Spanish La Liga champions Real Madrid has unveiled an all-blue away kit for the upcoming season of Spanish football.
Manufactured by Adidas, the blue shirt features a lighter shade of blue (sky blue) on the collar along with two contour lines along the body. The club's sponsor and the three stripes of adidas are finished in white.
As with the new home kit, Adidas' ClimaCool technology has been implemented to the design and fabrics of the kit to enhance player performance by keeping the body at optimal temperature under all conditions.
Anatomically designed to optimise the fit and comfort of each player, other technologies includes 3D engineered patterns allowing ultimate player performance through increased ventilation and moisture management and greater durability.
Reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid has unveiled their new kit for the 2008/09 season of Spanish football.
Looking near identical to the 2005 home kit, the new home kit is classic all-white with black inserts (the purple used in the previous season's kit has been discarded) while the collar with black trim makes a welcome return.
Manufactured by Adidas, the kit features ClimaCool with flow mapping technology which enhances player performance by keeping the body at optimal temperature.
The kit has also been anatomically designed to optimise the fit and comfort of each player and includes 3D engineered patterns allowing ultimate player performance through increased ventilation and moisture management.
The new Real Madrid kit is sure to be a hit with fans.
As if winning the league with three matches to spare were not enough for Spanish giants Real Madrid, they went two steps further overnight by humiliating arch-rivals Barcelona 4-1 at the Bernabeu and depriving them of an automatic place in next season's Champions League in the process.
Real showed no signs of a celebratory hangover after clinching the title on Sunday and seemed to determined to celebrate their second successive title triumph at home in style and they did just that with goals from talismanic captain Raul, Arjen Robben, a classy strike from Gonzalo Higuain and a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty.
Barcelona's Thierry Henry scored a late consolation goal for the humiliated Catalans who were forced to clap Real on to the pitch at the start of the game in the traditional tribute to the league champions.
With two successive La Liga titles in the bag - the first under the reign of Bernd Schuster - Real will look to build on their success at home and turn their sights on dominating European football again starting with next season's Champions League.
Schalke 04 1 - 0 FC Porto
Liverpool 2 - 0 Inter Milan
Roma 2 - 1 Real Madrid
Olympiacos 0 - 0 Chelsea
SUMMARY:
Rafa Benitez's Liverpool has a knack for playing their best football in Europe and it was the same case overnight as the Mighty Reds came back from an embarrassing 2-0 loss against Barnsley to beat Italian giants Inter Milan 2-0 at Anfield.
The most ardent of Liverpool fans would have been worried by the prospect of facing the form side in Europe in the middle of a horrendous form slump, but Benitez's men had other ideas as Inter collapsed spectacularly in the last five minutes.
Dutchman Dirk Kuyt made it two goals in two games with his 85th minute opener, a deflected right-foot shot before talismanic captain Steven Gerrard took possession on the far right corner of the box and fired the second home off the far post in injury time.
While life was made easier for the Reds after the sending off of Marco Materazzi for two bookable offences on the half hour mark, the Italians defended bravely for almost an hour until the home side did enough to finally make a breakthrough.
There is still plenty to play for in the second leg of this intriguing tie.
Elsewhere, Roma were fourth time lucky as they beat Spanish giants Real Madrid 2-1 at home at the fourth attempt. Spanish striker Raul opened the scoring the visitors in the 8th minute, but Roma equalised through Pizarro in the 24th minute before Mancini sealed the game with a 58th minute winner.
Real, with a precious away goal, will fancy their chances when the return leg takes place at the Bernabeu.
Schalke 04 played admirably in their first appearance in the knockout phase of the Champions League, beating FC Porto 1-0 while English Premier League side Chelsea were held to a bore draw by Greek side Olympiacos.
Real Madrid will enter the post-Galacticos era with a new home shirt for the upcoming season.
With the departures of Ronaldo (Jan 07'), Roberto Carlos and David Beckham formally ending the reign of the Galacticos in Madrid, a new home kit complete with new sponsors BWin.com will be fitted on the players led by a new coach in Bernd Schuster.
The new home kit is in traditional white with a dash of purple on the famous three stripes of sportswear giants Adidas and also along the contours of the strip.
Eagle-eyed fans will notice that the new home kit is in fact the same shirt that was presented to the players after securing the La Liga trophy last month. At the time, the shirt was thought to be a one-off to commemorate Real Madrid's 30th title anniversary.
Despite guiding Spanish giants Real Madrid to their first La Liga title in four arduous years, Fabio Capello has been "boned" (sacked) with two more years left to run on his contract.
Real Madrid's sporting director Predrag Mijatovic thanked Capello for his hard work but added that the sacking for inevitable given that the board did not feel he was the right man to lead "The Whites" into the future.
"We have taken the decision not to continue with Fabio Capello next season,' said Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic.
'It was a difficult decision, but it was a unanimous decision based on an exhaustive report I made to the board.
'We don't think Fabio Capello is the right person to lead Real Madrid into the future given what we want this club to achieve.'
'Now we have time to think over who will be the next coach of the club."
The Italian football manager is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in professional football with the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every team he has managed, including two with Real Madrid - the first trophy coming during his first tenure at the club in 1997.
Although he managed to restore discipline in a side brimming with egos thus delivering their first league trophy in four years, he incurred the wrath of the ever-demanding Madrid fans by deploying conservative tactics that suffocated the style of attacking play the fans were accustomed to.
Beckham was unceremoniously dumped by Capello after signing for LA Galaxy
He also came under-fire for refusing to play ex-England skipper David Beckham after the midfielder signed a lucrative contract to play in MLS soccer in the US. He was later forced to make an embarrassing U-turn on this decision and it paid dividends for the club as a resurgent Beckham helped inspire his team-mates to a historic 30th La Liga triumph.
Former Real Madrid player Bernd Schuster is favourite to take over the reigns at the club. Also rumoured to interest the Spanish giants is Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger.
The 2006-07 La Liga season ended in a thrilling climax with Real Madrid coming back from a goal down to beat Real Mallorca 3-1 thus sealing the Spanish title for the 30th time in the club's illustrious history.
The gong gave departing players David Beckham and Roberto Carlos a fitting farewell to their tenure at the Bernabeu.
David Beckham and co. celebrates (BBC Sport)
For the first hour, Madrid was on the back-foot after going a goal down on the 17th minute courtesy of Mallorca defender Fernando Varela but the introduction of on-loan Arsenal winger Jose Reyes Antonio for the injured David Beckham proved to be a masterstroke from Real's Italian manager Fabio Capello.
The Spanish winger equalised for Madrid after just two minutes but that wasn't enough as Barcelona were well in command of their game against relegated Nastic.
Twelve minutes later, Real were ahead when Mahamadou Diarra's powerful header deflected off Mallorca midfielder Angelos Basinas and Reyes made sure of victory with his second goal on the 83rd minute - a brilliant curling shot from just outside the box.
The fans at the Bernabeu were in delirium after that as were the players and management staff after the final whistle.
The Spanish giants showed great determination and motivation to clinch their first La Liga title in four years. Having endured a barren few years with their last trophy won back in 2003, the "Whites" looked far from ending that drought in the first half of the season.
A turn of fortunes in the second half of the season, the recall of David Beckham and a string of gutsy performances saw Madrid mount a full-blooded assault on the Spanish title culminating in the thrilling climax which saw Madrid and arch-rivals Barcelona finishing level on points - Real clinched the title by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
David Beckham and Roberto Carlos both played their last games for the club - they will be moving to MLS side LA Galaxy and Turkish giants Fenerbache respectively.
The former England captain said: It was amazing to have my family here. They have been with me for four years in Spain and been through the ups and downs.
It meant the world to have everyone here that supported me through my career.
"I couldnt have dreamt it any better. Its been about winning the title for the last six months and weve deserved it.
It has been an incredible experience. All I remember now is the great things. Winning this puts everything else to bed.
It feels just as good as winning the Premiership. The titles just keep getting better and better.
Words cant describe how great I feel. I just want to say thank you for all the support. This is the perfect ending and I will miss the Bernabeu.
David Beckham has earned a recall to the England squad for a friendly at the new Wembley against Brazil on June 2nd and the crucial Euro 2008 trip to Estonia on June 6th.
The former England captain has been in exile from the England squad ever since current coach Steve McLaren took over the team after last year's World Cup quarter-final loss against Portugal.
Despite McLaren publicly saying that the door would not be closed for a Beckham return, many doubted he would appear in a Three Lions shirt again as England looked towards the future in the post-Sven Goran Eriksson era. Others have said that Beckham's axing had to do with McLaren's intention of stamping his authority on the team.
However, with England suffering a huge set-back on the back of a poor run of results, McLaren has had to recall the Real Madrid superstar for the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia.
Becks has been in sensational form for Real Madrid since making a return to the side after boss Fabio Capello had previously vowed he would never pick the Englishman again after the transfer saga which saw the player sign on for MLS side LA Galaxy for the next five seasons.
He has played a huge part in a resurgent Real side who are on course for triumph in La Liga - they currently top the League standings with 72 points.
I have always maintained that Beckham has been made a scapegoat for England's underperformance at the last World Cup. No, his play has never been about pace but precise and accurate passing, long or short, which he is continuing to do on a consistent basis for Real Madrid.
And more importantly, the fact is he is still clearly one of the best English players going around. His return maybe short-lived though given his impending move to US soccer, but as he has proven once again, write him off at your own peril.
Or just ask the two managers with egg on their faces!
Real Madrid club president Ramon Calderon said on Tuesday that the club will try to sign Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka for next season.
'I would love to see both Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo play for Real Madrid next season, but it won't be easy. Any big club would have this sort of objective and Real Madrid is a big club.'
However, Ronaldo is currently under contract talks to extend his stay with the Red Devils and a move appears unlikely, not to mention the rumoured 80 million euros "buy-out" clause attached to his existing contract.
A move for Brazilian midfielder Kaka seems more likely, but Calderon's hot pursuit of the talented player since last year's presidential election campaign has yet to bear fruit.
Spanish arch-rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid shared the spoils in a thrilling three-all draw at the Camp Nou over the weekend.
The Spanish giants put their disappointing exits from the Champion's League in midweek to stage a wonderful spectacle for fans with Barca's hat-trick hero, Argentine Lionel Messi, shining brightly.
Real took the lead three times in the match but Messi was on hand on each occasion to produce some magic to save his team from defeat.
Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy bagged a double (one penalty) for the Whites in the first half before Sergio Ramos put them 3-2 up with a header midway through the second half.
With the match seemingly won, Messi thought otherwise and equalised with a sublime goal in the last minute of the game to earn his side a draw.
Real, missing a host of first-team regulars including David Beckham, Fabio Cannavaro etc. will feel unlucky for not winning a match they dominated for the most part but both teams will feel a boost in morale as we approach the business end of the domestic season.
David Beckham's return to the Real Madrid first-team has been cut short by a knee ligament injury that will rule him out for 4-6 weeks.
The former England captain has been in fine form since his return to the Madrid line-up and was on the verge of an England recall for the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.
The 31-year-old midfielder was hurt playing for Real Madrid against Getafe in the Spanish League on Sunday. Beckham hurt his right knee after mis-hitting a cross and running into advertising hoardings behind the goal.
Not only will he miss the chance of a recall to the national team, he will also miss Wednesday's Champions League game against Bayern Munich, a crucial match against Barcelona next weekend and possibly a further three league games.
He will also miss an emotional return to Old Trafford on 13 March when he was set to play for a European All-Star XI against the current Manchester United side.
Beckham has said many times in the past that one of his biggest regrets was not being able to say goodbye to the United fans at Old Trafford after being sold to Real Madrid in the summer of 2003.
UEFA Champion's League action resumed overnight with the first knockout stage of the elite European club competition.
English giants Manchester United earned victory in a controversial match against French side Lille at the Stade Felix-Bollaert with a Ryan Giggs free-kick.
Furious Lille coaching staff attempted to haul their players off the pitch before the final whistle after keeper Tony Sylva was still lining his wall up when Ryan Giggs calmly stroked his free-kick into the top corner seven minutes from time to secure a 1-0 win.
There also appeared to be a security scare at the visitors end where fans seemed to get crushed in front of a 10 foot barrier which thankfully resulted in no reported injuries.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich took part in a five-goal thriller with David Beckham playing an instrumental role in his side's 3-2 win.
The former England captain played a pivotal role in all three goals before admitting that he still harbours ambition of a recall to the national team.
'My ambition has never changed since the age of 13, even younger. I always wanted to play for my country and I will always be available whether I'm in Spain, for the next four months, or whether I'm in LA,' he said before adding, 'I will always want to do well for my country.'
Scottish champions Celtic battled out an entertaining goalless draw with Italian giants AC Milan at Parkhead.
Meanwhile, last year's runners up Arsenal hopes of progressing were dealt a blow when they lost away from home to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
A below-par Gunners side could not find a way back after falling behind to a Edison Mendez goal in the 61st minute but all is not lost with a return game to be played at the Emirates stadium in a fortnight's time.
Reports coming out of Spain has said that Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has handed in his resignation and will take charge of the Spanish giants for the last time in Wednesday's Champion's League clash with German rivals Bayern Munich.
Capello has come under fire following a series of poor results, which saw Madrid lose three out of four games either side of the La Liga winter break, before suffering an embarrassing home defeat to struggling Levante a fortnight ago.
He also vowed to banish David Beckham to the stands for the remainder of his time in Spain after the former England captain signed a lucrative deal to join US Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy next season.
Capello later softened his hard stance and recalled Beckham in a match against Real Sociedad where the Englishman duly delivered - scoring a trademark free-kick - and helped Real to their only win in the last four games.
Real Madrid board spokesman Miguel Angel Arroyo dismissed the report as a 'rumour' during a press conference at the Bernabeu stadium.
He said: 'It is a rumour. Fabio Capello has not presented his resignation either verbally, or in written form.'
Hardly the ideal preparation for a huge Champion's League fixture ahead then.
Beckham celebrates goal with Ruud Van Nistelrooy *Image taken from realmadrid.com*
Former England captain David Beckham made a triumphant return to the starting line-up for Real Madrid when he scored the first goal for his side with a trademark free-kick in his team's come from behind win against Real Sociedad.
Golden balls had been sidelined for a month by Real boss Fabio Capello following his announcement that he would join MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of the season, but was back in the team after a string of losses for the Spanish giants.
Eight minutes before halftime, Beckham cancelled out Sociedad's early lead with a trademark free kick before being mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates, many of which have championed his return after Capello had vowed to make Becks sit out the rest of the season before his switch to the US.
'A gift from Beckham to Capello,' was Spanish newspaper El Pais's description of the goal, while most papers were agreed that the victory had saved the manager Capello from the sack after a poor run of results.
Beck's former Manchester United team-mate Ruud Van Nistelrooy sealed the win for Real with a header in the second half.
What a way to return to the starting line-up and shut up a few critics along the way!
Brazilian striker and three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo has joined Italian Serie A giants AC Milan from Real Madrid for £4.95m on an 18-month contract.
Ronaldo had fallen out of favour this season at Real following the arrival of new boss Fabio Capello and has started only three league games this season. He has also faced strong criticism over the last two seasons for being overweight and seemingly lacking motivation.
In a distinguished footballing career, the striker has won two World Cups with Brazil and set a record for goals scored in World Cups in Germany last year.
The departure of Ronaldo and David Beckham's imminent move to the US sparks the end of the Galactico era at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid were embarrassingly knocked out of the Copa del Rey last night in a fiery clash with La Liga strugglers Real Betis on the away goals rule.
A young Madrid side lacking experience from the absence of David Beckham and Ronaldo due to 'technicalities" were made to pay for a number of wasted chances as Betis progressed through to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.
The Whites started strongly and Brazilian forward Robinho punished some slack defending to put the home team ahead as early as the fifth minute but wasted chances came back to haunt them as Betis fashioned an equaliser in the 37th minute.
As a result, Real Madrid were dumped from the competition by virtue of the away goals rule.
With the controversy surrounding Beckham's move to the US and the imminent departure of Ronaldo, the last thing the Spanish giants needed was a humbling defeat against a side struggling in the Primera division of the Spanish League.
The world's most famous footballer, ex-England captain David Beckham, will join US Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles Galaxy in a staggering US$250 million five-year deal at the end of the season.
"Golden Balls" will leave Spanish giants Real Madrid in June and start his new life in the US in August.
After months of speculation, the 31 year-old finally put pen to paper - sealing one of the most lucrative deals in world sport.
Beckham said in a statement: 'This week, Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract by a further two seasons.
'After discussing several options with my family and advisers to either stay here at Madrid or join other major British and European clubs, I have decided to join the Los Angeles Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year.
'I would like to thank the supporters and people of Madrid who have made my family and I feel so welcome in my time here, making this an extremely difficult decision to make.
'I have enjoyed my time in Spain enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans.
'I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own.
'For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100% to my coach, team mates and fans as I believe Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve.'
This ground-breaking deal took place after the MLS recently changed their salary cap rules to allow sides to make 'marquee signings' of top international stars.
A break-down of the deal are as follows:
Annual salary: US$10m Total control of his image rights, including sponsorship contracts with his four sponsors - Motorola, Pepsi, Gillette and Volkswagen - estimated to be US$25m Merchandising (sales of replica shirts): US$10m Share of club profits: US$10m
My personal opinion on this move is that Beckham no longer harbours the ambition of achieving success in European football and representing his country on the international stage.
While Beckham enjoyed much success at club level with Manchester United, he has endured a barren run of three years without lifting a trophy at Real Madrid.
As the Spanish giants stepped into a new era with Italian Fabio Capello as head coach this season, Beckham has endured a frustrating season in which he has only started a total of five games in all competitions.
His England career also came to an abrupt end after he relinquished his captaincy post World Cup 2006 and has not been picked ever since by new national manager Steve McLaren despite the "door still being opened" for the midfielder.
Although Beckham has stated that he still harbours ambition to play for his country, his latest career move to a lesser league proves otherwise and it is safe to say that Beckham will definitely not be adding to his 94 caps.
Beckham's move stateside has been greeted as a historic moment in the history of football in the country with MLS commissioner Don Garber saying: "David Beckham coming to MLS might be viewed by some as one of the most important moments for soccer in this country and perhaps the history of professional sport.
"David transcends the sport and is a cultural icon. David is clearly one of the most recognisable athletes in the world.
"People are going to feel really good about David Beckham spending the rest of his career in the US."
Becks will therefore be in charge of rejuvenating a sport that lags behind in terms of popularity to other mainstream sports such as the NFL, NBA and baseball over in the US.
This is a huge ask, even for "Golden Balls".
Although I expect interest in the MLS to surge ten-fold upon his arrival, what remains to be seen if this interest can be maintained over the course of a season and beyond.
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