Former Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has revealed the circumstances behind the "rift" which developed between Kylian Mbappe and Neymar during the latter stages of their time together at the Parisian giants. The pair, signed as the world's two most expensive players ever and amongst the biggest stars in the game at the time, shared a close friendship at first but saw issues between them grow over their period at the club.
Chelsea have reportedly moved ahead of Newcastle in the transfer race for AZ Alkmaar's 'Dutch Pedri' Kees Smit. The 19-year-old, valued at around £25 million ($33m), has attracted attention from across the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United also tracking his progress in the Netherlands. However, it is the Blues who are said to be in pole position as it stands.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has offered a staunch defence of under-fire Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, insisting he has "seen this movie" of crisis talk many times before. Despite the champions suffering back-to-back defeats and facing intense scrutiny over their form, the league chief believes the Basque coach has the "Madrid DNA" required to survive the storm and turn the season around.
Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano has reportedly issued a final ultimatum to the club regarding his contract extension. The French international is entering the final six months of his deal and has made it clear that European giants Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to meet his financial requests if the Bundesliga leaders fail to match his expectations before January.
Bayern Munich legends Oliver Kahn and Dietmar Hamann have delivered a damning verdict on Xabi Alonso’s tumultuous start at Real Madrid. Kahn argues the Spaniard’s tactical obsession clashes with the club’s DNA, while Hamann claims the squad are now 'untrainable' after Vinicius Jr was allowed to undermine the manager’s authority.
Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has been defended by Ruud Gullit, who claims the 22-year-old is the best player Los Blancos have, and that he is the 'victim' of a lack of industry by his team-mates. Bellingham cut a frustrated figure at full-time as Real were defeated 2-1 at home by Manchester City in the Champions League, but former Ballon d'Or winner Gullit has hit back at renewed criticism of the Englishman's attitude.
Everything was looking rosy for Xabi Alonso after a thumping 4-0 home win over Valencia on November 1, which was Real Madrid's 13th victory out of 14 games across all competitions in the first few months of the season. Los Blancos were top of La Liga by five points ahead of Clasico rivals Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 at the Bernabeu seven days earlier, and they'd racked up nine points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, with Juventus among their victims.
Erling Haaland admits that the absence of Kylian Mbappe in Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid handed Pep Guardiola’s side a “psychological boost”, but insists they were “not happy” at seeing the French superstar remain benched. Mbappe saw no game time as City left Santiago Bernabeu with a morale-boosting 2-1 win in elite European competition.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has issued a passionate defence of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso following the club's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Manchester City. The Belgian shot-stopper insisted the squad remain "united" behind the coach and pledged that the players will support him "wholeheartedly" as they look to end a poor run of form.
Erling Haaland made a hilarious dig at Jamie Carragher amid the Mohamed Salah row as he labelled the Liverpool legend "a loose cannon" after Manchester City edged out Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Norwegian striker’s first-half penalty completed City’s comeback in a tense 2-1 victory over Los Blancos, which tightened their grip on a direct qualification spot for the round of 16 in Europe.
Jude Bellingham delivered an X-rated assessment of Real Madrid’s current situation after seeing them suffer another damaging defeat to Manchester City. The Blancos went down 2-1 against Premier League opponents in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Bellingham admitting that the Liga giants must “take a bit of sh*t on the chin” in an ongoing bid to find form.
Manchester City were delighted after VAR intervened to stop the award of a penalty to Real Madrid in just the second minute of the Champions League clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Vinicius Jr was seen punching the air in delight after the referee pointed to the spot, but Matheus Nunes' foul was adjudged to have happened just outside the box on a night where City ran out 2-1 victors over the Spaniards.
Real Madrid turned in a solid performance but made some key defensive mistakes to suffer a 2-1 home loss to Manchester City in a Champions League result that will put further pressure on Xabi Alonso. Los Blancos took the lead through Rodrygo, but threw it away and were unable to mount a second-half comeback to suffer defeat for the the second game in a row.
Ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur icon Gareth Bale has revealed the real reason why he announced his retirement from football at the age of 33. The former winger brought the curtains down on his illustrious professional career just months after Wales were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup group stage after finishing bottom with just a point from their three matches.
Xabi Alonso has taken a massive gamble on Kylian Mbappe as the Frenchman has been included in the Real Madrid squad to face Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The manager is fighting to save his job in the Spanish capital and needs a positive result to ease the pressure. Mbappe missed training on Tuesday due to an injury, but is still in line to feature against City at the Bernabeu.
Manchester United have reportedly tabled an offer to sign Sergio Ramos on a free transfer after the Real Madrid legend's departure from Monterrey. The 39-year-old made his final appearance for the Mexican club in their Liga MX play-off semi-final defeat to Toluca on 7 December, and it has been said that he is eying a return to Europe.
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is under increasing pressure after a tough start to life back in the Spanish capital, with reports going so far as to claim the Los Blancos boss could be sacked if his side lose to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night. But is dismissing the former Madrid midfielder the right decision?
As a Real Madrid stalwart who was fiercely loyal to Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso did not seem like an obvious signing for Pep Guardiola, and yet the pair got on famously during their two years together at Bayern Munich. Alonso’s experience helped Guardiola win two Bundesliga titles while the veteran player sought to tap into the Catalan’s knowledge as he prepared for his own career on the touchline.
Kylian Mbappe's injury has forced Xabi Alonso to launch a 'desperate' Real Madrid tactic in the fight to save his job against Manchester City. Alonso could turn to out-of-favour forward Endrick in the absence of their star attacker. The Frenchman was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Bernabeu.
Gareth Bale has downplayed rumours that he had a bad relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The Welsh star played alongside the Portuguese icon for five seasons at Los Blancos, and together they won multiple La Liga and Champions League titles. For all the criticism that came the winger's way in Spain, he says he never had any issues with any of his team-mates at the European giants.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered some bizarre advice to under-fire Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso ahead of Wednesday's huge Champions League clash between the two sides at the Bernabeu. Alonso comes into the match fresh from a damaging La Liga defeat to Celta Vigo and with serious question marks over his future as manager.
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has singled out Marcus Rashford as the biggest surprise in La Liga so far this season following his move from Manchester United, though the former defender admitted that Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is currently operating "on another level" compared to the rest of the competition. The Frenchman has made a blistering start to the campaign in Spain, averaging a goal a game for Xabi Alonso's team.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has left the door open to a potential future move to Liverpool, admitting that while he is focused on his current role, "you never know what can happen" in football, amid intense speculation linking him with a return to Anfield. The coach's response comes amid claims he is in danger of being sacked, while questions have been asked of Arne Slot's future at the Merseyside club.
Kylian Mbappe is in danger of missing Real Madrid's massive Champions League clash with Manchester City due to an injury to his left leg. The French striker was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Santiago Bernabeu, handing yet another headache to under-pressure Real coach Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has issued a defiant rallying cry ahead of his side’s crunch Champions League clash with Manchester City, insisting that the mood in the camp has shifted from anger to determination following the chaotic weekend defeat to Celta Vigo. The coach insists his side are "eager" to recover their form amid reports he could be sacked if they fail to win.
German football legend Lothar Matthaus has issued a stark warning to Xabi Alonso, suggesting that Real Madrid superstars Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior may struggle to adapt to his rigid tactical demands after years of "freedom" under Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish side's recent struggles have sparked claims the coach could be sacked, with his damaged relationship with the Brazilian a major point of contention.