Ashley Cole has lifted the lid on the dramatic crossroads that shaped his career, revealing he felt “underappreciated” at Arsenal and even had opportunities to join European superclubs before ultimately choosing Chelsea. The former England defender admitted both Real Madrid and Barcelona were serious options, but personal circumstances drove his eventual west London switch.
Olympiacos pushed Real Madrid to the brink in a chaotic seven-goal Champions League thriller in Piraeus, but Kylian Mbappe’s four-goal performance proved decisive. Jose Luis Mendilibar praised his team’s fight, admitting Madrid “gave us a lifeline” late on, while offering a tactical breakdown of why Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are so devastating for Los Blancos.
Vinicius Jr has softened his stance over a blockbuster salary request and is now edging closer to accepting Real Madrid’s reduced contract proposal. The Brazilian, once determined to match Kylian Mbappe’s earnings, has shifted course just weeks after tensions with Xabi Alonso threatened to derail negotiations.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was delighted with his team's performance against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, claiming that the sensations within the dressing room are positive after breaking their three-game winless run. Alonso had come under a lot of pressure following Madrid's dramatic drop in form, but the manager assured that he is "handling it much more calmly than you might expect".
A ridiculous four-goal showing from Kylian Mbappe led an otherwise shaky Real Madrid to a 4-3 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Frenchman continued his outrageous run of form, while Vinicius Jr eased tensions after a week of controversy by grabbing an assist to carry Los Blancos to a much-needed European victory against a dogged opponent.
Kylian Mbappe made more history on Wednesday night as he took just seven minutes to bag a Champions League hat-trick against Olympiacos. The Greek side had taken a shock lead against Xabi Alonso's side with a brilliant team goal, but were left stunned as Mbappe netted three times in just seven minutes to put Los Blancos firmly in control of the tie.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly prepared to rival close friend Xabi Alonso as the Gunners eyes a move for Real Madrid target Rodrigo Mendoza. The Elche wonderkid, who has a €20 million release clause, has attracted widespread interest from across Europe following his eye-catching performances in La Liga. Premier League giants Manchester City are also keen on signing the youngster.
Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Elche sparked fresh controversy after Vinicius Jr collided with goalkeeper Inaki Pena in the build up to Jude Bellingham’s late equaliser. Elche protested fiercely as Peña was left bleeding, but La Liga’s "Review Time" panel will not re-examine the incident and former Madrid star Fernando Morientes, an member of the panel, has explained why.
Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl hopes to convince Dayot Upamecano to spend the peak of his career at the Bundesliga side by signing a new contract this season. The centre-back can leave for free next summer with Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain said to be after him, but the German giants are aiming to tie him to a long-term deal.
Real Madrid explored the prospect of bringing Achraf Hakimi back on a free transfer in 2026, banking on his stalled renewal with Paris Saint-Germain and strong emotional ties to the club. But everything changed after Kylian Mbappe’s exit opened huge salary space at PSG, leading the Moroccan star to make a dramatic U-turn and sign a long-term extension in Paris instead.
Xabi Alonso has insisted that he's unfazed by reports of friction between him and Vinicius Junior as pressure ramps up on the Real Madrid manager amid the team's three-match winless run. The streak started with a loss at Liverpool in the Champions League, followed by back-to-back draws in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, which allowed Barcelona to cut the gap at the top of La Liga to just one point.
Luka Modric admits he took "a step down" by joining AC Milan after his spell at Real Madrid came to an end, but the midfielder insists he made the "right" decision by accepting the Serie A side's offer. Still going strong at 40 years old, the midfielder is aware his longevity has been "incredible" as he explained why he abandoned his plan to retire in Madrid.
The signs that Vinicius Jr's relationship with Xabi Alonso's wasn't going to run smoothly were there almost immediately. Had Trent Alexander-Arnold not suffered an injury the day before Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, the new Blancos boss was planning to bench his Brazilian winger, preferring instead to hand homegrown forward Gonzalo Garcia a start up front alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid’s turbulent dressing-room divide has been laid bare as reports in Spain reveal which players have aligned themselves with Vinicius Jr amid his escalating conflict with manager Xabi Alonso — and which stars, including Kylian Mbappe, have publicly and privately backed the under-pressure coach. With results slipping and tensions rising, Los Blancos now find themselves battling a crisis.
With just under 20 minutes to go in the first Clasico of the current campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made a double substitution with his side 2-1 up on Barcelona. Federico Valverde accepted his withdrawal with good grace; Vinicius Jr did not. Five times he incredulously asked "Me?!", to the understandable bewilderment of his manager. "Come on, Vini, damn it!," Alonso pleaded. But there was no calming the winger down.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr has reportedly told the club he currently has no plans to renew his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu due to a difficult relationship with manager Xabi Alonso. The Brazilian is said to be one of five players at Real Madrid who are not happy with the new manager's methods after he replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the helm in the summer.
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has been backed to manage Liverpool one day but the pundit making the suggestion does not believe Arne Slot's job at Anfield is under threat. The Reds tried to bring the Spaniard to Merseyside after news of Jurgen Klopp's impending exit was announced in 2024. While he stayed at Bayer Leverkusen before joining Madrid this year, an old team-mate of his thinks a Reds return is possible.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reignited the drama surrounding Barcelona's Negreira case, as Los Blancos' chief pointed to the perceived injustice in Barca's "best sporting era" coinciding with alleged payments of more than €8 million to referees over a 17-year period. Perez also cited the clear imbalance in red cards issued to the two clubs during the period, stating that the situation is "not normal".
Jude Bellingham's generosity has shone through with the Real Madrid star prepared to give a youth player 'his armour' following a cruel injury blow. Bruno Iglesias recently suffered a serious shoulder injury for the second time in his young career. The 22-year-old slipped and fell awkwardly in training as the Castilla star was preparing for an emotional return to Salamanca.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior could leave the club in the coming transfer windows as no new contract talks are currently planned following months of silence in negotiations. Once close to finalising a new deal until 2030, talks have now frozen between the two parties amid growing tension between the Brazilian winger and manager Xabi Alonso. The 25-year-old's current contract runs until 2027.
Real Madrid have issued an apology after they showed the wrong player in a tribute to Portuguese striker Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva. The Spanish giants made the mistake during the Ordinary General Assembly of Representative Members as they wished to remember the duo, who both tragically lost their lives in a car accident over the summer.
Birmingham City have been outlining their exciting vision for the future of the club, and that could include bringing home-grown superstar Jude Bellingham back to his roots. England international Bellingham left his boyhood team in 2020 when joining Borussia Dortmund, and is now on the books of Real Madrid. He could retrace steps to the West Midlands at some stage.
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has stepped down from the Miss Universe judging panel just days before the event in Thailand amid allegations that the competition is rigged. The ex-France international was named as a judge for the event last month as he swapped the football pitch for the runway, but has now decided to quit the position.
Thibaut Courtois admits that Cristiano Ronaldo has “more of a winning mentality” than current Real Madrid talisman Kylian Mbappe. The Blancos’ free-scoring No.10 is, however, considered to be working on that side of his game. In time, the French forward could go on to enjoy a similar standing at Santiago Bernabeu to that which Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo continues to boast.
Thibaut Courtois admits that Lamine Yamal “lit a bit of a fire” under the latest Clasico clash between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Said contest took place at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. Ugly scenes unfolded at the end of a 2-1 victory for the hosts, with teenage wonderkid Yamal attracting plenty of attention during the post-match skirmishes.
Real Madrid
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