Apologies for my lack of updates on this blog of late. The following pointers are what have been keeping me very busy:
Real Madrid v Villarreal I was sat in the stands for this one and with a 6-2 scoreline, what better way to witness it? It was the first time Villarreal had ever had six put past them in the Primera since their arrival in the top-flight a decade ago. Real Madrid came close to doing so two seasons ago, when they scored five without reply in the second game of 2007/2008 season at El Madrigal, but they went one better this time.
Ronaldo stole the show on Matchday 23. Not only did he open the scoring with a stunning first-half free-kick, he went on to set two up and earn a late penalty for the Whites-which Xabi Alonso converted to score his first goal for Real Madrid. Our pneumatic number nine was at the heart of everything in what was undoubtedly his best game as a Madridista so far. Speaking exclusivley to RMTV about the free-kick after the game, he revealed that he did not know how he did it, but he knew as soon as he struck it that it was a good one!
Braces from both Kaká and Higuaín were sandwiched between Ronaldo and Alonso’s goals in what was a fitting tribute to the ex-Madridista Luis Molowny who died on February 12.
We knew he was gonna be big here but…..
Earlier that day I saw with my own eyes just how huge an impact the Portuguese star has had on the country since his arrival in Spain, when a ten-metre high model of the footballer appeared around the corner from my flat! It was all part of a new World Cup 2010 advertising campaign by Nike, which is being filmed here in Madrid. Along with Ronaldo, the ad features a number of other big-name international stars such as Fabio Cannavaro and Wesley Sneijder. Sports daily AS had the picture on it’s pages the next day with the headline “Monumental.”
Top Goals
With six more goals scored, Real Madrid are now the highest scoring side in La Liga this season with a tally of 64 strikes. So as you can imagine, Top Goals was an easy show to fill last week. Make sure you catch the latest edition if you are a Sergio Ramos fan, as we are giving away a shirt signed by the defender.
Extra Time
I covered for my colleague Dan Thomas on Extra Time last Thursday and the Thursday before! The latest of the two shows featured Gazzetta dello Sport’s Filippo Ricci, Cadena Ser’s Maria Bretones and BBC’s Ashish Sharma- who had a fit of giggles during filming! It was a really enjoyable show to do, but now that Dan is back, he’ll make sure that the guests all behave themselves!
Tenerife v Real Madrid
On a weekend where extreme weather conditions hit the globe, Real Madrid took a tornado of their own to the Heliodoro in Tenerife. Though this time, the boys fired five past their opponents. As I was not travelling to this one, I watched it from the warmth and comfort of a good friend’s sofa. Higuaín scored another 2 and wins my vote for this season’s Primera Pichichi; while Kaká, Cristano and Raul also got their names on the scoresheet, but it was the latter’s goal that held the most weight. It was the captain’s 227th league goal since he started out. That number puts him level with Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano in third place of the Spanish Primera’s all-time top scorer rankings. Ahead of them are only Hugo Sanchez and the mythical Zarra. And that’s not all……
Saturday’s game was Raul’s 542nd league appearance, which sees him equalling goalkeeper Paco Buyo’s record as the third player with the all-time most appearances in La Liga. Standing In Raul’s way now are only Eusebio, who played just one more game and ex-shot-stopper Antonio Zubizaretta with 622 matches.
You can bet the determined delantero willl not give up until he breaks both records. Siempre Raul.
So Real Madrid lost their opening game of the Champions League knock-out stages against Olympique Lyon on Tuesday night. A single goal from Jean Makoun is all that separated the sides, but it means that the Whites have to draw on their excellent form at home when the French team come to town in two weeks time if they are to turn things around and progress to the quarter-final stage for the first time in six years. They will also have to do so without the services of Xabi Alonso and Marcelo who both saw their third yellow cards of the campaign last night and will be suspended for the return leg tie.
Pellegrini and his players need not be too down-hearted though. I read yesterday that no Spanish side has ever managed to keep a clean-sheet at the Stade de Gerland.
The last fortnight has been non-stop for me in this job, but that is not unusual.
It all started with a pitchside appointment for the game against Espanyol. It was my first home game of the year and I was delighted that the boys put in a sturdy performance to beat their opponents 3-0. After three weeks on the sidelines, Higuain our comeback king was the king of his own comeback, scoring Madrid’s third and final goal of the evening, and what a goal it was. The Argentine ace controlled the ball brilliantly after getting on the end of a long ball from Rafael Van der Vaart (another returning player), before putting the finish on the final nail in the coffin for los periquitos.
There were not even five minutes on the clock when Sergio Ramos opened the evening’s proceedings with a header from yet another perfectly placed Esteban Granero corner. Granero is growing game by game and played a part on all three of his side’s goals against Espanyol.
Kaka got the second on the half hour mark, scoring the rebound from a Raul header which was brilliantly saved by Kameni. I caught up with the Brazilian himself after the game and he admitted he was relieved to score again for his team. His last goal came back in November against Atletico Madrid and as the player with the most assists in the side this season, the strike was the perfect reward for his generosity.
On Thursday I interviewed Lassana Diarra for Real Madrid TV over at Valdebebas. Lassana spoke really well and was a great interviewee, especially for someone who is not crazy about the media side of the game. We had a giggle as he revealed that the weather here at the moment is not much better than it is in London and how he prefers the Premiership’s referees to the stricter Spanish ones! The Frenchman said he is working on adapting his style of play to the Primera in order to stop seeing his name in the little black book quite so much this season!
Here is a link to part of the interview that appeared on the club’s official website:
Once the interview was over, we had to record a special greeting from Iker Casillas. It was a congratulatory message for a children’s theatre school which was celebrating an important anniversary. Despite the shot-stopper having a cold, he gave them a very enthusiastic message of support, proving that he really is deserving of his saintly status!
And despite his sniffly symptoms, Casillas managed to keep another clean sheet in Real Madrid’s meeting with Xerez in Andalucia, as goals from Alvaro Arbeloa and a brace from the fresh-from-suspension Cristiano Ronaldo (both coming from Kaka assists) gave Real Madrid three of their most important league points so far this season in what was a pivotal weekend in the Primera. That’s because on Sunday evening the White’s cross town rivals Atleti gave their eternal rivals Barca their first defeat of the campaign at the Vicente Calderon, meaning that now there are just two points between Pep and Pellegrini’s troops at the top of the table.
For once the capital’s football fans were united and what better day for it to happen than on Valentine’s Day?!
I may have had a lot of work outside the studio in the last two weeks, but I have been just as busy back at RMTV Towers, where I hosted Extra Time last Monday, the evening news three times and the latest edition of Top Goals. Be sure not to miss the latter if you are a Gonzalo Higuain fan, as we are giving one of our lucky viewers the chance to win a signed shirt from the striker. As a huge fan of our number 20, I’d like to enter myself, but I’m not quite sure that’s allowed!
64 goals in 96 games was his impressive record. But it was much more than Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s super strike rate that left an impression on us Real Madrid fans.
Ruud is not only one of the nicest footballers I have ever met, he is one of the nicest people I ever met and there aren’t many people that have encountered him who would disagree.
As one of the most famous strikers in the world, we could forgive him if he had been a little more guarded with the media, a little more selfish with his time; but he never was.
Ruud with my flatmate Miranda at Valdebebas
Whenever I took friends or family to meet him after a game or at Valdebebas, he would always pay them attention, ask them who they supported and where there were from in England. He would always stop to chat with us journalists about football and life in general.
On a flight with the team, he wouldn’t be sat playing on his blackberry or iphone, he’d be chatting to everybody, be they the kitman, a journalist or even the flight attendants. On our way back from our Champions League meeting with Juventus in Turin last season, he told me about how he had become a footballer against the odds, how his mum had always encouraged him to believe in his dream, the charity work he and his photographer wife do for SOS Children’s Villages, and how he was adapting to fatherhood.
He may have been a superstar but he never ever behaved like one.
He adapted to the Spanish game and the Primera like a duck to water. In his first season in white, Real Madrid won the league with Ruud as not just the team’s top scorer, but the league’s top scorer with a total of 25 goals.
They call you Pichichi here in Spain if you are the league’s highest hitter in a season. It is an award that was invented by the sports daily Marca in the 1940s .
And so here comes my first RVN anecdote:
I was still in my early stages of learning Spanish and on an away trip to the north of Spain to see Madrid play Celta Vigo, I spent the morning of the match reading about which striker was the new Pichichi. From what I could understand, I had gathered that Pichichi was an ex-player and by the sounds of it a prolific goalscorer.
Marca’s columnists were arguing between themselves. One said Ruud was the new Pichichi, another said Sevilla’s Freddie Kanoute and the third was adamant it was Valencia’s David Villa. Not understanding a lot of the writing, it puzzled me how three strikers with such different styles could be compared to the same player. At no time did it dawn on me that “Pichichi” was also the name given to the league’s top scorer.
So after the game had finished, I stopped Ruud in the mixed zone and brazenly asked him.
“Lots of people are saying that you are just like Pichichi. What do you think of those comparisons?”
As soon as I saw his reaction, it all suddenly made sense. It’s as if every word in that newspaper was suddenly translated into perfect English inside my head. Pichichi was the term used for top scorer. Had I worded the question differently, I would have got away with it, but I had made a huge faux pas in front of one of our star players.
But Ruud, ever the gent, did not pull me up on it.
“They use the term to talk about scoring,” he smiled, “and I hope I can be, but let’s see what happens,” he added.
Mortified, I called the office straight after: “Hit me boys, who actually was Pichichi?”
A talented goalscorer for Athletic Bilbao from the the early twentieth century who tragically died of typhus at the age of 29. A player only a Spanish ‘abuelo’ would have seen live to be able to make such a comparison.
Unfortunately the ground did not open up and swallow me whole and I was the butt of jokes among my colleagues in the months that followed!
But it seems mixed zone nightmares with the Dutch striker were something I was going to have to get used to. My first Champions League game was Real Madrid against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu. I was very nervous and knew that flash zones after European games were pretty cut-throat. After league games, we have a private area, but in the Champions League we are in the main pen with the rest of the hacks!
As one of the only girls there that night, I had noticed that a camera crew had been filming me going about my work. I tried to ignore them, but I was a little conscious as I could see they were working for some kind of wind-up show. They had stopped Iker Casillas and Ivan Helguera and asked them some silly questions.
They then tried to stop Ruud but he was not interested in speaking to anyone other than serious sports journalists. Because they were next to me, he almost walked past me, so I shouted his name and held up my mic to show him that we were from the club’s official channel. He stopped, recognised us and turned round to come and speak to us. This was all on our ‘friend’s’ candid camera and I can see how it would have played out. It looked like Ruud just turned around because I was a girl, but it wasn’t that way at all. He wasn’t that way at all.
Anyway, he gave me my interview and just as he was about to walk off, the reporter for the wind-up crew shouted out: “Ruud, can you explain why you stopped for her and not for us?”
He could have explained we were the club’s official channel, he could have even ignored them, but he joked with them and called their bluff!
“Porque tu no eres guapo!” (Because you are not good-looking!)
The report went out the next day on one of Spain’s most popular talkshows. Ruud came across really well and gave the host of the show a little chuckle, due to the fact that he had indirectly told the reporter that he was not much of a looker!
Ruud had no problem in doing so, because he had mastered Spanish so quickly. I suppose it shouldn’t have been a surprise given how good his English is.
My encounters with the Dutchman got better though and it was after my first ever sit-down interview with Ruud, back in 2007, that he asked where my accent was from, which broke the ice a little, as he having played in the Premiership (like Boro used to!), he knew a lot more about my football team than most of the other Madrid players did!
Ruud after my last sit-down interview with him
The last of my official interviews with the striker came at the end of the last campaign, when he was in the final stages of his recovery from the season-long knee injury that had broken the heart of Madridismo back in November 2008. After three years of working for the biggest club in the world, I am no stranger to interviewing high-profile players, especially Ruud, but my boss told me that that interview was my best yet and for that I have to credit Ruud for being so open and personable with me.
Because of his rehabilitation schedule, none of us had seen him for about six months so the number of signed shirts that were missing his autograph had been piling up throughout the season. He laughed as I handed them to him and did not complain about signing every one of them, even though our allocated time with him was up.
I’m sad to say that that was my last non-mixed zone interview with Ruud and I’m bitterly disappointed that I hastily booked a weekend off in London before the January transfer window had slammed shut. And that’s because I missed his official goodbye before the game against Malaga at the Bernabeu, and consequently the chance to do his goodbye interview.
However, the good news was that my close friend and colleague Pablo Foley-Elias got to do it and a fine job of it he did too.
It was so heartfelt that I have been reduced to tears the two times that I have watched it since. Some of my Spanish colleagues also struggled to stem their tears and unsuprisingly so did my mum! Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that my mum is a huge fan of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and I’m delighted she got the chance to meet her hero (and heartthrob!) before he left for Germany.
Ruud told Pablo that he could feel the gratitude of the fans as he walked out onto the pitch, but said that it was all his- his gratitude to them.
He then went on to talk about his favourite goal. For the man who scored a hat-trick in his second game for Madrid (against Levante) and put one past Barcelona in his first ever Gran Clasico, it may come as a surprise to hear that the most dear to him, was a scrappy goal against Zaragoza back on the penultimate Matchday of the 2006/2007 season.
It was certainly not his prettiest but it was so important because that goal along with Tamudo’s equaliser against Barcelona (which plays after it) kept Real Madrid in the title race, which they won a week later.
I know my favourite RVN goal for the Whites, and it’s probably a lot of other people’s too. Though I had the unbelievable fortune of being sat right behind the goal to witness it, along with one of my best friend’s Claire Rourke, who is now with LFCTV.
It was Matchday 31 and Real Madrid were playing host to Valencia. As the two pitchside reporters, neither of us wanted to miss the action from such close quarters, so we planned a double-headed match report that would warrant us both being pitchside for the game!
In the first half, Ruud opened the scoring after some divine build-up play from the whole team, which culminated in a cross from the left flank from Miguel Torres, which flew into the box to meet Ruud, who struck it on the volley. It was incredible and on some replays, you can even see Claire and me rise up to celebrate from behind the goal as we realise it’s about to hit the target.
Another of my favourites came against Steaua Bucharest in the group stages of the Champions League in the 2006/2007 season.
In his goodbye interview, Ruud summed up this wonderful city full of passionate football fans so well.
“It doesnt matter where you go, and at what time, people are always talking about football, wishing you well….or telling you off!” he laughed, “But thats great you know, it’s passion for the game, it’s more than just a game and that’s very special.”
Ruud then admitted that as a professional, his departure was an easy decision to make, but on a personal level, it was very difficult as he and his family were so happy here in Madrid.
He said he would always come back to visit though and then Pablo wrapped up the interview up perfectly by saying:
“Ruud, this is not goodbye, it’s more of a see you later.”
After an interview on 2008/2009 pre-season in Irdning, Austria
And I really hope that we do see him later because unfortunately I never got to say goodbye to a footballer who has been an honour to know and an absolute privilege to watch.
So this blog is my own ‘thank you and good luck’ to the nicest footballer I have ever met.
Top Goals opens this week with a piece on just how fabulous our midfield are, and then they went and proved us right with an inspired performance over Deportivo La Coruna. It was the first time Real Madrid had won at Riazor since November 1991 and it seems that the curse has finally been broken. Granero opened the scoring and Benzema bagged a brace, but the Frenchman’s first is the one that everyone is talking about and that’s because of Guti’s assist. The number 14’s back heel was brilliant, unexpected and the mark of a true football genius. The media have gone gaga over Guti over the last few days and we are still a little hung over from his “taconazo”!
We kept it simple in a little LBD (lil black dress, boys!) for the show, which also pays tribute to the one and only Ruud Van Nistelrooy. I will be blogging my own piece on the Dutch striker following his move to Germany, but it isn’t easy to write a goodbye blog for your favourite footballer, so please bear with me.
Anyway, for those of you that missed Guti’s audacious assist (where have you been over the last few days… Mars?) then here it is! Prepare your eyes for a feast!
I am now almost a week into my training schedule for my 6 mile run for Sport Relief in March and already I think I could challenge the great John Cleese to a silly walk-off with some of the wacky limping and hobbling I have been displaying since embarking on my new plan.
Tonight’s attempted 5 kilometre steady jog was cut short by 200 metres, when I had to admit defeat. I was feeling pain in my hip abductor and did not want to push it. As a good English girl, I wanted to battle on regardless, but if my time working in the football world has taught me anything, it is to listen to your body and abide by the rules of injury prevention.
Good job then that I have been given permission by my gaffer to sit out Sunday’s match with Malaga at the Bernabeu due to the minor strain! Okay, I lied….I have a rare weekend off and I am going to spend it in London with my flatmate Miranda. Though, I have to admit that we have scheduled in an allocated slot among our fun and frolics, to watch Madrid’s tenth home-game of the season. We now just need to find a London-based landlord that is showing the game. Any suggestions?
via www. realmadrid.com
Real Madrid won their latest cup this evening in Albania, in their friendly clash with local side KS Gramozi Erseke, in what was the third edition of the Taci Oil Cup. Despite a city wide power-cut in Tigana postponing play for a total of 90 minutes, goals from Kaka and Benzema gave the whites their win. http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/1202810158337/noticia/Cronica/Kaka_and_Benzema_ignite_Tirana.htm
For those of you with access to Real Madrid TV (and electricity), be sure to catch Real Madrid Castilla live this Sunday. As many of you will know, it’s almost impossible for club channels to offer their teams’ games live, but each weekend you can catch our second team’s games exclusively as they happen. Dan Thomas and my running partner Tim Stannard will be commentating on Conquense v RMC from 5pm CET this Sunday, so make sure you don’t miss it. It’s a chance to witness some of the future stars of the Primera Liga in action. It’s less than three years ago now, that Real Madrid Castilla had the likes of Esteban Granero, Ruben de la Red, Juan Mata and Alvaro Negredo in the ranks and look where they are now.
I would also like to give a shout-out to my good friend Alison Bender, who has featured on this blog before. Alison is currently in New York hosting ESPN’s Press Pass. A show she herself describes as “like Extra Time but covers all the European Leagues.” Check her out in the Press Pass section in her latest show http://soccernet.espn.go.com/index?cc=5901
And before I sign off for now, I would like to thank my excellent and very kind blog hosts Football United, not only for my fabulous new-look page, but also for nominating me for a Shorty Award-which honour the best producers of short real-time content on twitter. http://shortyawards.com/
If you enjoy reading this blog and my tweets at FootballBarbie1, then please click on the link and cast your vote for me. http://shortyawards.com/FootballBarbie1
The aerial prowess of Fernando Llorente proved to be the undoing of Real Madrid at San Mames on Saturday night, as a solitary goal in the third minute proved to be the game’s decider.
The Lions exploded onto the scene once the whistle blew, hitting the post twice in the first minute and earning themselves a corner in the process. Yeste swung the ball into the 6 yard box, where the unmarked Fernando Llorente was waiting to head home.
Although they dominated throughout, it seems it wasn’t Real Madrid’s night. Though the same cannot be said for Gorka Iraizoz.
The Athletic goalkeeper had a stunning game stopping anything and everything that Madrid brought his way. The Whites battled on but they could not capitalise on their chances and for the first time in five years, Athletic Bilbao were able to beat their old rivals at San Mames.
Meanwhile Barcelona made light work of Sevilla, beating them 4-0, after being dumped out of the Copa Del Rey by the Andalucians earlier this week. That win makes them Winter Champions and gives them a five point advantage over Real Madrid at the top of the table.
But let’s not forget, Leage Champions is the title that matters, and Real Madrid can continue their plight to make it an unprecedented 32 Primera trophies by getting back to winning ways against Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu next Sunday.
The snow settled for one day and Spain went crazy for it. I’m glad it’s gone now though. I’m sick of the cold, bring on the Summer. Should be here in about two weeks now!
It was the coldest of nights at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid took on Mallorca. Miranda and I braved it and were just two of around 45,000 spectators that turned out to support the side. Diario AS referred to all those who turned up as heroes. So we are very much enjoying our new hero status!
The snow started to fall just as we left our house and by the time we had reached the stadium it was getting quite heavy, but the game went on regardless.
Goals from Gonzalo Higuain and first half substitite Esteban Granero sealed the points for Madrid, but Mallorca never really threatened. The side from the sunny holiday island probably had no idea what this cold snow malarky was!
That victory made it 9 wins in 9 at home.
Meanwhile, at the back, the rearguard kept another clean sheet. That’s three in a row now and all of them have been achieved since Pepe’s injury, so well done to the defenders and Iker Casillas.
There was some bad news that came from the game though, as Rafael Van Der Vaart went down in the first half and had to be stretchered off. The Dutchman is suffering from a tear to his left calf muscle and we are still waiting to hear how long he will be out for. Xabi Alonso also suffered some bruising, but he is hoping to be able to play against Athletic Bilbao tomorrow night.
Two days after the win, Higuain pulled up in training. The Argentine is suffering from a muscle tear and will be sidelined for three weeks. His strike last Saturday was his 13th of the season and he is now just one behind Lionel Messi and David Villa at the top of the Primera scoring charts. We will certainly miss him.
I filmed Top Goals on Wednesday and the show opens with a piece about Higgers. It also features Esteban Granero, whose goal against Mallorca was his first official strike at the Bernabeu. Look out for the interview we have of him when he is just 12!
In addition to those reports, we also take a closer look at Iker Casillas, who was named Best Goalkeeper in the World by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) for the second consecutive year.
It’s been a big week for Iker and tomorrow night’s game also holds a special meaning for the shot-stopper. It was just over ten years ago on 12th September 1999 that the then 18-year-old goalkeeper made his debut at San Mames.
A decade on and he is the best goalkeeper in the world, Spanish national team captain and a European champion. That game against Athletic was the start of an incredible journey for Iker. His number one shirt is wholly apt.
Who said Spain was Sunny? It seems nowehere in Europe has escaped the big freeze. Yesterday at Valdebebas, it started to snow just as I began recording my news report.
Tonight I will be braving the Bernabeu as Real Madrid play their first home game of 2010 against this season’s surprise package Mallorca.
The islanders are sitting in fourth place in the table after a brilliant run, which has seen them win all eight of their home games so far this campaign. Yet although Gregorio Manzano’s men are a force to be reckoned with at the Ono Estadi, their away form paints a different picture, and they have only won once on the road all season.
If they want to cause an upset tonight, they will have to hand Madrid their first league home defeat.
Mallorca have often proved to be the Whites’ bogey team over the last decade, so it looks like it could be a good one. My flatmate and I are just thankful that the Bernabeu has heaters!
I was sat in the stands for this one and with a 6-2 scoreline, what better way to witness it? It was the first time Villarreal had ever had six put past them in the Primera since their arrival in the top-flight a decade ago. Real Madrid came close to doing so two seasons ago, when they scored five without reply in the second game of 2007/2008 season at El Madrigal, but they went one better this time.
Earlier that day I saw with my own eyes just how huge an impact the Portuguese star has had on the country since his arrival in Spain, when a ten-metre high model of the footballer appeared around the corner from my flat! It was all part of a new World Cup 2010 advertising campaign by Nike, which is being filmed here in Madrid. Along with Ronaldo, the ad features a number of other big-name international stars such as Fabio Cannavaro and Wesley Sneijder. Sports daily AS had the picture on it’s pages the next day with the headline “Monumental.”
Cristano and Raul also got their names on the scoresheet, but it was the latter’s goal that held the most weight. It was the captain’s 227th league goal since he started out. That number puts him level with Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano in third place of the Spanish Primera’s all-time top scorer rankings. Ahead of them are only Hugo Sanchez and the mythical Zarra. And that’s not all……
