Soccer News in Brief

Real Madrid picked it up where they left last season as they produced a strong second half performance and defeated Lokomotive Moscow 5-2 in the pre-season tournament Russian Railway Tournament.

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Fernando Torres scored his first goal in a Liverpool shirt and Steven Gerrard scored a stunner from outside the box as Liverpool saw off Shanghai Shenhua 2-0 in the first game of the Rotterdam tournament.

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Madrid Hoping To Finally Tie Up Drenthe Deal

Real Madrid are confident that their latest offer for Royston Drenthe could finally clinch a deal with Feyenoord and he is excited by the prospect of moving.

The 20-year-old forward has made it clear that he is keen on a move to the Spanish league after both Madrid and FC Barcelona made their interest known.

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Reyes: No Madrid Deal, Yet

José Antonio Reyes has denied that a deal has been struck to make his loan move to Real Madrid permanent, amid reports that Arsenal have agreed to sell him.

The Spain international is desperate to stay at the Bernabéu and has let the Gunners know that he does want to return to England.A €10m deal was said to have been struck between Arsenal and Madrid, but Reyes has now claimed that nothing has been confirmed.

"No agreement has been reached," he said. "But I do expect the situation to be solved as soon as possible."But I want to win everything that there is and if that can happen at Real Madrid, then that would be perfect.Arsenal paid around €20m to sign Reyes from Sevilla in 2004 and he impressed at Highbury during his first two seasons in the Premiership.

After failing to adapt to life in England though, the 23-year-old forced a move back to Spain last summer and he spent last term on loan at Madrid.Now he wants to remain in la Primera and believes that he would fit in well under new coach Bernd Schusyer."I think that Madrid are going to play a lot better under the new German coach," Reyes continued, before stating his main dislike of London life."

The rain was one of the main reasons that I could not adjust to life over there."His agent Jesus Rodríguez de Moya explained recently that Arsenal have agreed to allow him to leave for less than they paid and that talks are continuing."

Reyes doesn't want to return to London," he said."If the logical steps are taken, Reyes will be a Madrid player next year."Arsenal are not asking for 20 million euros (£13.6million) but they are asking for a reasonable fee in accordance with what they paid to Sevilla. The negotiations are on the table."

Dudek Makes Real Madrid Move

Real Madrid have snapped up Jerzy Dudek on a free transfer as back-up to Iker Casillas following his release by Liverpool at the end of last season.

The Polish international was linked to Recreativo, Bolton and Manchester City, but was always keen on trying his hand in Spain.Bernd Schuster gave the green light to complete the deal after officially taking the reins at the Bernabéu earlier this week.

Madrid have been after a new keeper following the sale of highly-rated youth team product Diego López to Villarreal for €6m last month.Dudek was released by Liverpool after six seasons on Merseyside as he was unable to earn a regular place in the team ahead of José Reina.

Having spent the last two seasons playing second fiddle to one Madrid-born custodian, Dudek will now perform the same task in the Spanish captial itself.Casillas is the undoubted number one, but the club's technical staff wanted experienced cover rather than to promote a keeper from their youth team.

Francesco Toldo was also approached by Madrid only for his wage demands to rule him out of any move.Dudek made 15 first team appearances for Sokol Tychy before moved to Feyenoord in 1996 and after five years in Holland was signed by Liverpool.During his time at Anfield, the 34-year-old's most memorable performance came in the 2005 Champions League final when he made two heroic saves in extra time before stopping two penalties in the shoot-out.

We Do Not Want Cannavaro - Ranieri

The Italian coach was reacting to continuing reports in the Italian and Spanish media that la Vecchia Signora was considering making an offer for their former player.Cannavaro, 33, has stated that he wants to continue playing in Spain, but that has not stopped the speculation as Madrid have bought two new central defenders.

Napoli were also interested and could be the Ballon D'Or winner's only hope of a return to Serie A in the future after Ranieri ruled out a bid. "Our defence is okay as it is," the Juve coach said. "We will not sign Cannavaro."Madrid have captured Christoph Metzelder on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund as well as signing Pepe from porto for €28m.Cannavaro moved to the Spanish giants last summer after Juventus were enforced to spend the season in Serie following the match-fixing scandal thta hit Italian football.

After winning the World Cup with Italy, Cannavaro won the Ballon D'Or, but failed to impress during his first campaign in Madrid, despite helping the club to their first league title in four seasons

Chelsea Talks Have Not Gone Well - Robben

Arjen Robben has admitted that his talks with Chelsea over a new and improved contract have not gone to plan.

The comments come after Florent Malouda completed his move to Chelsea, and put his future at Stamford Bridge in doubt despite Mourinho's insistence on the contrary.

"I want to leave it very clear - the fact that we signed Malouda is not to open the door for Arjen to leave," the Chelsea boss had said yesterday.
"I’d like to keep Arjen.

"He has two more years of his contract and Chelsea are negotiating with him over a new contract. Hopefully we can do it."

The player himself had been open to staying on despite having an eye on a move to the Bernabeu, but the contract talks seem to have gone wary.

"I don’t know what will happen," The Sun quote him as saying.
"I have not signed a new deal and will see what the future brings. The talks have not gone really well."

The Sun claim that the player has been handed a new five year contract worth £83,000 a week. However, reports from Spain suggest that Real Madrid are willing to make it a six figure weekly salary.

As of now, Chelsea have placed a prohibitive £18m price tag on the Dutch winger, one that Real Madrid have baulked at. Los Merengues are unwilling to offer anything more that 14.

Schuster presented as new Madrid coach

At about noon on Monday, the new coach of Real Madrid put pen to paper to finalise his hiring. The President of the Club, Ramón Calderón and Bernd Schuster met in the office of the former and were accompanied by President of Honour, Alfredo Di Stefano and several members of the Board. It was a very cordial meeting, and Ramón Calderón presented the new coach with the pen he actually used to sign his name and a silver replica of the Stadium where, as the President confessed, "we're going to have a great time watching your football."

At the conclusion of the amicable event, Ramón Calderón presented Schuster with the fountain pen that the new coach had signed his name with. Following tradition, he was also presented with a silver replica of the Santiago Bernabéu. “The Stadium, Bernardo, where you are going to bring us a lot of joy,” stated Ramón Calderón to an excited Schuster.

The German coach had arrived at the stadium one hour earlier. The President of Real Madrid took him on a personal tour of the new Club offices, which “have changed so much” since Schuster wore the Real Madrid shirt almost 20 years ago.

Schuster had a relaxed conversation with Alfredo di Stéfano, who he congratulated for his recent birthday. The President of Honour of Real Madrid wished him lots of luck. “Don Alfredo, here they taught me that you have to search for luck,” replied the new Madridista coach, who also greeted the Board members who were present.

Ramón Calderón, Alfredo di Stéfano and Schuster continued speaking about their common passion, football. They had the chance to comment on the future project about to get underway and recent Copa América matches, especially Argentina's latest victory.

Following the signing, they all made their way to the Presidential Balcony, where Schuster was officialy presented as the new coach of Real Madrid; the 43rd in the history of the Club and the first of German decent. This will be Schuster's second stint with the Club being that he donned the white shirt for three seasons (1988-1991), during which he won two Leagues, one King's Cup, and one Super Cup. There have been five Germans to play for the Club: Netzer (1973-76), Breitner (1974-77), Stielike (1977-85), Illgner (1996-2001), and Schuster.

Metzelder has landed

As soon as he landed in Madrid on Sunday afternoon, Christoph Metzelder went to the Mirasierra Suites Hotel, where he gave an interview to RealmadridTV and Realmadrid.com. He praised his new Club and promised to work hard in order to win titles.
Christoph Metzelder arrived at Madrid Airport's T4 approximately at 4 pm. He then went straight to the Mirasierra Suites Hotel, where he will stay until he is officially presented as a Real Madrid player.

"I am very excited with being here. I signed my contract a few days ago and I can’t wait to get started."

"It is an honour and a great challenge for me to have joined Real Madrid, especially after they won the League title last season. Let’s hope the team does well again this year."

"This is a dream come true for me and I hope I can help the team to win more titles this season."

"I am going to bring to the team what I do best. I will work to strengthen Real Madrid. I wish to adapt in the first few weeks to help the team in all I can."

"I have never met any of the players on the squad personally, but I obviously know many of them because they are internationally famous, especially those who play for their national teams. I admire Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cannavaro and Casillas. I think they are very good players."

Gago: It Would Be Nice To Play With Saviola

Fernando Gago would love to have compatriot Javier Saviola with him at Real Madrid

Talks of a sensational Bosman move from Barcelona to Real Madrid are doing the rounds, after the Catalans refused to offer Saviola the terms he desired.

"He is a fabulous player," said Gago, currently at the Copa America with the Albiceleste, in reponse to his compatriot's possible switch to the Bernabeu.

"He has shown it with the national team, and it would be great to be able to play with him."
However, he refused to comment on the sacking of Fabio Capello, and the impending arrival of Bernd Schuster.

"I do not know much about that, and I do not want to speak about it. At the moment, I am thinking about this Copa America challenge.

"My attention is on this."

Schuster: Cesc And Reyes For Me

Spanish sports daily Marca claims that Bernd Schuster, in his capacity as nearly-coach at Real Madrid, is after Arsenal pair Francesc Fabregas and Jose Antonio Reyes.Reyes is well-known at the Bernabeu already, having spent a mixed season on loan at los Blancos in the last campaign, making fourteen starts and scoring six goals.

.Unsettled at Arsenal, this loan move was a chance for him to gain some much-needed first team action at the highest level.It came after a difficult time at Arsenal, for whom he signed from Sevilla in 2004. After a great start to his career, he tailed off in 2005 before recovering somewhat for the 2005-06 European campaign.

Yet still he found adjustment to London life difficult. Real Madrid were sniffing around the unsettled player - much to the continued chagrin of Arsene Wenger - and made a loan move for him after he sat out Arsenal's European tie against Dynamo Zagreb to allow him to compete in Europe for the Blancos

.Wenger is reportedly angry at Real Madrid's consistent meddling through the media, and would point to Jose's signing a six-year deal back in 2005 as evidence that he has plans for Reyes in his Arsenal team. Further, Wenger declared last summer's £8.1m bid from city rivals Atletico as an "insult", signalling that it would take a massive offer to seal any deal from any side, let alone Real Madrid.Nonetheless, there has allegedly been contact between the two clubs regarding a possible increased transfer fee for the player, meaning that Reyes could try once more for a permanent move to the Madrid giants.

Jose would most likely leap at the chance, at least if his 2005 declaration - made during a prank phone call from a Spanish radio station - that he'd like to leave London for Madrid is anything to go by.

However, the odds of landing Fabregas seem much lower. Arsenal have already parted with prize asset Thierry Henry this summer, and losing a rising star of a midfielder would perhaps be too much for boss Wenger - and the fans - to bear. Cesc has settled in well at Arsenal and seems unlikely to want to leave right away.What's more, Francesc has established himself as a first-teamer and a Spanish internationalist in his four years in the Gunners' first team, and is clearly seen as a future world-class player by Wenger and his assistants. Reyes' star may be dimming over the Emirates, but Cesc's is set to burn brighter.

Bronzetti Reveals Roma-Madrid Agreement Over Chivu

An 18 million euro deal had reportedly been agreed this morning before Pedja Mijatovic decided to cloud the issue by claiming that the Merengue club yet had made no official offer.

"The two clubs will have to hold more talks," Mijatovic had said. "There is still nothing more now though.

"We may need another meeting, I do not know.

"Chivu is a great player and there a quite a few teams that are interested. We will have to see what happens.

"There has been no offer, though."

However, Bronzetti has just confirmed that a deal has indeed been struck, and the transfer will go ahead if Chivu gives the nod.

"Real Madrid and Roma have agreed that Chivu will be sold for 18 million euros," he said. "Now it is for Chivu to decide."

Real Madrid Given Robben Green Light

Ramón Calderón could be set to finally fulfil one of his election promises by signing Arjen Robben after Chelsea gave permission Real Madrid to open negotiations.

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Chelsea boss, José Mourinho, has told the Blues that the Dutchman can go if the Spanish giants meet the asking price of €20m.

The Bernabéu president included Robben as one of the players he would sign in his manifesto, along with Kaká and Cesc Fàbregas, if he assumed control of Madrid.

Despite the former PSV forward's injury record during his time in London, Calderón is still keen to snap him up and is to send officials to London to hold talks.

Amid the quest to ensure that Frank Lampard and John Terry sign new deals at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea informed Mourinho of Madrid's renewed interest in Robben and the manager stated that he could leave.

The player is currently on honeymoon, but his father and agent, Hans Robben, is in London and is keeping his son abrest of any news.

With Chelsea hoping to prise Florent Malouda away from Lyon, Robben would be surplus to requirements and Madrid are ready to meet the asking price.

Mourinho has become frustrated with his proneness to injuries and has been reported to have been angered at what he views as a lack of commitment to the cause.

With no big signings being sanctioned at Stamford Bridge, the incoming cash from Madrid would ease relations between Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich even more.