OFFICIAL: Real Madrid Sign Raul Albiol From Valencia CF
Thursday, 25 June 09, 05:14 AM · Comments (178)
Real Madrid has officially announced through its official website that Raul Albiol is the club's third signing this season. The 23 year old center-back is set to sign a five-year contract with the club and will be presented next week after taking a medical exam and signing his contract. Raul Albiol is the first Spanish signing of the second Galagticos era and the first defensive reinforcement. According to Cadena Ser, Real Madrid paid Valencia €15m for the Spain international.
RAUL ALBIOL STATISTICS AND BIO
| Years | Club | App (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 2004–2009 2004–2005 2009- |
Valencia B Valencia → Getafe Real Madrid |
035 0(2) 109 0(3) 017 0(1) |
From Realmadrid.com
Real Madrid have landed one of the best center-backs in Spain and one of Europe’s brightest prospects. Only 23-years old, Raul Albiol (Valencia, 04/09/85) is quickly becoming an icon of Spanish football. Brought up through the Valencia youth system, Albiol is a fast, hardened center-back who dominates the aerial game. An international with the Spanish national team, the new Madridista was a member of the 2008 European Championship-winning squad. His youth and experience make him an attractive footballer for all coaches, who see Raul Albiol as the prototype center-back with plenty of resources to fall back on.
Albiol was born in a small town in Valencia called Villamarchante, located on the right bank of the Turia River. Playing with a football was his favorite pastime as a child, and Valencia quickly took notice and enrolled Albiol in their academy. On 24 September 2003, and only 18 years old, Rafa Benitez gave Albiol the chance to debut with the first team in a UEFA Cup match against AIK Solna. The current Liverpool coach saw the tremendous potential Albiol possessed, but the player finished the season playing for Mestalla, the youth team, and would have to wait to earn a spot on Valencia’s premier squad.
RESURGENCE
Valencia loaned Albiol to Getafe the following season in order for the player to gain experience in Spain’s top flight. It was then that Albiol suffered the most tragic chapter of his life. The center back suffered a serious car accident on his way to the Spanish capital and was in ICU for 17 days. His spleen was removed and Albiol was ordered to remain inactive for two months. They were difficult days for the Valencia native, who thought many times that he would never return to the pitch. But surprisingly, Albiol made a full recovery and joined Getafe midway through the season –he even scored a goal against Real Madrid-. Then Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores had all the faith in the world in Albiol, which made it no surprise that he asked Valencia’s head brass to reacquire the services of the player after he was appointed head coach of the Che.
Although his natural position was as a defensive midfielder, Quique repositioned Albiol as a center-back upon his return to Mestalla, and the moved suited the player to perfection. Albiol and Ayala formed one of the most solid defensive duos in La Liga. Tall, fast and strong, what Albiol is really known for is his ability to move the ball forward and to play it safely with the midfielders; a skill he surely acquired during his days as a midfielder. Albiol is also very tall and dominates the aerial game, making him a potential threat during set-pieces and the perfect player to clear balls curled into the box.
EUROPEAN CHAMPION WITH ‘LA ROJA'
Raul Albiol’s best season as a professional was no doubt 2007/08. A hands-down starter for Valencia, the defender made a name for himself domestically and abroad and earned several call-ups by Luis Aragones for Euro 2008 qualifiers. His debut took place on 13 October 2007 against Denmark. Once June rolled around, and after Valencia had won the Copa del Rey, the now Madridista was called up by the national team coach top participate in the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland, where he coincided with new teammates, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. Albiol, who played against Sweden and Greece, finished the tournament as a European champion in Ernst Happel Stadion along with the rest of the Spanish expedition.
Despite only being 23-years old, Real Madrid has acquired the services of an already-experienced and mature player who has no fear of the responsibility that being a Madridistas entails. In his final season at Valencia, Albiol played 45 matches and scored two goals. Saying he is a true sportsman would be an understatement; he has only been shown one red card during his five seasons in Primera Division. Albiol is currently on Confederations Cup duty in South Africa, where Iker Casillas, his new captain, had the following to say about him: “If you had to put a face to this group, it would be Albiol’s. He is the face of this team because he reflects all that is good about us.”
Guest Written by : Hamdi Al-Haddad (thedangerzolo)
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178 Madridistas have commented on "OFFICIAL: Real Madrid Sign Raul Albiol From Valencia CF" · Add yours
I`m very happy that we bought one defensive player.
But I`ll still thin that we should go for Roma`s Juan.
Reply to Riken:
Well I'm just happy that Perez have learned from his mistakes .. We needed a center back
Finally that's just what the doctor ordered !!
now we just need a left back ..
there has also speculations that real madrid are interested in USA'S defender Onyewu
Reply to kid_rock:
Arbeola is a better candidate in my opinion
Perez started making defense strengthen . we got albiol. he is promising and also has potential. may be we are going to sign arbeloa next. so our defense would be
ramos-pepe-albiol-arbeloa
i think perez is concernin about 6+5 rule ,according to which we have to have 6 spanish players.and i think he is planin to have spanish defense with international attack
casillas
ramos,albiol,torres,arbeloa
xabi alonso
ribery kaka ronaldo
higuain benzema
Reply to thedangerzolo:
you cant really compare the two cause arbeloa is a side back where as Onyewu is a center back .. Onyewu is actually pretty good he's 192 cm and played great in the confederation cup especially last night against spain (
)
but my only concern is that he's from America and it might be tough for him to play the la liga style and specially European style ..
Reply to kid_rock:
Onyewu is slow! He is no RM material- we already have Metzelder!
news coming out of Portugal that we are in negotiations for the transfer of Saviola to Benfica
also there is news that fiorentina have agreed a deal with us for Drenthe for about 9.5 mill euros and it could be made official on Monday
However I do like the Raul Albiol signing and him and Pepe will form a great back line.. young and bright star plus he is Spanish
Lyon said that we are not currently in negotiations with them for Benzema but have confirmed that we have made an notice that we are interested and also Lyon say that Benzema wants to stay at Lyon for one more season
Reply to thedangerzolo:
for what? they aren't the same kind of player at all.
Reply to Madridista4:
If we sign Benzema and a LB, that should be enough for us for this transfer season.
Reply to EvoLtc:
Whom would you like us to bring as a left-back? I'm thinking of Lahm or Grosso though the later isn't young.
Reply to Adambader:
How about Taiwo from Marseille a left back.
He is 24 years and he is sort like Roberto Carlos player.
there is some good left backs out there for us to buy but more and more it looks like Arbeloa is coming
Reply to Adambader:
Arbeloa without a doubt in mind would be a great left back for us.
Guys something is fishy... I feel like we are selling sergio Ramos... just watch this summer transfer window closely.
Reply to Adambader:
I agree Adam however I find Grosso better value for money...Lyon apparently signed Andre Santos so buying Grosso won't be a problem
About the age I don't think it's a proble since by the time Grosso gets older....marcelo would have gotten better 
Reply to Madrids_Martyr:
I don't believe it because Florentino Perez is the one that bought him and he likes him a lot
Reply to Madrids_Martyr:
That ain't gonna happen in hell! Firstly, he is Spanish, secondly they already have Sergio Ramos shirts going around for next season- along with Raul, Casillas and Higuain. These 4 are certain to remain in Madrid this season, so Ramos is gonna stay!
Smart move for Drenthe to leave Real and become a better player. Real has done nothing for him, 2 years thrown away. Sad cause he has so much potential, but being so young I think in a few years he is going to develop and reach his full potential. Madrid might regret not putting him on a loan.
On that note the way Real takes care of its players, is it smart? For instance dissing players like Robben/Robinho/Faubert/Drenthe and the list goes on and on. These players are going to be extra fired up next time they play Madrid.
arboala isnt that good...id rather get somebody else as a left back
I am thinking oo either Ashley Cole or Evra,they are both great but Cole is like a bullet,any updates on Ribery?
What do I hear this about Villa close to signing for Barcelona?? I thought Valencia said he was not for sale!
Why the hell these thugs at Valencia bitching so much??
Reply to themadridguy:
valenica will sell if they get an offer they like because they need the money and they did not like our offer
Reply to Madridista4:
No they categorically said they are not gonna sell Villa just like Silva!
Reply to themadridguy:
Can't we sue Valencia in that case if they sell Villa??
Reply to Trunks:
Indeed its happened before.
Reply to Trunks:
Look at players like Gudjohnsen and Hleb at Barca!! Aren't there careers being destroyed??? The general public is just biased against Real Madrid- that's the cold hard fact!
Reply to EvoLtc:
the other sad thing about Drenthe is that he is a nice kid and a lifelong real madrid fan.
Still, not that sad, he gets paid 50 grand a week to do what he loves - lucky git.
Reply to EvoLtc:
Well Ronaldo is also one life-long Real Madrid fan and I'm glad he is finally coming to the White House!!
Reply to thedangerzolo:
Great Signing. Albiol is young and talented He and Garay will be good assets for the future. As for the Arbeola he would be good considering that we could use Marcelo as a winger. He really stepped up last season. I think we can convert him to a really good winger. If not we can alternate between Arbeola and Marcelo. Last season Heinze was a nightmare. Good to see that we are sorting out our defense.
'Manchester United Want Huntelaar From Real Madrid'
It seems all the dutchies are on their way out, Perez will be pleased.
Reply to Trunks:
Get ur filthy hands off Huntelaar Man U, we won't sell U a VIRUS!!
Reply to Trunks:
You gotta be kidding me , your not actually comparing faubert to robinho and robben are you?
All i saw from faubert was him sleeping on the bench ..
according to daily mirror Arbeloa will be a Real Madrid player next week ..LINK
Reply to Riken:
I - congratulations Real on signing Raul Albiol I admire him a lot, this is on behalf the Roma blog.
II - Never try go for a Roma player, Juan will always remain our property he is gold when not injrued.
III - Arbeloa doesn't play as a left back, and he really is not that of a big player, I think real should sign grosso as a lb
Reply to Aquismaia:
MY MY MY! LOOK who we have- an ASS ROMA fan!
You are the one who stole our player-Julio Baptista and Juan is nothing compared to someone like Ashley Cole! So stop braggin' about him! We are going to get someone better than that guy!
Just a thought about Ribery: I honestly think Ribery is not the player we need at Madrid! Zidane has got his priorities wrong, he should instead go and persuade Benzema to join Real this season!
I hope to see Kaka score a goal or 2 in tonight's game vs South Africa, still feel he's not as much as an impact player like Ronaldo! Certainly Ronaldo is gonna be the more dominant of the 2 players at the Bernabeu.
Reply to themadridguy:
Yes but you forgot the most importaant reason of all...it was Perez himself who got Ramos...so it makes absolutely no sense to let him go
Reply to Aquismaia:
Arbeloa can play as a left back
You can keep Juan...we don't need him 
As for grosso I agree with you he would be a good solution 
Reply to Riken:
i agree with you bout Taiwo but i also like Lahms play,he is to fast.I dont like arbeloa cuz we already have sergio ramos and arbeloa is RB.And bravo goes to Perez for signing Raul Albiol.
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! *sobsob* now his hat will hav real's crest on it noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what has the world come to? again noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
Reply to vr2bw-kash:
Whose hat kash??
Here is a list of players that have arrived, left, and are being linked with Real Madrid.. LINK#primera_equipo2
Reply to Madridista4:
Who is this Azpilicueta??
DANI ALVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to DANI ALVES!!!:
What shit is this???
Reply to themadridguy:
very young osasuna right back also spain under 21
Saviola is close to switching a deal to go to benfica but it is a loan deal
WE NEED SOME EXPIRIENCED PLAYERS , AND I WOULD BUY ASHLEY COLE , FOR THE DEFENCE , AND SEE NEGREDO , IF HE DONT PLAYS GOOD I WOULD BUY PODOLSKI , ADEBAYOR , OR KLOSE
AND WATS BETTER , COLE PLAYS A LEFT BACK
Reply to sergiomadrista:
I believe we could get Cole if Perez is interested because i heard that chelsea is close to signing zhirkov from russia and he plays left back
But as of right now Cole is not being mentioned but anything can happen and the transfer window is long
Reply to sergiomadrista:
Ashley Cole I can get, same goes for Adebayor. But Klose? Podolski? Real already has players that are at their levels if not better.
What about Clichy for left back?
He is one of the best left backs out there. No way in hell Ferguson will sell Evra to Real Madrid after the CR saga
YOU KNOW WHAT , WE SHOULD TRY WITH ROONEY OR TEVEZ , MAYBE DROGBA TO
Madrid's main problem will be their defense. Again focusing on the forwards, however the best defenders are not for sale. I'm sorry Abiol isn't that impressive and is not in the top of the best defenders in the world.
I think Perez pissed of some major teams in Europe overspending and making the market go all crazy. Clubs will be less eagered to sell their players to Real, especially Madrid's rivals.
Clichy is great I think he said something about being flattered that Madrid had interest in him, but he wants to win prices with Arsenal. Arsenal has no budget for spending, they just keep their team together, they are the opposite of Real Madrid. Loads of talent and great players. I for one think they have a lot of potential, hope they do well this year in England that would be awesome.
Reply to Trunks:
Arsenal is gonna go into a deeper hole this season with Arsene Wenger!
DAMN ! I LOOKED AT ARSENAL.COM AND HE SAID THAT HE WILL NOT GO TO REAL MADRID , WE NEED COLE!
Reply to Trunks:
Well we do need to make another signing for the defense and I believe we will .. also Garay is coming in who is a quality defender
Reply to Adambader:
Lahm is the best in the world. His tackling and man-on-man marking skills are superb. offensively, he is the only right footed left back i've been lately who can either drive down to the flank to cross or penetrate in-ward to the box. He always can stay in the right spot on defending set piece. He should be the priority although he wouldn't be cheap.
o.k. we are going to buy someone in the defence , but ho should we buy for the humiliating attack !!??
Reply to Trunks:
first of all, real madrid is not a place for some immature player to develop, real madrid deserves to have someone who is "ready" to play cuz real madrid always looks for trophies. secondly, real madrid now doesn't have any football style and is not playing with a consistent system. Pluggin' in young players means that real madrid has to RELY on them to carry the team but not DEVELOP them. That's the problem with Gago and Drenthe. It's not fair to judge them as bad players cuz they are still young. But the fact that we had expected so much on them while we are lacking of some REAL quality players can simply ruin this young players' confidence. Same kind of problem goes to Castilla players. They deserve their chance but not b4 the team has ALREADY established a unique style and a stable system.
THat's how Man Utd and Barcelona develop their youths. Iniesta and Messi wouldn't be "RELIED" as key players while they had Ronaldinho and Deco,etc.
i would buy tevez , adebayor , rooney , klose , podolski , or toni. we don t need benzema , he is to young , an has no expirience
Reply to themadridguy:
Average age of Arsenal past year was what 21? This year it will be 22, all super talent that have had the chance to develop. Arsenal has to rely on its talent, they need more experience and they will be a top contender in both Europe and the premier league.
! However I think they will be a more serious contender this year. Having said that they made it to the semi-finals CL this year.
Arsenal is a bit like the old Ajax, talent pool. Playing some of the most attractive football in Europe. Without trophies to show for it though,
Reply to sergiomadrista:
those are the most absurd names I have heard so far!
Reply to Trunks:
The avg. age of Real Madrid last year was only above Arsenal. That's why we sucked so much! Like Ferdinand said after the Arsenal elimination from CL, it was men against boys, so boys don't go far in the big boys' club!
Reply to sergiomadrista:
No way Rooney would join Madrid and follow Ronaldo's footsteps, the 2 never got along as far as I know. Plus Manchester won't sell their whole front in one summer. These Germans you are talking about they aren't all that good (born in Poland but playing for Germany
). Toni isn't even good enough for Bayern so send him to Madrid? Adebayor I like, and Tevez has heart, not sure they fit in Madrid though.
i am saying you we need a attacker ,
Reply to sergiomadrista:
Benzema we need to get, we already have Negredo and Klaas-Jan.
Fair enough, but pick a good one then.
Best ones will be hard to get. My favorite strikers are: Drogba, Adebayor, Torres, Eto'o, Benzema, Villa.
More and more sources are saying Klaas-Jan is making a transfer to Manchester United. Leaving RvN and Negredo. I think RvN is still capable but it's a risk since he's at the end of his career and just came out of an injury. Previous seasons he done well in Madrid though.
Reply to Trunks:
Hello Trunks! I am Vegeta!
We will buy a striker we are just waiting for the right one
Off for tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some good transfers. Can't wait for the new season to begin, but before it does we need a better defense line and a striker (since Huntelaar linked with Manchester United).
Reply to Adambader:
My Choice would be Filipe from Depor, but Lahm is agreat player from what little i have seen of him.
Darn!! why did Velencia said Villa is not for sale to Madrid?? Now they are negotiating with Barca. Stupid FOOLS.
If we dont get a striker for next season, i hope Negredo will be given a chance. He did score against Madrid this season, I'm i right??
Hope Valdano made the right decision to abandon Villa signature coz if he join barca then i think we will regret it.
Reply to themadridguy:
Couldnt agree more
Negredo is the next David Villa! YTF are we gonna sell him and expend another 40M on a striker?
We have already 3 young strikers! Higuain, Negredo, Huntelaar plus two experienced strikers in Raul and Ruud.
If Madrid has the next Villa (Negredo) and younger, what is the point of selling Negredo then?
Just buy Clichy or Lahm plus Xabi Alonso.......
Reply to Madridista09:
since we will most likely sell Robben.. we need Ribery
Negredo could be the next Villa and has tons of potential but RM philosophy require "Ready Made" players. He should be given chance to shine next season but i dont agree to put him in the 1st 11 in every games.
Bout Hunter, he did score a couple this season with an average goal of 1 in every appearance. but IMO he is not at a level to consider him as a regular striker. He lack of dribbling skills & strength. I prefer Higuan more than Hunter.
Should Valdano change his mind on Villa, it would be great to watch villa and higuan ambushing opponents defense. Personally, i think villa would be a great signing with his strong left footer volley and vision could guarantee our success in CL next season.
Having said all that, with abundance of striker, we just hope that Pellgremi could maximize their utility. Rotation among players is beneficial to the team to compete in all trophies.
Reply to Riken:
check madrid blog at www.nievas1.blogspot.com . www.naidu00.wordpress.com
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
I agree that Lahm would be great but these new 6+5 rule worries me a little.Seeing that Kaka,Ronaldo,Pepe,Diarra and Robben/Higuain already completing the foreigners section, that just leaves us with spanish players for other positions.
And perhaps Valdano and Perez has thought about this which explains our interest in Arbeloa because i cant think of any better spanish left back,in defending.
Reply to Madridista09:
I dont think he is similar to David Villa but yeah i do agree that we should keep him and abandon our interest in other strikers for this summer at least.
Plus,he's spanish which means he doesnt quite affect the new 6+5 rule ,not like Benzema whom i think should be left until next year.
Why is Huntelaar being allowed to leave to go to Man U?So that the Mata,Eto'o (the list goes on) stories keep on happening?
(The same thing goes for Negredo)
I think our front line is enough for us to win the champions league...I mean Kaka(World class),Higuain(Future World Class),Huntelaar(great striker in the box),RVN (Until last year he WAS world class),Negredo(future star),Raul(doesn't do much...but still scored over 20goals) and if all these aren't enough...Ronaldo can play as an attacker too.That's 7 forewards all with enormous talent....isn't that enough?
I think we only need to buy a left back...and a creative midfielder should DLR not be fit...other than that I don't see any reason to buy anymore players.
Reply to flynn:
exactly!! That's actually the only thing i look up to Arbeloa's bid. In the defense stand point, is the best left back among those available Spainish players(if this position must be Spainish.....), even Capdevilla sucks on defense too. He's kinda like Torres but of course he is a lot better.( i ain't saying torres wouldn't get better in the future) anywayz, i still look Lahm as the best option. If Perez had thought about to bid Maicon with 40 mills, why not tryna bid Lahm with 30 mill, he is definitely worth it.
Reply to flynn:
u are right, negredo is more a box striker. He is totally different with Villa in Style but ii still think that he could be another Morientes. Villa is similar to Raul, the young verison.
Reply to Danniel:
i agree, Huntelaar deserves more chances to prove himself. He is an outstanding box striker. Unlike, RVN, Forlan, Aguero, Villa, and Eto, He is the kind of one touch striker who relies on supports so much. our terrible midfield didn't prove enough to him and thus made him look bad. I believe he will be okay this season with more supports around him. We need this kind of "finisher" inside the box. Further, Higuain also gives the flexibility to rotate since he drops back a lot.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
*didn't provide
I dont think Perez is in favor for german players. He usually go for Brazilian, Argentinian & French players. Think tats why Lahm is not in the transfer rumors>>
maybe we should buy back robinho , or try with eto " o , beacuse he is on the transfer list
Negredo a box striker? I think not. The guy is just like Villa or Higuain and is very supportive of his partner. You should YouTube him or something.
Reply to themadridguy:
first galactico mistake was we didn't sign proper defender.
Second galactico mistake will be , we didn't sign any proper striker.
Reply to melbournemadridista:
i agree with you
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
Yeah but a deal is unlikely to happen since Lahm's relationship with Bayern is similar to what Lampard is to Chelsea and they're not in some kind of financial trouble to perform something of a "Kaka coup".
I guess now only a good left back is missing from our defence.
What bothers me the most is that Valdano's comment on Madrid's academy might backfire badly.He probably said it to inspire the youth but looking at our reputation, that comment might make some of the talented youths join other clubs to make the breakthrough and we'll be missing out on another gem yet again.
I dont think city will sell back Robinh to us cheaply. we sold to them around 35m pound and i'm sure if they gonna sale back to us it wil be supernova sum.
City is building their own galaticos. Robinho is one of their superstar and if they sell him, they left with nothing. for them to capture other superstar are very low in chances bcoz of their history are not as great as Madrid. No offence thou to M. City. So the probability for them to sell robinho is very low.
Reply to TheAngelOfMadrid:
yeah, i admit that i didn't watch so much about Negredo!! that's why i'd never made judgement on him. the reason i said he is a box striker is just because i saw some "Negredo" mix on youtube.(actually this could be a very very misleading way to judge a player). I saw most of the goal he scored were like some box striker kinda goal and penalty. They shoud've been updated it a little bit cuz i only could find his "mix" of 07/08. He did better last season. i'd intentially watched several Almeria games last season just for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't so remarkable in those couple games.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
Hmm...not convinced about Huntelaar yet, you may both turn out to be right, but I'm not sure. I agree he appears to have a cool head in front of goal and thats very important. But in a modern game the most effective attacking players need to move and swap roles in a more fluid way (especially playing alongside Ronaldo, Kaka and Higuain) - there's no way that Huntlaar would ever be able to perform that role because he can't pass or dribble the ball.
Personally, I'm surprised we haven't looked at the possibility of Tevez - he has the work ethic that only Raul and Higuain can match.
Negredo should be allowed to leave for his own sake, he'll not get many games at all.
PS "Raul(doesn't do much..." - what rubbish!
If Madrid are to follow the 6+5 system, then all the duchies have to go. Buy Villa, silva or mata or alonso. All these players are proven to be the best in Spain. Hala Madrid.
Guyslooking at the David Villa deal i honestly think he was supposed to come to madrid and reinforce the attack but as it stands he may go to Barcelona what a big mistake we will leave to regret this.Mr Valdano has said Vila no and Benzema in but Lyon says Benzema will not leave this summer why is it madrid and Mr Perez and Valdano do not see Villa as an important signing despite Valencia playing games.Is it because Mr Raul has to be protected a bit and if Valencia agreed to sell albiol to Madrid then why not Villa i really do not understand this.Is it because Valencia want to sell Villa to Barcelona instead of madrid are they allowed to choose who to sell to.
Honestly if Albiol is sold to madrid then why not Villa.So the deal will be to sell Albiol to madrid and Villa to barcelona when actually Villa himself wants madrid.
Where is the problem here,news has it that Manchester wants to overbid Barcelona on buying Villa so where is Madrid and why is madrid not willing to bid as well,very big question marks on this whole Villa saga something is amiss here and Real madrid fans want to know why is Villa not coming to madrid and instead going to barcelona when actually he is the best available.
To let Barcelona get Villa then is a very big mistake that wiil come to haunt madrid.looking at the new acquisations it clearly shows madrid wants the best then Villa is one of them.Raul can nolonger be the Raul of fife years ago.The reluctance of Valdano to pursue Villa si surprising and especially him knowing that Benzema is not available this summer.
I remenber figo said Raul is more powerful than everyone at madrid iam now beginning to believe this.Second comment is on Arbeloa guys this full back is not anygood for madrid being spanish does not mean being a good footballer why is Liverpoool reluctant to let him go and why would liverpool sign glen Jonhson.It simply means he is not good enough quality.This is where Valdano behaves in the same old Zidane and pavons way.
Reply to EvoLtc:
Why is that rubbish??
About Huntelaar I think the most important reason he should be kept is that if you think about it...there aren't many players left who have his chaacteristics...most players nowadays
As for Negredo I beleive it really depends on the coach whether he likes him or not...
Reply to sergiomadrista:
lol you seem to have a knack of picking the most unlikely players to ever come to Real Madrid. Perhaps we should also try for Messi and Kun?
Reply to EvoLtc:
And Puyol!
Reply to EvoLtc:
maybe even Terry !!
Reply to Danniel:
Also Huntelaar has been in Madrid only for 6 months! In those 6 months, he did score 8 goals- the same as Robben scored in the whole season! If Juande had Hunter more he could have scored 3-4 goals more.
Huntelaar deserves at least a full season like the rest of the Dutchies.
I'd like to remind you people that before Huntelaar finally signed for us, he was one of the most talked about and sought after strikers in Europe along with Karim Benzema. I believe he can do wonders with us. Also he is 25, while Villa is 27.
Reply to themadridguy:
* If Juande had played Hunter more...
Reply to EvoLtc:
i understand why u meant in that swap role part. That's why i'd been saying that i would expect to see Huntelaar at least to get stronger. actually his footwork is not that bad compared with many box striker but he is just too slow to really dribble through defenders. And lacking of RVN kind of upper body physical strength, he always has trouble to protect the ball. He can't be like Drogba, Luca Toni, or RVN who can protect the ball and hold it and pass it to some other penetraters. that's something i hope he can work on it. However, his sense of position is still strong. We are more in need of this kind of player.
Reply to Danniel:
For Huntelaar, u are right!! taking age as a big concern, there are very very few considerable box striker who really are playing in real madrid level in the market.
*Mario Gomez is signed by Bayern;
*Tuca Toni, Drogba, Trezequent are too old;
*Dzeko did great last season but his ball control skill is kind of too rough for real madrid;
*F.Torres, the best in the world, is out of reach
*Luis Fabiano, whose form is not so stable, is 29
*Ibra and Benzema, are very skillful, but doesn't constantly stay inside the box.
*Tevez, a very hard working striker with quality, but is a little bit too short to be a box striker.(he is more like a 2nd striker)
*Eto, sounds kind of absurb for us.....
In this regard, i suggest to keep huntelaar for at least one more season b4 we really can find a better one.
Reply to Taufik:
Or maybe we should bribe every referee in the world, and we will win every single game
Hey people! When do U think CR7 is going to be officially confirmed as Real Madrid player?? The deadline is 30th June, and it's already 26th and he still isn't RM player. Are we planning to pay out his 30 M Euros clause and not buy him??
Reply to themadridguy:
Just received this from the club:
realmadrid.com will broadcast the presentation of Kaka and Cristiano. Stay tuned for updates.
Reply to themadridguy:
I think they are waiting for the end of the confederation cup so that Kaka and CR7 be presented together or in the same week.
Reply to Danniel:
Daniel - you're right, just a PS like that doesn't explain anything.
Raul and the quantity of work he puts in is taken for granted - generally he gets a bad rap. Yes he has bad games, yes he is not the player he was, yes he doesn't deserve to start every game. I will even concede there may be some truth to the rumour that he is not a good influence off the pitch...maybe...to be debated. ....but it's not fair or right to say he doesn't do anything when he puts in more work than any other player on the pitch. To me he represents the model of work rate and professionalism that youth players should look up to.
With some people I don't bother trying to call them up or try to correct themm when they slag Raul off.
Take it as a compliment that I take exception to you doing it Daniel, because most of the time you opinions on this forum are well considered and thoughtful....you're worth saving
Reply to thedangerzolo:
Yeah, the presentation can happen any day, but what I was saying is that CR7 isn't an official RM player like Kaka!
Reply to EvoLtc:
Well, it's not about what Raul tries to do!! The fact is that he is too old to play for Real Madrid. And why play him when we have younger strikers like Hunntelaar, Negredo etc. who can do the same job 10 times better! And it's not like Raul is doing this for free, he takes a hell lot of a money for it, and for that we don't get the return we should get. Raul is one of the two highest paid players in Real Madrid along with Casillas. In fact, he is just playing for money and spotlight as far as I'm concerned!!
Reply to EvoLtc:
10x mate and I agree with you about everything you said...when I said "he doesn't do much" I was speaking in terms of running and that stuff and not in terms of leadership etc...
As you know I've said it many times Ral should stay infact I was evn called a Raulista 
Sorry mate for not being so clear either 
Reply to Adambader:
André Santos......
hi guys.., im so happy with this signing!!!
Reply to themadridguy:
mate - think what you have to think. Whatever logic I try to put in front of you won't make you able to be objective about Raul I can see.
Enjoy 'galacticos dos' won't you.
Reply to EvoLtc:
Well I can say that about U too!
Anyways I wanted to ask what type of midfielder is Bastian Schweinsteiger?? Can anyone tell me?? Is he a winger??
Reply to themadridguy:
BRAVO!BRAVO!!!!!!!
For the past 3 years Real should've been rotating his ass with younger strikers so by now we would've had players who has adapted and not looking to buy other folks strikers and other position players as well. If Raul is as highly paid as it's said he is, he should be getting it as a pension. I am excited about this new Real project but hell if he's our starting striker or even in the starting eleven Perez and co. would've wasted all that dough to build a dream team cause with him it will be a nightmare!!!
Reply to realfreak:
U are absolutely right about that!! His ass should have been rotated!!
Reply to themadridguy:
Right midfield normally I think, but I think he can be used as attacking utility midfielder.
Reply to EvoLtc:
Then buy him in place of Sneijder! He is still young.
you really are buying into the whole galactico thing aren't you?
Reply to themadridguy:
You really believe Huntelaar and Negredo can bring that sense of leadership that Raul has when he's on the field.Heck, Raul even outscored Negredo last season.
What Raul brings to the team is something special.He has the ability to take his chances with precision and class more than Klaas himself and he gives his all for every minute that he plays.And that is the reason why the manager always chooses to stick with him for 90 minutes.The only time that he is taken off is when the team is in a secured position.Because in times of adversity, he can inspire his team to go that extra mile and that could prove to be the difference in a match.
So,its not his so called 'influence' that gets him a starting eleven, its his character and ability which got him there.
Reply to flynn:
What I am saying is- he is too old and slow to be a threatening striker, and what leadership are U talking about?? The 4-0 loss to Liverpool? Or the 6-2 humiliation by Barca??
If it's leadership U are worried about, we have Casillas ready for that!
Reply to themadridguy:
Maybe he is too old but he still can serve this team.The trashing that we have suffered is not his fault entirely.No one person can win matches all by himself as proven by Casillas.
There is just one problem with Casillas as the leader, he is between the posts where he cant possibly interact with other players who play further forward.
And if you realized in the Liverpool game, we actually improve slightly throughout the game.
Reply to flynn:
I'm sorry but that doesn't win championships. You're acting as if Raul is some sort of blessing from God towards Real Madrid. He's just a team Captain. He's not as Agile and creative as he was before.
Look at Maldini on the otherhand he was the heart of Milan and rarely ever underperformed RARELY even when he was so old.
As a real madrid player there is no excuse for a player not to performe. I don't care how prestigious or morale boosting you can be; If you're team isn't winning championships. YOU FAIL!
RIP MICHAEL JACKSON CATALONYA
Reply to DaViDViLlAcoMinToBarCa:
I was just wonderin' why somebody didn't mention it already!
Reply to themadridguy:
Sorry but I don't beleeve Iker is as good as Raul in leading the team...don't get me wrong I think he's the best goaler in the world....but I would rather have Ramos as leader (if he matures abit) than Casillas....it's a question of character
Reply to Danniel:
Wow! What's with this leadership thing??
I don't even think the role of the captain is that much important in football. The main thing is the coach- the captain can be a dummy for all I care! 
Reply to themadridguy:
I don't think it's that important...but it is important in some casses...a good captain helps new players adapt better,helps them when their form drops,tries to create hormony within the squad, helps a new coach such as is Pellegrini and lastly motivates the team...or tries to
Raul might not do all this...these are perfect circumstances...but what's really evident is that all the Casilla players see him as a role model and turn on him when needed....a classic example of this is Torres
Reply to Danniel:
Gimme a break! That good captain thing is shit!!
Not much transfer news today except that Drenthe is on the verge of joining Fiorentina on a loan deal I believe and it will be completed next week
Reply to themadridguy:
If it's shit there would be no captains...because it would not be needed...but there is because it is...but I don't blame you for thinking that way since your idea of football is buy buy buy....and sell the old players...with no respect at all. I'm no Ancelotti at all...because I beleive in youths...the idea of selling a loyal player like Raul is shit in my view
Reply to Danniel:
WOW!!!!!!! IS what I have to say. God help you!
Javier Saviola has officially been sold to Benfica for 5 million euros.
That's not too bad a price considering he didn't play very much on the first team.
Raul is a legend, icon, everything for Real Madrid. Selling him would be the stupidest thing someone could ever do. Bench raul like Juventus benches Del Piero.
And some of you are blaming raul for the 4-0 defeat to livershit and 6-2 loss to farsa? C'mon gimme a break. It was sad how Redondo and Hierro left Madrid....Raul doesn't deserve this. When Raul plays in his top form, he scores a hat trick. You dont remember the Raul hat trick?
Raul Madrid.
By the way if some of you have actually played football, you would know the value of having strong leadership from a captain.
Some of you guys sounding pathetic.
Good transfer for Saviola,he was realy unlucky,i wish him the best with Benfica
Reply to Madridista09:
at last a Raul lover,i dont know why those guys hate Raul,and i liked this Raul Madrid,i think they must change Real Madrid to Raul Madrid for the HARD WORK HE DID TO MADRID!
Hala Madrid,Hala Raul!
Plus,if i was Perez i would put Saviola's 5 millions with 25 millions +Negredo for Villa,Valencia are just asking 5 millions more for Villa
It's worthess talking to walls, isn't it??
Reply to MadridistAli:
Raul is not the same anymore; Wake the fuck up. Its been 5 years
Reply to Madrids_Martyr:
Let's start a Raul hate campaign or kick Raul out of Real Madrid movement! What do U think??
Reply to themadridguy:
IGNORANCE
Saviola is officially off to Benfica
LINK
Reply to Adambader:
Yeah, I'm sad he didn't get more playing time under those idiots Schuster and J. Ramos! He could have been a real goal-scoring machine. And guess what? Who was responsible for this? Our "Beloved" Raul
( a royal pain in the ass if U ask me!) 
17 years, and still people can't get enough of this loser!
Reply to themadridguy:
* actually 14 years.
Reply to themadridguy:
I actually have sore eyes seeing him in the Madrid shirt now! He is like a bad dream. Can't he just go away??
Reply to themadridguy:
mate i know raul is not performin like he used to perform before.but he is not finished yet. May be he is not capable of playing of 90 mins but still he is capable of playing every match.
We can think to sell RVN but not raul because raul is a legend of madrid. I am following madrid for last 13 yrs...I have seen this loyal madridista has done a lot for us. He is still trying his best. He is the captain of team.These are the reason he is having a life time contract with madrid which he signed last year.
So we should have some respect for him atleast....
because he is raul, he is the legend of madrid.
Reply to themadridguy:
Ronaldo transfer is official now...
U can check it on real madrid website.
You're not a Madridista, you're a bandwagoner. I see you everytime with your Ronaldo avie and always talking about buying, buying, buying. And when Perez goes a few days without buying, you start to criticize him. Raul is a Real Madrid legend, everyone realizes he can't do what he used to do, and it's ok to think that he should retire, but Madridistas should still respect him and you are disrespectful.
BTW, I'm getting tired of seeing those variations of Ronaldo avies. He is NOT the best player in the world.
That comment was to los_galacticos btw.
Reply to Ultras Sur:
Ha ha ha! You're getting tired of those Ronnaldo varies??
I was talking shit about Raul becuz he is destroying careers of young forwards like Saviola and Huntelaar, he should retire by himself. Then I would respect him a LOT more!
Reply to themadridguy:
First respect him what he has done for us, If you would have that respect, I think you wouldn't have nymore ques left about, when raul will retire or kick him out etc.
damn ! what are you guys talking about , raul is one of the best strikers in europe , he is a legend of real madrid , and the whole football. he is really a player. and he deserves to play in real madrid beacuse , he is a fair and expirienced player. dat is why we should keep him here ! and if you don t like raul , you are nota a madridsta !
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
Lads, I've become a bit lost in all the talk. Is Huntelaar possibly being sold to Man U or free to move on to Man U.
And if SAF is really so interested in Huntelaar, couldn't Perez package something together and try to snarf Vidic in the process?
Raul is still the legendary icon of real madrid nowaday and he deserves the honor to be retired in real madrid. Yes, indeed, he ain't the one he used to be, he is gradually departing from the top ranking, he can't catch up with the rhythm of the game even though he tries so hard, he still deserves to stay in real madrid until the end of day.
However, i don't think he ought to play as much as he used to be during the last 3 seasons. He should learn how to become a veteran who really deserves to be respected. I don't believe on things i don't see. So, i don't believe on those rumors around how Raul is "controlling" real madrid or sth. but the fact that he played every single 90 minute game really bother me. if he really has the "power" to interfere his own playing time, i will be very disappointed to mr. no.7!! he is the captain in my heart but i think HE MUST CONSIDER REAL MADRID AS A WHOLE UNIT. HE MUST CONCERN MORE ABOUT THE TEAM BUT NOT TO KEEP HIMSELF RUNNING ON THE FIELD IN ORDER TO BREAK SOME MEANINGLESS RECORD!!(something that he has already had enough)
he deserves more respect if he is willing to sacrificing his playing time for real madrid's success. i will even worship him as god if he stays on the bench and only comes in whenever is "adequate"!! Even Del Piero is willing to sacrifice to Juven, why not our mr. no.7!! it's the time for him to step out and let some young players to step in. and raul should not be included in real madrid' future plan. he can only be some attachment.
Reply to Brawley7:
Vidic is not something as in need as we are b4 we signed raul albiol. Vidic is a better but albiol is younger and is one of the best in la liga. a left back is something we should concern now. ANd it will farther worsen the problem by selling our only box striker(we ain't gonna rely on 34yrold RVN to be the only one) while we haven't got a suitable replacement. in my opinion, it's so stupid to give up villa. But we couldn't get back on it now.
look...I'm not hating on Raul....I most definitely think he should be retired as a Real Madrid player and honor him for all the wonders he's done.....it's just that LET'S DO IT ALREADY!!!!!
Reply to Riken:
taiwo is a good left beck.he strong and creative in left back. sign him is a good idea. get him or arbeloa.
Hey Raul is still 32...he's obviously not young but I think a legend like him can play atleast till 35 so I don't see any reason for all this retirement talk...
Zidane-->36
Del Piero-->34 (Still playing)
Inzaghi-->35 (Still playing)
Cannavaro-->35 (Sill playing)
If Zidane retired at 36...and those guys are still playing at that age...why should Raul retire when he's 32?
Reply to Danniel:
he deserves to keep playing but he SHOULD NOT be included in real madrid's future plan if real madrid wants to be successful. He can stay but NOT only as a key player. His form doesn't allow him to play as a key striker like he used to be in a big club like real madrid. It's already been more than 5 years that we've been suffering with his bad form. He scored a lot but he also missed a lot of chances and dispossessed too much.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
By "SHOULD NOT be included in real madrid's future plan" I don't know towhat extent...but if you mean Raul becoming a Saviola-type of player i don't think it's good.I think he should be more of a Guti-type of player...he comes on as a sub basically every game and makes a few starts...that would be the ieal situation I think
Reply to Danniel:
it's very simple. If Raul is not "Raul", u guys must judge more objectively. whether should he become "GUTI TYPE" or "SAVIOLA TYPE" depends on how he plays and depends on the coach's decision. it must not be "good" to see him start if he plays like he did last year.
also, "HE SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN REAL MADRID'SF FUTURE PlANs" simply means that real madrid SHOULD NOT use raul as their key play if they wanna be succesful. we deserve to have better strikers. Raul's time is over and he must constantly sit on the bench if he must play in a top team. don't be too biased on this issue . i look him as my hero but i am tired of seeing him on the lineup, in order to fullfill his attemp to break some record. He should think real madrid as priority rather than personal goal.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
if he still dictates his playing time. I rather see him retired even though he still can play. The answer of ur question is simple:
Zidane: speed doesn't affect his form. He didn't rely on speed even when he was in peak. and all of his touch, pass, move, pace, shoot, and set piece were still being maintained in a high level he was 32.
Del Piero: he is already 34 but i dare say he is still capable to dribble the ball and provide great assissts and shoot, esp his set piece. He is definitely playing less time than raul does.
Inzaghi: AC Milan is in short of box strikers since Shevecheko went to Chelsea last time. He wouldn't find a place in nation team.
Cannavaro: a CB doesn't have to run as much as striker. ANd i don't think fabio is still suitable to play in big club like real madrid. he was superb in his 32 but does raul also provide the same kind of performance???
no doubt,no.7 had scored almost 40 goals in last 2 years. In a player aspect, he definitely deserves to keep playing. But the biggest concern comes from his playing time. Is he really willing to be benched?? i like his attitude as a leader, he never stops running. but i am very disappointed to see him playing every 90 minute game. if u watch his game in an objective perspective, i dare say he doesn't deserve to play in a top team like real madrid anymore, not as a starter. He can stay as a leader in the squad but he doesn't deserve to be relied on as a key player if we wanna be success. Most of the time our captain couldn't even catch up with the rhythm and the flow of the possesion. His poor touches indicate his fall. he cannot even control the ball most of the time. I would like to see him keep playing if and only if he is willing to be a sub.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
What can I say? Cheers to you !!!
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
i agree with u....its better if he goes for sub , rather than startin XI . but again...if he is in startin XI , n he goes off after 30/45 mins...thats also not bad. i explain u why: think we conceded 1 goal than we need someone better on later half or we need some fresh legs later part.
Reply to DynastyofRealMadrid:
I agree
but I think he should be more than a Saviola type of player...who warms the bench for 2yrs...well actually no payer deserves that treatment...I don't want Raulin the starting 11 either...but I think he should be used.As for not accepting to be subbed I personally don't beleive it's true...on the contrary he doesn't seem to createany problems...but I don't personally know Raul so I can't say.
Reply to thedangerzolo:
1st of all.. what can i say is...
Perez knew what he was doing as CEO...
I think Perez really hard to find player such a HIERRO, a solid defender... because the management all ready to target a person to replace the legendary defender...
So, Albiol is the best player to continue a solid defender and will be the next captian in few years...
AM i rite? It will be true...
Reply to sergiomadrista:
Stop it guys...
All of this players are to experience and getting older d thier ability will goes down and i think PEREZ doing a GOOD job as new CEO because bring new talent star to replace ur lagendary striker,Raul in coming few season.
In fact, i agree Benzema is still young and no has experience in world to play such popular club but Madrd just all ready signed a playmaker who can be OUT OF NOTHING like two promising players like Kaka and Ronaldo....
It will be great and pleased if new head coach get a formula dominated in atakinmg position!!!
While it still early...