news briefs
Just waiting for the official announcement (and the traditional shirtless medical photos)… Update: it’s here! And the pictures are out as well… I can’t believe they’ve got him posing like that already!
Fábio Coentrão underwent his medical and signed his six-year contract with Real Madrid today. According to Benfica, whose president met with Coentrão’s agent (Jorge Mendes), FP and JAS this morning, the clubs agreed on a price of €30 million for the defender.
However, the cost may be lessened by the move of Ezequiel Garay to the Portuguese club, and AS reports that Madrid will keep 50% of the rights of the player, while Marca says Drenthe may be loaned to the club as well.
These photos of Iker and Sara arriving in Beijing today for an almost week-long visit are courtesy of reader Chloe. As stated previously, Iker’s in China to support his campus for goalkeepers. During his time in Beijing, he’ll also catch the Chinese Super League football match between Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua tomorrow.
Tonight is the “Haiti es real” charity dinner organized by the Real Madrid Foundation and the Chocrón Macías Foundation. The site is none other than the field of the Bernabéu, diners will be entertained by the likes of José Mercé, Niña Pastori, Huecco (Sergio should go then, no?) and the gala will be emceed by Iker’s favorite presenter (although that might have changed once he started dating Sara) Anne Igartiburu. There will also be an auction, where people can bid for things such as the tennis racket Rafa Nadal used when he won the French Open, Xabi Alonso’s boots and Cristiano’s signed shirt from the Copa del Rey final, or a dinner for two with Vicente del Bosque at the Sergi Arola Gastro restaurant. Proceeds will go towards rebuilding the San Gerardo school in Port-au-Prince.
Doesn’t Sara ever work?
Finally, now we have so much players, who will be out??
I feel sad of Macerlo, he plays good, and his attitude is good,
and he is just like Pipita, he is our kid, I hope I can still see his smile next season.
And I can’t believe the rumors that Mou wants to replace the captain, before he thinks of that, pls. study what is Madrid traidition and sprit first!!!!
so what will happen to Marcelo now! I can’t help thinking that! Coentroa is a great LB, has a greact connection with angel, cris too, pepe and caravalho BUT Marcelo :(!
Iker perfection!
I think the Fabio Coentrao signing is a great one, but there is really nothing Real can do to be better than Barca at the front. It is also kind of sad that Adebayor now looks like he won’t get the permanent stay at Madrid that he wants.
Am starting to think the thumbs up sign is part of Madrid’s on-boarding process.
Where do you see Coentrão fitting into the squad? If he plays as left back, where does that leave Marcelo?
The charity dinner sounds great, nice to see attention is still being given to Haiti long after the media had moved on from the story as they usually do. I’d love to be able to bid on any of those items!! Though I can’t imagine having dinner with del Bosque! Wouldn’t know what to say.
We now seem to have a lot of defenders and midfielders, but what about strikers? I just think it is odd that one has not yet been signed given all of the emphasis placed on the need for a new striker over the past year. But perhaps I speak too soon, the transfer window has not yet closed. Or maybe someone will be promoted… (yeah right)
as I thought, Sara is with him in China. Guarding her Prince, I assume…..
“a dinner for two with Vicente del Bosque at the Sergi Arola Gastro restaurant”
OMG I WANT THIS!!!11
i could ask him how he manages his hair :DDDDD
I would rather have dinner with Xabi, especially since he’s such a gourmand!
una, the captaincy story of marca is wrong. Confirmed by Iker himself: http://www.intereconomia.com/noticias-/punto-pelota/punto-pelota/capitan-iker-20110706
I think Coentrão will be a good addition, at least he is not a midfielder.
You can’t clearly see Sara behind Iker in the fourth photo, but just that tiny bit of her eye with the excessive eyeliner is a huge giveaway. I wonder if she brought a month’s supply of eyeliner with her to China!
I’m very happy we have some reliable defenders, that’s all I ask for especially since our strong ones are going to need some break time as well and when they have to sit out for games due to fouls they have caused. I’m satisified with the forwards/strikers we have now and I don’t believe we need anymore. Now here’s hoping everyone works hard this season to win us some of those overdue trophies