Madrid

Mesut Özil seems to have accepted his days at Arsenal are numbered, having made just a paltry two appearances for the club in all competitions this season. With his manager Unai Emery reported to be unimpressed with the playmaker’s attitude in training, a January move elsewhere looks increasingly likely even if his current employers are forced to heavily subsidise his £350,000 weekly stipend. Turkish newspaper Takvim, which your polyglot Rumour Mill has delivered daily, report that Fenerbahce have opened talks with Arsenal about a loan deal and say the “dream move can come true in January”. Not for the first time in recent months Manchester City are mulling over the possibility of trying to sign Nathan Aké, having identified the central defender as the man to help plug the conspicuous Aymeric Laporte-shaped hole in their beleaguered defence. Speculation linking Aké with City during the summer ultimately came to naught, but knowing how desperate … [Read more...] about Football transfer rumours: Mesut Özil to leave Arsenal for Fenerbahce?