Mark Donaldson and Shaka Hislop weigh up which players at Real Madrid should be kept and offloaded to improve the squad in the summer.
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti predicts Real Madrid’s disastrous UCL exit to Ajax will be the catalyst for major changes at the Bernabeu.
MADRID – Real Madrid suffered one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history as the three-time defending champions lost 4-1 to Ajax on the night, and 5-3 on aggregate to exit the competition.
Positives
Madrid’s hierarchy can immediately get down to planning the inevitable summer clear out . And given how badly the team played tonight, and really all season, a lot of change is needed.
Editors’ Picks
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ESPN FC’s experts ranked the best men’s players and managers in world football. Check it out.
Flamengo: Tragedy in the Vulture’s Nest
On Feb. 8, a fire at an uninspected youth dorm at one of Brazil’s highest-earning clubs killed 10 young players. How?
The greatest game never played
When Boca Juniors and River Plate were set to meet in Argentina’s most important match, Buenos Aires lost its mind, writes Wright Thompson.
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– Fantasy: Set lineups, check scores!
Negatives
Where do you start? Madrid have ridden their luck plenty of times on the way to…
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti predicts Real Madrid’s disastrous UCL exit to Ajax will be the catalyst for major changes at the Bernabeu.
MADRID — Real Madrid suffered one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history Tuesday as the three-time defending champions lost 4-1 to Ajax on the night, and 5-3 on aggregate to exit the competition.
Positives
Madrid’s hierarchy can immediately get down to planning the inevitable summer clearout. And given how badly the team played Tuesday, and really all season, a lot of change is needed.
Editors’ Picks
Watch on ESPN networks in the U.S.
ESPN+ is America’s home for a host of professional soccer leagues from around the world, highlighted by Italy’s Serie A, Major League Soccer, UEFA Nations League and English FA Cup. |
ESPN+ schedule
Welcome to the FC 100
ESPN FC’s experts ranked the best men’s players and managers in world football. Check it out.
Flamengo: Tragedy in the Vulture’s Nest
On Feb. 8, a fire at an uninspected youth dorm at one of Brazil’s highest-earning clubs killed 10 young players. How?
The greatest game never played
When Boca Juniors and River Plate were set to meet in Argentina’s most important match, Buenos Aires lost its mind, writes Wright Thompson.
– Follow Transfer Talk LIVE
– Fantasy: Set lineups, check scores!
Negatives
Where do you start? Madrid have ridden their luck plenty of times on the way to…
Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 to climb up to second in La Liga, and are now — aided by Barcelona’s 0-0 draw at Athletic Bilbao — just six points off the top. Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-0 — Cristiano Ronaldo with a goal and an assist — to go nine points clear of second-placed Napoli. Manchester United continued on their merry way with a 3-0 win at Fulham to climb into the top 4 for the first time since the opening day of the Premier League season, while Liverpool eased the pressure threatening…
Mark Ogden and the FC crew examine the top-four in the Premier League, which is heating up as Man United improve and Chelsea struggle.
Steve Nicol doesn’t appreciate Maurizio Sarri’s self-praise after Chelsea’s rout of downtrodden Huddersfield Town.
Two goals apiece from Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a straighforward 5-0 win over a feeble Huddersfield.
Two goals apiece from Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a straighforward 5-0 win over a feeble Huddersfield.
Chelsea star Eden Hazard recaps his side’s comfortable 5-0 win over Huddersfield which included two goals from the mesmerising Belgian.
Chelsea are frustrated by Thibaut Courtois’ claim that director Marina Granovskaia went back on a promise to sanction his sale to Real Madrid last summer, sources have told ESPN FC.
Courtois refused to turn up for preseason training in an attempt to force through a move to Madrid, and Chelsea agreed a £35 million deal to sell him after activating the €80m (£71.5m) buyout clause in Kepa Arrizabalaga’s contract with Athletic Bilbao, who would come in as a replacement.
Transfers
How a transfer works
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Can a 44-year-old man cut it in the Premier League? Our writer suffers — and suffers some more — through a medical at Everton.
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FC Exclusives
– D.C’s Acosta move to PSG falls through
– No interest in City’s Mangala
– Tottenham to move for £30m Soler
– Man City eye Leicester’s Chilwell
In an interview…
Real Madrid head coach Santiago Solari agrees with Luka Modric’s harsh assessment of the club’s run of poor form.
The FC crew answer your tweets on Santi Solari’s future at Real Madrid, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s chances of becoming Man United’s permanent manager & more.
Real Madrid’s injury worries have deepened after goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered a pelvic muscle injury.
Courtois, 26, who played the 90 minutes in Sunday’s defeat to Real Sociedad, joins Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Marcos Llorente and Mariano Diaz on the sidelines.
A Madrid statement said the Belgium international had undergone tests but did not specify a potential recovery time.
“Following tests carried out on our player Thibaut Courtois by the Real Madrid medical services, he…
Alejandro Moreno and Dan Thomas reflect on Real Madrid’s nervy 1-0 over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
Karim Benzema’s goal in the 13th minute was all Real Madrid needed to put away Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and secure three points.
ESPN FC’s Ale Moreno breaks down the latest transfers surrounding Zinedine Zidane, Alvaro Morata and many more in Transfer Rater.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has accused Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone of criticising Real “to be popular with his fans.”
Earlier this month, Simeone claimed former Chelsea keeper Courtois had won FIFA’s The Best Goalkeeper award only because he plays for Real.
The Atleti coach also said star forward Antoine Griezmann should have won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Real midfielder Luka Modric, with Modric accusing him of having “a need to undermine” Real.
Speaking after Saturday’s…
Steve McManaman gives his verdict on Julen Lopetegui’s remaining time at Real Madrid and breaks down who the next manager could be.
Following Real Madrid’s disastrous display against Viktoria Plzen, the FC boys don’t give them any chance against Barcelona in El Clásico this weekend.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says he is considering taking legal action against Spanish newspaper El Pais because of an article it published on Friday claiming he would not welcome the appointment of either Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte as his club’s new coach.
The Spanish giants have endured a nightmare start to La Liga under new coach Julen Lopetegui and there is speculation that a change at the helm is imminent with Courtois’ former Chelsea coaches Mourinho and Conte both linked with…
The numbers behind Real Madrid’s current goal drought are more shocking than meets the eye.
Real Madrid head coach Julen Lopetegui prefers to talk about his whole team after their win over Roma.
With a goal for Real Madrid in every competitive game, the FC crew examine what’s led to Gareth Bale’s sublime start to the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in the running for his third-consecutive Ballon d’Or as he leads the men’s ominations, with France Football release their list of 30 at staggered intervals throughout the day.
The Juventus forward helped Real Madrid to a third successive Champions League title in May, scoring 44 goals in 44 games in all competitions in his final season at the club.
The individual honour, which is European football’s oldest having been awarded every year since 1956, has been won by either Ronaldo…
The numbers behind Real Madrid’s current goal drought are more shocking than meets the eye.
Real Madrid head coach Julen Lopetegui prefers to talk about his whole team after their win over Roma.
With a goal for Real Madrid in every competitive game, the FC crew examine what’s led to Gareth Bale’s sublime start to the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the second set of Men’s Ballon d’Or nominations as France Football release their list of 30 at staggered intervals throughout the day.
The Juventus forward helped Real Madrid to a third successive Champions League title in May, scoring 44 goals in 44 games in all competitions in his final season at the club.
The individual honour, which is European football’s oldest having been awarded every year since 1956, has been won by either Ronaldo or Lionel Messi for the past…