all set for Auxerre!

Madrid held their last training session yesterday afternoon before their Champions League game tonight (and it looked like fun, especially for Antonio Adán!).  Seventeen first team players practiced (Xabi and Iker were excused, and Khedira and Di María worked out indoors), along with two canteranos, MFC Álvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia.  Both of them made the cut for the convocatoria (the third for Morata and the first for Sarabia) which looks like this.

Goalkeepers: Dudek, Adán.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Albiol, Mateos, Carvalho, Pepe, Garay, Marcelo.
Midfielders: Diarra, Granero, Özil, Lass, Sarabia, Pedro León.
Forwards: Morata, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo.

More from the training session.  Is that really Cristiano Ronaldo hanging out and talking with… Spaniards?  And TWO Spaniards?  The same Cristiano Ronaldo who doesn’t get along with his Spanish teammates?  What, so you mean that Sport can’t be trusted to report reliable Real Madrid information?  Nooooooooo.  Really???

And the second picture is the definition of a language barrier if I ever saw one.  But it’s ok, since I’m sure they can communicate via glances.

JM Jr. was also at the session!  How come he doesn’t hang out with the goalkeepers?

Aitor Karanka said in the press conference following the session (he’ll be on the bench tonight in his third game as head coach, as Mou is serving a one-game suspension for the alleged shenanigans during the Ajax game) that they’re very happy with Benzema’s performance, that Lass has improved a lot, and that Cristiano would have to be half dead before he decides that he can’t play.

The player tasked with speaking to the press was El Pirata, and he said something I really liked: “I don’t understand why it’s been said that it’s complicated to motivate oneself in this stadium to play the Champions.  Putting on this shirt, defending Real Madrid and playing in this competition is sufficient motivation, although we’ve already qualified.  There is a prestige to defend and some fans that we have to respond to.  If that’s not enough motivation…”  Spoken like a true canterano!

Meanwhile, UEFA has warned José Mourinho that they won’t tolerate what the Spanish Liga has, mainly the suspended Mou sitting near the bench and giving out instructions as if he were coach, with the only difference being that he’s not on the bench, as he did during the two Liga games (Sporting and Athletic) in which he was suspended.  UEFA has reminded the coach that he will not be allowed to be in contact with any member of the team before the game, and not until 15 minutes after the game ends.  Mou will be allowed to watch the game in the stands, but cannot go near the locker room, the tunnel or the technical area.  It also means no mobile phones, no walkie talkies and no sitting near the bench in the first row.

(When Mou coached Chelsea, he was suspended for one game in 2005.  But Mou allegedly entered the locker room in a laundry cart, and communicated with his staff via telephone and written messages.  He also left the stadium in the same way.  No doubt there was no literal dirty laundry in the cart with him.)