July 17th, 2010
Player Profile:
For the season 2010/11 Real Madrid has exercised a buying option with Getafe for the player Pedro de Leon who will be wearing white for the next 6 seasons. Pedro de Leon was presented on the Bernabeu on the 16th of July and after the presentation there was a Q&A session in the press room at the Bernabeu.
To read more about what Pedro de Leon said and to watch a video clip from the presentation click here:
Pedro Leon presentation at the Bernabeu
It is still unknown at the time of writing what will be the jersey number of Pedro Leon in Real Madrid. The same holds for Angel di Maria and will ultimately be determined by the players leaving Real Madrid and which numbers will become available by then.
In Getafe Pedro Leon wore the jersey number 20 a number which is currently occupied by Higuain in Real Madrid. However, if Raul leaves the club and Cristiano Ronaldo gets to wear the jersey number 7 – Higuain might switch number to number 9 which would leave the number 20 available. But these are all speculations – nothing confirmed yet.
Pedro Leon is a right footed midfielder with a great shot. Corners, free kicks , crosses for the looks + the ability to kick the ball has given him the nickname “The Spanish Beckham” or “the new Beckham”. In the interview after the introduction he would decline all such speculations and stick to a more humble attitude about doing his best and then see what would happen. But without making any comparisons to Beckham or Michel or any other former Real Madrid star.
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July 14th, 2010
Analysis:
Another World Cup comes to an end. By the end of it only one team is cheering. Most other teams are disappointed though a few are more or less satisfied with their results. As with all things in life the World Cup in football/soccer has evolved over the course of time. However, in the case of football the evolution over the past 20 years has deemed the tournament largely irrelevant by 2010. Though the World Cup itself has not changed much since its glory days of the 60s , 70s , and 80s the surrounding landscape of football is a very different story from what it was as late as the 1980s.
To understand what has happened and how it effects the World Cup of the 21st century one might compare the World Cup in Mexico in 1986 with that in South Africa 2010.
In 1986 there was no cable TV, no satellite TV and just a few channels in each country run by the government. In many countries the local league was not televised because the clubs were afraid that it would take spectators away from the stadiums and since there were few TV commercials and no extra TV packages for sports it would take revenue away from the clubs.
Furthermore the broadcasting of foreign leagues was limited. Often only highlights of the goals were available.
No Internet and a very limited DVD and video market meant that all in all football on TV was very scarce compared to what it is in 2010 where it is very plentiful.
The international club tournaments were cups in the true sense of the word with no seeding of the teams. Only the champions of the local league would participate and therefore even if the international matches were broadcast on TV often many of the best teams and the best players would only appear very rarely because either their team did no qualify or they were knocked out at an early stage.
Foreign players on teams was usually capped at 2 meaning that the concentration of top talent was much more limited than in 2010. At club level there was no dream team with players handpicked across the world.
It meant that to see best players from one country who played abroad the only chance was to watch them for the national team since these matches were usually shown on national TV (public service obligation) but not the foreign league.
To watch a World Cup would often be the chance to watch the great international stars play in full time length of a match – while the only live motion picture available of those stars otherwise would be short clips of high lights. Many of the best Brazilians and Argentinians would play at home and players would emerge on the world scene at the World Cup whom nobody abroad had ever watched before or even heard about.
Today top talent leaves their home country at an ever earlier age and almost all the top talent is playing or has played at European clubs.
So while scarcity made the World Cup as late as 1990 a truly unique event the enormously extensive coverage of football from the 1990s and beyond has meant all the top players are the World Cup are very familiar faces whom most spectators have watched dozens up times throughout the year and hundreds of time over all. They come to the World Cup at the back of a season with an enormous amount of matches and team up with players whom they do not play with on a weekly basis. The result – quality is suffering.
The World Cup is hosted in increasingly exotic locations where few people travel to and where the locals have no special interest in the tournament. The atmosphere in the stadium is dull compared to what is found at club matches where each and every single spectator is very involved in the match since it is their team.
So all the aspects which made the World Cup exciting as late as 1990 are no absent and have moved over to club football primarily the UEFA Champions League which offers the most excitement since it brings together the best of the best and the brightest of the bright.
The question is whether reform can make the World Cup more relevant for the future or whether it is simply a lot case in the course of evolution.
I think few people got very excited about the World Cup 2010. Probably many people watched many matches but all the aspects making it a thrill in the past were absent and nothing new had taking its’ place in order to renew the driver behind the tournament.
The relative scarcity of the product with one tournament only every 4 years does not seem to be enough to make it attractive. Too many dull and irrelevant matches with too much TV exposure makes the seemingly short duration of 1 month a rather lengthy affair by the end of it. The new TV gold formula with matches taking place in succession rather than at the same time gives over-exposure for the average spectator watching a fair number of matches.
So by the end of the World Cup 2010 the fact remains. The World Cup has lost its’ relevancy whether it is possible to re-invent somehow to serve a purpose in international football is unknown though. It remains to be seen.
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July 5th, 2010
Sporting Goods | Real Madrid players:
Germany is making quite an impact at the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The German team is now going to face Spain in the semi-final for a place in the World Cup 2010 final.
The list of Germans who have played in Real Madrid include Netzer, Stielike, Breitner, Schuster during the 70s and 80s. Illgner during the 90s and latest Metzelder during the 00s of the 21st century.
Among these players both Breitner and Netzer was on the winning side for Germany at the World Cup 1974 in Germany. And Bodo Illgner won with Germany in the World Cup 1990.
In the current side at the World Cup 2010 in Germany there are no current Real Madrid players. The last German player to figure in the German squad from Real Madrid was Metzelder but he is not traveling with the team to South Africa.
Furthermore Metzelder will play in Schalke 04 for the season 2010/11 so while he might only officially change side 1st of July it is all by a formality if he is still listed as being a Real Madrid player.
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June 30th, 2010
Player Profile:
Playing with the jersey number 7 at the current World Cup while having played with the number 8 jersey on other occasions Angel Di Maria has now been officially announced as being a new Real Madrid player for the season 2010/11. Currently on duty with Argentina in South Africa DI MARIA will be presented at the Bernabeu as soon as his international duties will end.
Angel Di Maria plays in the adidas predator boot. Di Maria wears his jersey on the outside of the shorts.
Angel Di Maria comes from the same city as Messi Rosario though he grew up playing for “the other” club in the town Rosario Central. Before the World Cup Di Maria had only played 12 international matches for Argentina. A couple of good performances in Europe for Benfica + steady performances in the Portuguese league brought the attention to the winger thus earning him a place in the national side + a long term deal with Real Madrid.

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June 23rd, 2010
Player Profile:
A number of Brazilian players have worn the white Real Madrid jersey over the years.
In the current Real Madrid squad the number of Brazilians is limited to two though.
Kaka and Marcelo. Only Kaka got the ticket for South Africa. Marcelo is on stand-by in case of injuries.
Ricardo Kaka plays with number 8 for Real Madrid. In the Brazilian national team Kaka’ has played with number 7 , number 8, and now number 10. Former greats to wear the number 10 for Brazil include Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
Kaka’ wears the adipure boot from adidas. At the World Cup the style of this boot is a black – yellow design.
Kaka won the Confederations Cup with Brazil 2009 playing with more or less the same players as at the World Cup 2010. In Dunga’s design Kaka is the offensive midfielder trying to set up especially Luis Fabiano or if the chance occurs to try to strike it on his own.
While Kaka has endured some criticism for his performance with A Selecao he did play a good match against Ivory Coast and was behind Brazil’s first goal.

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June 9th, 2010
World Cup:
Real Madrid players for Argentina. In the current Real Madrid squad there are three players: Garray, Gago, and Higuain. Garray won Olympic gold with Argentina in 2008. Gago played several World Cup qualification matches. But the one selected by Maradona for the final 23 man squad was Gonzalo Higuain who also got his debut under Maradona.
Competition upfront for Argentina is fierce however so the question is how many minutes Higuain will see. It depends to a certain extent upon the formation Maradona will lineup. Where will Messi be placed. Will there be 2 or 3 strikers upfront etc. Tevez has had a good season with Manchester City. Milito was decisive for Inter Milan. Messi is an automatic first choice. Kun Aguero helped Atletico win silverware for the first time since 1996 But Higuain also had a fine season and scored the most goals ever during his time in Real Madrid.
Higuain plays with the jersey number 9 and wears the shorts with a number 9 as well. He plays in football boots from adidas – the model is Predator. The legendary Argentinian player to wear the number 9 jersey was Alfredo di Stefano. In Spain he counts as one of the big 4: Di Stefano, Pele, Cruyff, Maradona.

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June 6th, 2010
Soccer gear:
Since 2002 adidas is producing a special match ball for the World Cup final. The finale ball for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa is called Jo’bulani. The ball is technically speaking the same as the Jabulani but the design on the outside is different. Jabulani means “to celebrate” while the name JO’BULANI is a tribute to the host city of the World Cup Final Johannesburg, commonly known both as “City of Gold” and Jo’burg. While the ball still features the iconic South African-inspired design of the JABULANI, the main colour of the JO’BULANI is gold.
Among the features of the ball are according to adidas:
Both the JABULANI and the JO’BULANI feature the newly-developed “Grip’n’Groove” profile which provides the best players in the world with a ball allowing an exceptionally stable flight and perfect grip. Comprising only eight, completely new, thermally bonded 3-D panels, which for the first time are spherically moulded, the ball is perfectly round and even more accurate than before.

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June 6th, 2010
Soccer gear:
The official match ball for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa was presented on the 4th of December 2009. The name of the ball is Jabulani, which means ‘to celebrate’ in isiZulu, and it is the 11th edition of adidas’s FIFA World Cup balls.
The pattern of the ball is made up of 11 different colors with a reference to the 11 players on a football team, the 11 official languages in South Africa, and the 11 South African communities.
The ball has been criticized by Brazilian goal keeper Julio Ceasar for looking like some kind of beach ball. However, adidas would claim that the ball is a new and better version of any ball previous made available to world of soccer. Adidas would point at several new technologies being applied.
Grip’n’groove texture which allows for maximum control, stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions.
Furthermore the Jabulani comprises eight thermally bonded 3D panels that have been, for the first time ever, spherically molded to make this ball a perfectly round football that is more accurate than ever before.
For the World Cup 2010 final on the 11th of July 2010 adidas has produced a special finale ball which will exclusively be used for the final and which is called the Jo’bulani.
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May 20th, 2010
Player Profiles:
FC Barcelona will have 7 + 1 (David Villa) players in South Africa. Real Madrid is the club with second most players in the squad with 5 players: Casillas, Albiol, Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso.
Casillas 1
Iker Casillas is the number 1 in the goal for Spain and is expected to play every match in South Africa.

Ramos 15
Sergio Ramos is first choice for the right back. Ramos is expected to play in most matches.
Alonso 14
Xabi Alonso is in a tough spot in the middle of the field where competition is fierce. Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Busquets are also competing for a place in the starting lineup. After Senna was not elected Xabi must have improved his chances though due to his good defensive credentials.
Albiol 18
Raul Albiol will probably not start for Spain. The spots at central defense are taken by the Barca duo Puyol and Pique. Albiol is first reserve though in case any substitutions will take place or if any injuries occur.
Arbeloa 2
Alvaro Arbeloa is a very versatile player. He can play left and right back and will also be able to help out at central defense if necessary. However, both backs are occupied with good players in the likes of Capdevilla and Sergio Ramos who both have more to bring in the forward directed play than Arbeloa. But Arbeloa could very well see playing time in South Africa in case there are injuries or through substitutions.

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May 13th, 2010
Player Profile:
Atletico Madrid striker star Diego Forlan has brought glory to the club 48 years later.
Atletico Madrid last won a European tournament during the season 1961/62. Atleti won against Fiorentina with 3-0 in the final of European Cup Winners Cup.
The last domestic honors were harvested during the 1995/96 when the club won the double. So it has been a long drought which has now finally come to an end. And to no small extent due to the achievements of Diego Forlan. The Uruguay striker whose nickname among the fans is “uruguajo” due to the way people from that region of South America pronounce the “yo” at the end of words like uruguayo.
In Atletico Diego Forlan wears the number 7 jersey.
Diego Forlan wearing the number 7 jersey with FORLAN 7 written on the back likewise wears the number 7 on the shorts. The number is placed on the right leg.
And essential part of the football players uniform is of course the boots. The soccer players run individual contracts with the footwear makers and thus the players are not obliged to play in the same brand of footwear as the club’s athletic apparel sponsor. It might be hard to spot in the photo but Forlan is wearing an adidas Predator boot. Atletico Madrid plays in Nike but Forlan is sponsored by adidas endorsing adidas footwear and possibly also leisure wear clothing.

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