Real Madrid Resort Island Coming to Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK)

Posted by Clive in Football, Real Estate

Real Madrid Resort Island is being planned for the Al-Marjan Island in Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) for 2015.

Al-Marjan Island is a group of man-made islands in the Northern Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK), park of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and about 45 mins drive from it’s more famous neighbor, Dubai.

Real Madrid and the RAK authorities are planning to take over one of the islands and turn it into a Real Madrid resort island, hoping it will become a mecca for Real Madrid and fooball fans alike.

Covering about 50 hectares, the Real Madrid Resort Island aims to attract 1 million visitors a year once it is completed at the start of 2015. The final cost is expected to be around $1 billion.

Real Madrid Resort Island Business

No one has ever accused Real Madrids President, Florentino Perez, of lacking ambition and so it is with the Real Madrid Resort Island project. He hopes that it will bring the sporting culture of Real Madrid closer to the now vital Arab and Asian markets.

There is sound business sense behind the Real Madrid Resort Island decision, RAK is located in the sweet spot between the old economic world of Europe, and the new economic powerhouses of Asia. Giving the resort access to a vast number of Real Madrid fans within a short(ish) flight, an estimated 300 million fans with over half located in Asia.

The likelihood too is that a fair chunk of the cost for the project will be picked up by the RAK authorities. They rightly see the PR value of having such a high profile brand lead the way in their drive to become a high profile tourist destination. RAK aims to have 20% of it’s GDP generated by tourist related activities within 10 years.

If the plans come off, sports fans will see an amazing resort come to life. A marina, amusement park, luxury hotels and sporting facilities such as an incredible soccer stadium opening up to the sea will await them.

His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi of RAK said

“This is an exciting project developed with a world leading brand. We are proud for being chosen by Real Madrid. We appreciate their vision and we have a million reasons to be optimistic. I wish to congratulate Florentino Perez for his vision and for where he’s taken this club. This is going to transform the United Arab Emirates. We are ready to embrace progress and the millions of visitors who will come to Real Madrid Resort Island.”

La Liga Football Players Go On Strike in Spain

Posted by James in Football, Sports

La Liga football players are getting ready to strike at the start of the new Spanish football season.

Spanish players in the top two leagues of La Liga, who belong to the AFE (Association of Spanish Footballers), are going on strike after talks collapsed over the guaranteeing of wages.

The AFE want players to be able to break their contracts with clubs if they haven’t received any wages for 3 months in a row, and they want a guaranteed wage fund so that even if their club becomes insolvent they will still be paid.

Like many leagues, the Spanish league is littered with clubs who are not financially stable and, at the last count, 6 are under Spanish bankruptcy protection laws.

Millions of Euros are currently owed to around 200 players by clubs struggling to pay their high wage bills, a story echoing around much of Europe as football wages skyrocket year on year.

The row has been rumbling on for some time now. Players had initially threatened a strike last season over the distribution of TV money amongst other things, but talks then headed off the threat.

Wary of perceived broken promises, the AFE are unlikely to be dissuaded from carrying out strike action in last minute talks between the two sides.

The Spanish La Liga campaign was meant to kick off with Barcelona entertaining Malaga and Real Madrid facing Athletic Bilbao this week. Next weeks games are also under threat.

Photo: Jan S0l0

Cesc Fabregas Makes Debut for Barcelona in Super Cup Win

Posted by James in Football, Sports

Cesc Fabregas makes his début for Barcelona in a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in a confrontational Spanish Super Cup win.

Cesc Fabregas has his hands on his first trophy for 5 years after being at Barcelona for less than a week.

Barcelona beat their arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 (5-4 on aggregate) in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

The match was a confrontational, not to mention occasionally violent one, involving one mass brawl, a finger in the eye, three red cards and goals for both Messi and Ronanldo.

The mass brawl erupted after Fabregas came on as a substitute and was given a ‘welcome to Spain’ scissor type tackle from Brazilian Marcelo.

Marcelo was sent off by the referee but not before every player and most of the coaches got out their handbags and started pushing each other around. Barcelona’s David Villa and Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil were both shown red cards by the referee after the scuffle.

The TV camera’s then caught Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho giving Barcelona’s assistant coach, Tito Valanova, a cheeky poke in the eye with his finger.

It’s unlikely that La Liga will take any action because it was not seen by the referee at the time, but Real Madrid are coming under more pressure to-do something about their wayward manager. It’s not the first time he has caused a loss of face for the club.

Perhaps a move back to the Premier League may be closer than we thought, although I suspect the only job Jose wants is to be at the helm of Man Utd.

In the match itself, Andres Iniesta put Barcelona ahead early with an assist from Messi. Christiano Ronaldo then equalised before Lionel Messi restored Barcelona’s lead just before half time.

Benzema levelled the score again after the break but Messi struck again just a few minutes before the final whistle blew giving Barcelona yet another trophy for their display cabinet.

Photo: LaLigaBBVA

Barcelona Seal Spanish La Liga Title

Posted by Jeff in Football, Sports

Barcelona have captured their 3rd Spanish La Liga title in succession after a 1-1 draw at Laventa.

Barcelona have secured the La Liga title with 2 games to spare, moving 6 points clear from 2nd place Real Madrid.

Their greater head to head results against Real Madrid mean that they cannot be overtaken, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5-0 at home earlier in the season.

Xavi was once again instrumental in their goal, crossing for Keita to head his first half goal. A rare mistake by Pique let in Laventa for the equaliser but it didn’t matter to the Barcelona faithful. The result led to celebrations in the streets of the Catalan capital.

Sealing the win with 2 games to go means that Pep Guardiola to rest his key players ahead of the Champions League Final clash with Manchester United on May 28th at Wembley.

It is an important point for Barcelona, their players were looking tired and in need of some rest. Manchester United can also be in a similar position if they win or draw their next game away at Blackburn and seal the English Premier League title.

Photo: www.fcbarcelona.cat

Mourinho Takes a Swipe at Guardiola Ahead of the Champions League Semi-Final

Posted by Jeff in Football, Sports

Real Madrid’s manager Jose Mourinho, has taken a Swipe at his Barcelona counterpart, Pep Guardiola, ahead of the Champions League Semi-Final today.

Jose Mourinho seems to have taken the fine art of getting under the opposition’s skin to a high level of skill.

He often uses the tactic before a game with the idea of rattling the opposition, this time his target is the Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola ahead of their Champions League clash tonight.

Comments in the press conference below about Guardiola criticising correct decisions by referees elicited some expletive’s from the normally laid back Spaniard.

Mourinho was referring to a goal for Barcelona that was disallowed for offside in the Copa Del Rey, Guardiola was said to have criticised the decision, but in replay’s it was proved to be the correct one.

Guardiola responded by saying that he did not complain about the decision, he had just pointed out that the result can come down to small things.

It seems that Barcelona are increasingly feeling the heat following their loss to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid are also breathing down their necks in the Spanish League.

Real Madrid have had the momentum between the two teams going into this match, but Barcelona are probably the best side in the world, it is a finely balanced contest that will be intriguing to watch.

El Classico Part 1: Real Madrid 1 – Barcelona 1

Posted by James in Football, Sports

Honours were even for the first El Classico as Messi and Ronaldo both score from the penalty spot.

Lionel Messi scored early in the second half after Raul Albiol had pulled David Villa to the ground, he was promptly shown the red card and given his marching orders.

Ronaldo had a header from a corner cleared off the line and had a dipping free kick cannon off the post before he got his goal from the penalty spot after a foul on Marcelo.

Barcelona’s Hernandez also hit the bar from distance but it was a niggly game, interrupted by fouls and some time-wasting. With only 6 games left in La Liga the pressure is starting to show for both teams.

Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images for adidas

Barcelona and Real Madrid to Star in Champions League Semi-Final

Posted by James in Football, Sports

Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other in the Champions League Semi-Finals in a mouth watering encounter after beating Shakhtar Donetsk and Tottenham respectively.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will now have to play each other 4 times in 18 days as they take each other on in 3 different competitions; the Champions League (2 legs), the Spanish La Liga and the Spanish Cup final, Copa del Ray.

El Classico, as the games between the two teams in Spain are known, are huge games in every sense as the two teams have dominated Spanish football for decades and are followed all around the world. 10′s of million of viewers are expected to tune in to each game.

In the Champions League both teams cruised past their opponents in the 2nd leg of their quarter-finals. Real Madrid once again took on Tottenham, this time at White Heart Lane, coming away 1-0 winners on the night and 5-0 winners on aggregate. Tottenham had no answer for the problems that they created in Madrid.

Barcelona also had few problems as they took on Shakhtar Donetsk beating them 1-0 in the 2nd leg with a goal from Messi, this follows a 5-1 trouncing in the first leg.

That goal brought Lionel Messi’s goal tally this season to an astonishing 48, a feat never before achieved in Spanish top flight football. When you consider the teams that he has scored against it is an astonishing total from the man most would consider the best footballer in the world.

The last time that the two teams met was back in November when Barcelona dismantled Real Madrid 5-0. Will Mourinho be able to turn it around? Don’t count against it.

Photo: Jan S0l0

Barcelona 5 – Real Madrid 0

Posted by Gary in Football, Sports

Barcelona showed a gulf in class as they tore their bitter rivals for the Spanish league, Real Madrid, apart.

Lionel Messi was superb as he controlled the game, hitting the post and setting up 2 goals. He had to endure some rough treatment from the Real players but always answered with his skill and the football at his feet.

In contrast the other big player of the night, Christiano Ronaldo, had a very quiet game and was noticeably frustrated.

Barcelona went ahead after Messi hit the woodwork with a chip and the ball bounced to Xavi. They went 2 ahead after Pedro knocked in David Villa’s cross.

Villa himself got 2 goals after half time and Jeffren managed to get Barcelona’s 5th goal in stoppage time.

The win elevates Barcelona to the top of the Spanish league above Real Madrid and in a strong position to claim the crown yet again.

Photo: borkur.net