Latest news with #Galactico
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lucas Vazquez: ‘I may be leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me'
Lucas Vazquez: 'I may be leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me' While Luka Modric's departure from Real Madrid was made public even before his final game at the Santiago Bernabeu, Lucas Vazquez's exit from the club was kept an open secret. Neither Real Madrid nor the player officially confirmed the news of his departure up until today, but it always appeared relatively clear that the veteran was in his final season at the club. Advertisement The arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold, in many ways, all but confirmed the development especially given how the new signing not only arrived as a direct competitor but a bona fide starter in the same position. Vazquez pens his farewell note Taking to his official Instagram account earlier today, the Real Madrid captain officially sent out his farewell message to the club and fans across the globe. He began by recalling how it was close to 20 years since he first arrived at the club and how life has moved fast to bring him to this stage already. 'Dear Madridistas, it has been nearly two decades since I arrived at Valdebebas as a 16-year-old full of dreams and excitement to wear this shirt.' 'Every step along the way has been a gift, and over time, Madrid became my home,' he added. Advertisement Fondly rekindling the memories of all the exhilarating moments he has lived as a Real Madrid player, the unforgettable nights and the UCL comebacks, he wrote, 'We have lived unforgettable nights together, celebrated 23 titles and created memories that will stay with me forever. ' 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the President, board, staff, coaches, teammates and above all, to the fans. You pushed me to always give that little bit more,' he added, thanking every individual who has been a part of the journey with him. Vazquez then dropped the bomb officially and revealed that he will be leaving the club of his dreams and that he has already played his final game for Real Madrid. Advertisement 'Today, after more than 400 matches, it is time to say goodbye to the club of my life. But I leave with peace of mind knowing I gave it my all.' 'I have always been aware of the responsibility and privilege that comes with wearing this badge,' he added. Writing on all the joys being a Galactico gave him as a football player and as a lifelong Real Madrid fan himself, the veteran defender wrote, 'I have enjoyed every match, training session, trip, and if there is one thing this journey has taught me, it is that no one should ever tell you that you can't achieve something.' 'I may be leaving Real Madrid, but Real Madrid will never leave me,' he emotionally added. Advertisement Finally, the club captain penned out how he would always be proud to be a part of the incredible and almighty Real Madrid. 'Wherever I go, I will proudly say that I had the honour of playing for the greatest club in the world.' 'Thank you for being part of the most beautiful journey of my life. Hala Madrid, y Nada mas!' he concluded.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pajor's journey to world's most prolific striker
Ewa Pajor has led Poland to their first major women's tournament [Getty Images] As the second-lowest ranked team at Euro 2025, not many people would give Poland much of a hope at this summer's tournament. But that would not take into account their star striker, Ewa Pajor. After a record-breaking debut season with Barcelona, the 28-year-old goes into the competition as the most prolific striker in the world. Advertisement It has not been a straightforward journey for the Pole, who has overcome a career-threatening eye disease on the way, and while she has been rewarded with trophies at club level, it is her achievements with the national team which mean the most. "Representing your country and leading it to its first major tournament is something you carry in your heart forever," Pajor told BBC Sport. Despite being drawn in a daunting group which contains eight-time Euros winners Germany, 2021 Olympic silver medallists Sweden and 2017 Euros runners-up Denmark, Pajor says Poland can make their mark. "We're not just there to participate - we want to compete." Advertisement 'She was a Galactico' She grew up on a farm outside Uniejow, a spa town of fewer than 2,000 people in central Poland. If she wasn't helping with the cows, she played football with her brothers - she was one of five siblings - as well as the local boys, outscoring them as if she were her idol Cristiano Ronaldo. After she was spotted playing with local team Orleta Wielenin - she was the only girl playing - Pajor's primary school PE teacher started to take her to tournaments in the town of Konin as her parents could not take time off from the farm. Soon Pajor joined the youth system of women's club Medyk Konin and she and older sister Paulina moved into a dormitory an hour from home. Advertisement Homesickness hit Pajor hard, but her parents had brought up a tough child. "My ambition comes from my parents," she told DAZN. "From a young age I saw how hard-working and ambitious they are. They instilled that in me, as well as never giving up." It was at Medyk that Pajor first met Nina Patalon, now Poland's head coach, who at the time was coaching in the club's youth set-up. Patalon - the first woman in Poland to receive a Uefa Pro Diploma - has coached thousands of girls and women over the years, but she still remembers the moment she first saw a 10-year-old Pajor. Advertisement "Ewa came to one of my sessions with girls two years older than her, this tiny girl with a ball almost bigger than her," Patalon told BBC Sport. "At first, I thought she was way too small for the group. But then she started playing, and we were all stunned. "Her speed, coordination, the way she moved with the ball - it was simply extraordinary. The older girls couldn't handle her. "Right after that training session, I called our club president and said: 'We have to do everything to bring this girl here. She's a Galactico.' That was the beginning of a very special journey." Advertisement Turning pro Ewa Pajor met future Barcelona team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen, Fridolina Rolfo and Ingrid Engen at Wolfsburg [Getty Images] Pajor made her senior debut for Medyk - coached by Patalon - at 15 years and 133 days, scoring twice as she become the youngest player to appear in Poland's top flight. She went on to score 64 goals in 60 league games for the club before joining German giants Wolfsburg in 2015. Moving to a club that was a fixture in the Champions League, and playing in a physical domestic league, was a huge step up for Pajor - she told DAZN that she was "very thin with no muscles" at the time. It was in 2017 in Germany that Pajor was diagnosed with keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that can cause blurriness and stop the eye from focusing properly. Advertisement The issue threatened her career, but two surgeries and adaptive contact lenses allowed her to continue her development. After making modest contributions to Wolfsburg's Frauen-Bundesliga title wins in 2016-17 and 2017-18, Pajor scored 24 goals in 19 games in 2018-19 as her side won a third successive title. Pajor followed that up with 17 goals in 16 games as Wolfsburg again won the title in 2019-20, before injury disrupted the following two campaigns. Nine goals in the 2022-23 Women's Champions League took Wolfsburg to the final, during which she scored the opener. Yet for the fourth time in her career Pajor was on the losing side as Wolfsburg surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Barcelona in Eindhoven. Advertisement After scoring 136 goals in 196 games for Wolfsburg, last summer Barcelona paid a reported fee of over 400,000 euros (currently £342,000) to take her, then aged 27, to Catalonia. Breaking records in Barcelona Ewa Pajor (43 goals) beat Jenni Hermoso's record (42 goals) for the most goals in a debut season with Barcelona [Getty Images] The quality and standards at Barcelona are such that it often takes new signings months to find their feet, but that was no issue for Pajor. The Pole enjoyed the best debut season in the club's history, scoring 43 goals in 46 games in all competitions to help Barca win a league and cup double. Not only did Pajor win the Pichichi Trophy as the top scorer in Liga F last season, but at the time of writing she is the top-scoring player - female or male - in the world in 2025 with 29 goals. Advertisement Though Barcelona lost to Arsenal in the Champions League final - bringing her tally of defeats in Europe's premier club tournament's showpiece to five - she undoubtedly improved a team that was already close to perfection. "Barca and Pajor have improved each other. Her arrival gave Barca a number nine, a killer," Spanish football journalist Julia Gimenez Funes told BBC Sport. "After Asisat Oshoala's departure last year, Salma Paralluelo filled that position and did very well even though it wasn't her natural position. "However, Barca needed a pure centre-forward like Pajor who could take advantage of passes from Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati." Advertisement Speaking before the Champions League final in May, Barca boss Pere Romeu said that "having Ewa Pajor in the box gives us more presence than we had before". Barcelona have not only taught Pajor a new way to play football - she drops deeper and gets more involved in build-up play than she did at Wolfsburg - but other aspects of the game as well. "What surprised me most was the focus on team culture and details," Pajor told BBC Sport. "It's not just talent - it's discipline, humility, and the will to improve constantly. "Being there has helped me grow as a player, but also as a person. And I'm bringing that experience back with me to the national team." Advertisement 'Representing a generation' Pajor needs 11 more caps to become Poland's most-capped women's player in history [Getty Images] As Poland's all-time leading goal scorer with - at the time of writing - 68 goals in 101 appearances, it was fitting Pajor scored the most significant goal in the history of Polish women's football. Hanging on to a 1-0 aggregate lead against Austria in the second leg of their Euro 2025 qualification play-off in Vienna, Pajor smashed home from close range in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure victory. Pajor broke down in tears at the final whistle, Poland's place at a major tournament for the very first time secured on her 28th birthday. "It was one of the most emotional moments of my life," Pajor told BBC Sport. Advertisement "Knowing we had made history - it's hard to describe. I've won titles at club level, but this was different. "It's not just about me - it's about the team, the journey, and every little girl watching who now knows this is possible." Though Poland lost all of their Euros qualifiers - they earned a place in the play-offs by winning their group in the 2023-24 Uefa Women's Nations League - Pajor is bullish on their chances. "We've grown so much as a group, and I believe in the work we've done," she said. "I'm motivated by the chance to show that we belong on this stage. That Poland can dream big."
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Hugo Ekitike is Thierry Henry-like Arsenal and Man Utd transfer target with symmetrical name who could surpass Gyokeres
HE'S the man with the symmetrical name hoping to become a household name in the English game. 11 Ekitike was born in France but has roots in Cameroon 11 Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are all reportedly interested in him Credit: Reuters 11 He won Ligue 1 in his time with PSG playing alongside Neymar, Mbappe and Messi Credit: 2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency And the French striker has shown there is far more to him than a surname that reads the same back to front. Following a sensational breakthrough season with Eintracht Frankfurt, Ekitike is rated at £85million and linked with Liverpool, With No 9s in short supply, the 23-year-old has emerged as a genuine alternative to the likes of Not that he is any stranger to these shores having TWICE turned down moves to Newcastle - first in January 2022 and again seven months later. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS Ekitike opted for Paris Saint-Germain instead, stating at the time: "I'm not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me. "If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there. But when PSG wants you and you're French, you can't refuse." As it turned out, Ekitike ran into a Galactico roadblock in the form of Lionel Messi, Neymar and But now he is available again, we've run the rule over the wiry hotshot Messi dubbed 'The Iron Rod'. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK SO IS HE ANY GOOD? Well, the simple answer is yes. Last season he scored 15 goals and produced eight assists in the Bundesliga, playing 33 of the 34 matches. Throw in another seven goals and four assists in cup competitions, including the Europa League, and you can see why the Premier League's vultures are circling. What really impressed the Frankfurt fans was how he adapted to the loss of Up until then, the pair had been blazing away as a two-man frontline. New footage sees raging Jude Bellingham KICK VAR monitor in frustration after Real Madrid's last-gasp defeat But once Marmoush left for Far from derailing the youngster, he thrived on the lone role, scoring three times in the first two games following Marmoush's exit and maintaining his numbers until the end of the season. WHAT ARE HIS STRENGTHS? Dribbling is probably his main asset. Ekitike has quick feet and an ability to dance past defenders through seemingly impossible gaps with the ball glued to his boots. Right footed, he is technically gifted and has explosive pace. At 6ft 3in, he looks gangly but is in fact deceptively balanced. He also offers versatility. Ekitike can play as a No 9, a second striker, or as a winger. He loves to drop deep to link play and is excellent at running the channels or cutting in from the left flank and shooting. That has prompted comparisons with Thierry Henry, although a fairer likeness would be Isak. Ekitike is also very good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch. 11 Hugo Ekitike enjoyed a impressive season in Germany 11 He's been described by some as a dribbling machine Credit: Getty 11 He's scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for his German club Credit: AFP AND HIS WEAKNESSES? He is still very raw and, despite his success last season, there are improvements to be made. Ekitike can be guilty of a lack of composure in the final third. Last season, he had more shots than anyone in the Bundesliga (117) but managed only a 13 per cent conversion rate. Compare that to the 23 per cent that Harry Kane achieved from his 114 shots and you would be forgiven for painting a picture of wastefulness. However, it has as much to do with decision-making as it does accuracy. Ekitike likes to have a pop from range with 24 per cent of his efforts coming from outside the box, with less chance of beating the keeper. He is stronger than he looks but, even so, there are occasions where he is knocked off the ball too easily. And don't be in a rush to hand him penalty duties. He missed two in the space of a month for Eintracht last season. 11 He's on the radar of a lot of Premier League club Credit: Rex 11 He could play for both France and Cameroon CAN HE HACK IT IN THE PREM? Often players coming from the Bundesliga struggle at first with the superior physicality of the Premier League. Marmoush has bucked that trend and it would be astonishing if a player as talented as As for Ekitike, he will probably need a bit of patience. Prior to last season, he had only reached double figures for goals once before when he scored 10 for his hometown club Stade de Reims in 2021-22. And his time at PSG yielded just three strikes in 33 appearances, 19 of which were off the bench. That said, he has shown he is capable of troubling top opposition, netting against He left And a month before that, he put three past an England Under-21 defence that included Rico Lewis and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. 11 He came through the ranks at French club Reims Credit: Getty IS HE WORTH THE MONEY? At £85m, it is a sizeable gamble and Prem clubs should be wary of the Frankfurt curse. The Eagles have a knack of selling strikers at a massive profit, only for them to struggle at their next club. Marmoush's success at City has broken the hoodoo and there is no doubt Ekitike has a higher ceiling than 27-year-old Gyokeres. If clubs can knock the asking price down to the £70m that Sesko is commanding, then Ekitike is maybe the better bet. 11 He's one of the hottest forwards in Europe at the moment Credit: AFP 11 He could be playing in the Premier League next season Credit: Getty
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trent Alexander-Arnold explains decision to change shirt name at Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold has explained why he has opted to change the name on the back of his shirt following his Real Madrid arrival. Alexander-Arnold, 26, was unveiled as a Galactico on Thursday afternoon, surprising fans as he gave his welcome speech in fluent Spanish. Advertisement Watch Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid debut at the Club World Cup free on DAZN. Sign up here now. It's not the only surprise the ex-Liverpool right-back has dealt over the past couple days, with it yesterday being revealed that he would ditch his surname in favour of going by 'Trent' on the back of his shirt, accompanied by the number 12. Alexander-Arnold has revealed his thinking behind the name change, saying it was purely to avoid confusion rather than a personal rebrand. 'Quite an easy explanation,' he said at his press conference. 'I've always found when I travel to Europe that the whole name situation confuses a lot of people, as there being three names and double-barreled. 'People call me Arnold, people call me Alexander, people call me Alex, people call me Trent, there's a lot that goes on. So I thought let's make it easy, Trent on the back, and be known as Trent. That's my name so I guess that's what people will call me.' Advertisement Alexander-Arnold added that his dilemma over his future was never a question of where to go, admitting he would only ever leave Liverpool for Real Madrid. 'I knew for a long time that I would only leave Liverpool for Real Madrid,' he said. 'No one else. It was never a question of: where do I go? It was always: do I go to Madrid or not? Making that decision wasn't easy.' He also clarified that by saying he had waited a long time to complete a move away from Liverpool, he didn't mean he'd been seeking a new club for 'years'. "To clear that up, by waiting a long time I mean a couple of weeks,' he added. 'Not years. Advertisement "But I am very excited be here. Whether you support the club or not, you have to respect the trophies that the club win. No matter what, that has been always there for me. I have always admired players and clubs that win trophies." The 26-year-old arrives after 20 years at boyhood club Liverpool, joining for a fee of £10m to ensure his participation at the Club World Cup. Trent Alexander-Arnold lifted the Premier League title on his Liverpool sendoff (EPA) The right-back was expected to sign for free at the end of June after opting not to extend his contract at Anfield, an announcement which was made at the beginning of May. Alexander-Arnold was instrumental in Liverpool winning Europe's most prestigious trophy that year, and later added two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and a Club World Cup to his accolade collection across 354 appearances. Advertisement The Liverpudlian left his home side on imperfect terms, with his first appearance after announcing his departure seeing him booed by the Anfield faithful. However, as he collected his Premier League winners medal on the final day of the season, a teary-eyed Alexander-Arnold was met with cheers in what was heart-warming send-off. Watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up here now.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florentino Perez did not want Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager for Club World Cup
This summer's Club World Cup will be the start of Xabi Alonso's reign as head coach of Real Madrid, following his move from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the domestic season. The former Galactico replaced Carlo Ancelotti, although this was not the plan that the club had in mind. In the final few weeks of the season, it became apparent that Ancelotti would not be continuing at Real Madrid for the remainder of his contract, which was due to expire in 2026. His replacement was always going to be Alonso, but according to El Confidencial (via Sport), the plan had been for the Spaniard to take charge after the Club World Cup. Advertisement Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was the driving force behind this, as he believed a poor Club World Cup would add early and unnecessary pressure on to Alonso for the start of the 2025-26. And that is why Los Blancos wanted Santiago Solari in charge for this summer's tournament in the United States. VIGO, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Santiago Solari of Real Madrid during the La Liga match between RC Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid CF at Abanca-Balaidos on November 11, 2018 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by) But as revealed by the report, Solari turned down the offer, which greatly infuriated Perez. And it was not the only proposal that the Argentine, who has been Real Madrid interim manager on multiple occasions, opted to turn down, as he rejected the chance to take charge of the woman's team. As a result, it was quickly decided that Alonso should be in charge of Real Madrid for the Club World Cup. And while it does bring a risk of him being on the back foot early on with a poor campaign, there is a chance that early momentum is built with a successful tournament in the United States.
