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Tottenham have secured the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart for £8m.

Spurs moved to sign the 27-year-old Netherlands international two hours before the transfer window closed at 1800 BST on Tuesday.

But the club’s urgency to file the necessary paperwork before the deadline was hampered by a technical problem.

However, the Premier League sanctioned the signing after investigating Tottenham’s claims on Wednesday.

Spurs faced an anxious wait as the Premier League assessed their claims with the 1700 BST cut-off point on Wednesday fast approaching for clubs to submit their 25-man senior squads for the first half of the season.

Van der Vaart becomes Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp’s second deadline-day signing following the capture of Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa on a season-long loan from Russian club Spartak Moscow. (continue reading…)

“Before I begin I would like to thank everyone in attendance, and thank you to the president for his kind words. I love football more than anything, and to play for Real Madrid is the best dream I can think of. I feel like a footballer, and I want to continue doing so as long as time and my body permit.”

“Throughout the years I have always tried to stay true to the values of Real Madrid. Today more than ever before I want everyone to know that I tried to give my very best in every play, every dribble, every shot and every gesture on the pitch. That is what Real Madrid is to me, and that is why the word surrender never existed in my head.”

“Today is a very emotional day. Today is a day of powerful feelings. Today is a day that cannot do without my gratitude and thanks. It is impossible to name each and every person who over this time have stood by me and helped me. (continue reading…)

Jose Mourinho is set to coach Real Madrid  in a deal between European soccer powers, leaving Inter Milan  less than a week after guiding the Italian club to the Champions League title.

The agreement was announced after a meeting in Milan between Madrid president Florentino Perez and Inter counterpart Massimo Moratti. Madrid will pay $19 million in two installments, the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said.

Real Madrid said Mourinho will be introduced Monday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He replaces Manuel Pelligrini, who was fired Wednesday.

Mourinho confirmed he wanted to join Madrid after Inter beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Spanish capital last Saturday to win the Champions League.

In two years with Inter, Mourinho led the club to two league titles, one Italian cup and its first European Cup since 1965. Before that, he led Chelsea to two Premier League titles. He also won the Champions League with FC Porto of Portugal in 2004.

Mourinho is a defensive-minded coach and questions have been raised over how he will blend the attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

”We have to know what we have and apply it in the best possible way to create damage,” Mourinho told the Spanish daily AS. ”Madrid has Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka who are very good on one-on-ones. We have to find a style of play that allows them to do that. The principles of play depend on the players you have.”

Madrid has won nine European Cups but its last Champions League triumph came in 2002. Last summer, Madrid spent large sums on Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema but failed to progress past the first knockout round of the Champions League.

”I think Madrid have signed me because they know that they can demand aims in the short term, but that I am also capable of leaving a base for the future,” Mourinho said. (continue reading…)

Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation he will move to Real Madrid this summer
by admitting he will coach the Spanish giants ’sooner or later’.

Former Chelsea boss Mourinho is currently preparing his Inter Milan side for this weekend’s Serie A climax where they go into the final round of fixtures two points clear of Roma.

Then comes the Champions League final, in Madrid, against Bayern Munich on May 22.

Recent reports have suggested the Bayern clash will be Mourinho’s last on the Inter bench before he switches to Madrid and he was doing little to quell the rumours in an interview with Panorama magazine published on Friday.

He said: ‘What they write about me having one foot in Madrid and one in Milan is false.

‘(But) Sooner or later I will coach Real Madrid. I coached a big team in England, I am coaching a big team in Italy, and then I will coach a big team in Spain.’

Mourinho has already led Inter to the Coppa Italia this season and is closing in on a treble. (continue reading…)

Barca took a massive step towards retaining their league title with a 0-2 win over Madrid at the Bernabeu tonight. Goals from Messi and Pedro saw off the challenge from Madrid and left Barca three points ahead at the top of the table.

Xavi Hernandez set up Leo Messi to open the scoring just past the half hour mark and then split open the Madrid defence to release Pedro to wrap up the game on 56 minutes. Madrid had their chances too, but Victor Valdes was at his best to keep out Van der Vaart, Ronaldo and Marcelo with another excellent performance.

The team maybe didn’t reach the heights of last season’s 2-6 demolition, but their efficiency in front of goal, an inspired Xavi and a solid Victor Valdes inflicted the first home defeat of the season on Madrid and ensured the three points that put them in the driving seat for another league title, with a three point lead and just 7 games left to play. (continue reading…)

Jose Mourinho is reportedly seeking a staggering £10million a year after tax before he even thinks about sitting in the Real Madrid hot seat.

His take-home pay at Inter Milan is currently about £8m, making him the best-paid coach in the world, but he is apparently looking for another hefty pay rise to tempt him away from the San Siro.

Mourinho, a former Barcelona coach, would fancy the challenge of winning the league title in yet another league, but he is likely to seek a return to England once his Italian adventure comes to an end.

If the 47-year-old can lead Inter to Champions League glory and his second straight Scudetto, he may feel the time is right to seek a new challenge.

Reports in Spain suggest Mourinho is the No 1 target to replace beleaguered Manuel Pellegrini, who was not president Florentino Perez’s first choice and has disappointed with an early exit in the Champions League and Spanish Cup.

Pellegrini is considered under serious pressure, despite Madrid sitting top of La Liga, showing just how difficult the job is in Madrid. (continue reading…)

THE European dream is over for Cristiano Ronaldo as Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League with a 1-1 draw at home to Lyon.

The Portugal superstar opened the scoring on six minutes to level the tie but Miralem Pjanic struck on 76 minutes to dump out the Galacticos 2-1 on aggregate.

The most expensive team in football history could not find an answer to Lyon’s comeback.

The £62million playmaker Kaka said: “This is a massive disappointment. It’s a very sad day for all of us. We lose as a team and not just as individuals.”

But the furious Brazilian was not finished and used Twitter to launch an astonishing attack on his boss Manuel Pellegrini after being substituted.

He Tweeted: “He’s a coward manager who changed a player to hide his own incompetence.”

Pellegrini insists he will not stand down as the inquest begins. (continue reading…)

Following a scoreless first half that saw Lyon make most of the running and also hit the woodwork, Makoun struck what would prove to be the only goal of the game two minutes after the break with a stunning 25-yard effort.

Jean Makoun’s brilliant second-half strike gave Lyon a deserved lead to take into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Real Madrid.

That goal consigned Madrid to their third successive defeat at the Stade Gerland, and the Spanish giants – whose Bernabeu stadium is the venue for this year’s final – have work to do if they are avoid being dumped out at the last-16 stage for the sixth successive campaign.

An impressive Lyon side enjoyed plenty of possession in the first half and were not slow to try their luck when the opportunity presented itself. (continue reading…)

Real Madrid midfielder former Zinedine Zidane hopes someday to become a coach Real Madrid. Zidane also admire Cristiano Ronaldo in the team.

Zidane is currently working as an advisor for the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
“It was great working with Florentino Perez, who want to make another history for the team,” Zidane said to the media China, Iznews.

“Right now I am learning and Florentino gives the freedom to study all aspects of Madrid. My dream, one day, became manager of the club,” added the former world’s most expensive player.

Zidane also praise to Ronaldo, who succeeded him as the world’s most expensive player. Beginning this season, Ronaldo also set a record in Madrid with goals that always creates the initial four La Liga matches.

“He impressed me as a player and I was surprised he was to adapt quickly in the Spanish League,” said Zidane, Zidane’s nickname.

“I feel he’s a special player because of his belief, he influenced the team. Almost unbelievable that Ronaldo could have sthis at his age,” he continued.

Like Zidane, Ronaldo was once a world player. The difference, Ronaldo has never world champion, while Zidane has menyabetnya in 1998.