Latest news with #MichaelLaudrup
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus
Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus Real Madrid and Juventus meet in a blockbuster encounter at the FIFA Club World Cup this evening. The most decorated clubs in Spanish and Italian football history go head-to-head for a place in the quarter-finals. Some of football's greatest-ever names have represented the clubs, with a select few turning out for both teams. Advertisement We've looked at five of the best players to have played for Real Madrid and Juventus. Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus Michael Laudrup Michael Laudrup joined Juventus from Brondby in 1983, initially spending two seasons on loan at Lazio due to the foreign player rule in Serie A. He impressed alongside Michel Platini to win the Scudetto in 1985/86 but failed to adequately replace the Frenchman following Platini's exit. After 152 appearances and 36 goals, Laudrup left for Barcelona where he formed part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' in Catalonia. Four consecutive La Liga titles and some magical football followed, before a controversial switch. Laudrup moved to Real Madrid after a fall-out with Cruyff and helped the club regain the title after a period of Barcelona dominance. Despite the switch, the Dane remains hugely respected on both sides of the El Clasico divide. Zinedine Zidane One of the greatest footballers of all time, Real Madrid broke the world transfer record by signing Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001. The Frenchman had thrived since moving to Italy from Bordeaux, where he helped Juventus to two Serie A titles and inspired France to World Cup and European Championship success. Advertisement As part of the Galactico project at Real Madrid, he was one of four Ballon d'Or winners to move to the Spanish side between 2000 and 2004. His debut season ended with Champions League success and, fittingly, Zidane was the hero. The marquee addition scored arguably the finest Champions League final goal with a sweet volley to sink Bayer Leverkusen. A record three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, he was inducted into the Real Madrid Hall of Fame in 2014 and named in Juventus's best-ever XI in 2017. Fabio Cannavaro One of just three defenders to win the Ballon d'Or, Cannavaro spent three seasons each with Juventus and Real Madrid. Advertisement He joined Juventus from Inter Milan in 2004 and helped the side to successive Serie A titles, being named Serie A Footballer of the Year during their 2006 triumph. However, both titles were revoked in the wake of the club's involvement in the Calciopoli scandal and Juventus were relegated to the second tier. Cannavaro was part of a mass exodus and, fresh from captaining Italy to World Cup success, moved to Real Madrid. During his time in La Liga, the centre-back helped Los Blancos to league title successes in 2006/07 and 2007/08. After leaving the Bernabeu, he returned to Juventus for a single season before concluding his career at Shabab Al Ahli. Gonzalo Higuain Real Madrid have a long history of unearthing exciting South American talent and Gonzalo Higuain made his name with the club after arriving from River Plate. Advertisement The Argentine took two seasons to settle but exploded in output in 2008/09. He netted 24 goals in all competitions that season, one of three 20+ goal league campaigns with Los Blancos. Higuain scored 107 league goals in just 129 starts for Real Madrid but competition from Karim Benzema led to his exit. He moved to Napoli and was an instant hit in Italy, scoring prolifically. Higuain scored 71 league goals over three seasons, including a Serie A record 36 in 35 games in 2015/16. That form led to €90m move to Juventus, an Italian record transfer fee at that time. The goals initially continued to flow as Higuain won three league titles in Turin, netting 66 times across three seasons in all competitions. After falling out of favour, he spent time on loan at AC Milan and Chelsea before moving to MLS with Inter Miami. Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking career took in unforgettable stops in Madrid and Turin. Advertisement The Portuguese superstar, incredibly, scored over a century of goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Ronaldo is Real Madrid's record scorer with a barely believable 450 goals in 434 games, justifying the Spanish side's decision to spend a world-record £80m on his signature in 2009. Nine stunning seasons in Spain brought two league titles and four Champions League trophies among his honours, alongside extending his Ballon d'Or count to five. Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018, where he won two Serie A titles. He is the only player to finish seasons as leading scorer in England, Spain and Italy. Advertisement Read – Iconic Performances: The night Zinedine Zidane dominated Brazil See more – Five of Cristiano Ronaldo's greatest goals Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
UEFA talks shape future for Scottish teams in Europe
The UEFA Football Board, chaired by Portugal icon Luís Figo, brought together some of the sport's biggest names - including Michael Laudrup, Rio Ferdinand, and Fabio Capello - to tackle several key issues in the hope of improving the product on show. Celtic, having secured the top European qualification spot after sealing the Scottish Premiership title last weekend, will enter Champions League qualifying play-off round next season with the guarantee of league-phase football in the Europa League should they fail to win a two-legged tie. A second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership this season will see Rangers enter the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The Ibrox side have wrapped up second with their 2-2 draw against St Mirren, and with it, the second-highest European qualification position in Scottish football. However, due to shifting coefficients, there is a possibility Rangers could have no league phase football in Europe if they lose three qualifying ties. Rangers need to win three Champions League qualifiers to make the league phase next season. Should they drop out, they would fall into the Europa League or Conference League qualifiers. Read more: This season, Celtic automatically qualified for the league phase, but Scotland's coefficient drop means they have to navigate one qualifying round next season. The draw for the Champions League play-off round will take place on August 4, 2025, with the matches to be played on August 19/20 and August 26/27. While a win would see Celtic advance to the league phase of the Champions League, a loss would not mean a complete exit from European football. If Celtic lose in the play-off round, they will drop into the league phase of the Europa League next season. A potential drop for Rangers could see them move into the Europa League or the Conference League, with the final spots in European competition determined by league performance and cup results. Whoever finishes third in the Premiership will enter the Europa League play-off, while fifth place and the Scottish Cup winner or runner-up (depending on Celtic's success) will vie for Conference League football. With the stakes high, Scottish clubs are keenly watching how changes discussed at the UEFA meeting could affect their European aspirations. Another key issue raised was the growing physical and mental strain on players due to the expanding football calendar. UEFA's recognition of the need for player welfare, particularly with regards to rest and recovery, could have a significant impact on Scottish teams. A well-rested and properly managed squad can make all the difference in a European campaign, and UEFA's emphasis on ensuring players have enough time to recover between seasons is a positive step forward. For clubs like Aberdeen, Hibernian, and Dundee United, the ability to rotate and rest key players could help them perform at their best on the European stage, allowing them to challenge for places in the league phase of the Europa League or Europa Conference League. The UEFA Football Board also lauded the success of the "captain-only" rule that has already been implemented in European competitions. This initiative, designed to reduce dissent and improve the relationship between players and referees, could be a game-changer for Scottish football in the future. With refereeing decisions often under scrutiny in the Scottish Premiership, this rule could help foster a more respectful atmosphere on the pitch. By ensuring that only team captains are allowed to speak to referees, the rule could reduce the chances of heated confrontations and help players focus on the game rather than surrounding officials. Other things discussed by UEFA delegates were the handball rule, "double-touch" penalties and the new eight-second law for goalkeepers holding onto the ball.
The National
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
UEFA talks shape future for Scottish teams in Europe
Celtic, Rangers, and other Scottish Premiership clubs like Aberdeen, Hibernian, and Dundee United are all in the mix for European competitions next season, and there's a palpable sense of anticipation around how these upcoming changes to the game could affect these teams. The UEFA Football Board, chaired by Portugal icon Luís Figo, brought together some of the sport's biggest names - including Michael Laudrup, Rio Ferdinand, and Fabio Capello - to tackle several key issues in the hope of improving the product on show. Celtic, having secured the top European qualification spot after sealing the Scottish Premiership title last weekend, will enter Champions League qualifying play-off round next season with the guarantee of league-phase football in the Europa League should they fail to win a two-legged tie. A second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership this season will see Rangers enter the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The Ibrox side have wrapped up second with their 2-2 draw against St Mirren, and with it, the second-highest European qualification position in Scottish football. However, due to shifting coefficients, there is a possibility Rangers could have no league phase football in Europe if they lose three qualifying ties. Rangers need to win three Champions League qualifiers to make the league phase next season. Should they drop out, they would fall into the Europa League or Conference League qualifiers. Read more: This season, Celtic automatically qualified for the league phase, but Scotland's coefficient drop means they have to navigate one qualifying round next season. The draw for the Champions League play-off round will take place on August 4, 2025, with the matches to be played on August 19/20 and August 26/27. While a win would see Celtic advance to the league phase of the Champions League, a loss would not mean a complete exit from European football. If Celtic lose in the play-off round, they will drop into the league phase of the Europa League next season. A potential drop for Rangers could see them move into the Europa League or the Conference League, with the final spots in European competition determined by league performance and cup results. Whoever finishes third in the Premiership will enter the Europa League play-off, while fifth place and the Scottish Cup winner or runner-up (depending on Celtic's success) will vie for Conference League football. With the stakes high, Scottish clubs are keenly watching how changes discussed at the UEFA meeting could affect their European aspirations. Another key issue raised was the growing physical and mental strain on players due to the expanding football calendar. UEFA's recognition of the need for player welfare, particularly with regards to rest and recovery, could have a significant impact on Scottish teams. A well-rested and properly managed squad can make all the difference in a European campaign, and UEFA's emphasis on ensuring players have enough time to recover between seasons is a positive step forward. For clubs like Aberdeen, Hibernian, and Dundee United, the ability to rotate and rest key players could help them perform at their best on the European stage, allowing them to challenge for places in the league phase of the Europa League or Europa Conference League. The UEFA Football Board also lauded the success of the "captain-only" rule that has already been implemented in European competitions. This initiative, designed to reduce dissent and improve the relationship between players and referees, could be a game-changer for Scottish football in the future. With refereeing decisions often under scrutiny in the Scottish Premiership, this rule could help foster a more respectful atmosphere on the pitch. By ensuring that only team captains are allowed to speak to referees, the rule could reduce the chances of heated confrontations and help players focus on the game rather than surrounding officials. Other things discussed by UEFA delegates were the handball rule, "double-touch" penalties and the new eight-second law for goalkeepers holding onto the ball.
