Home

Editorial

Discuss

HARDtalk

Women

Books

Photo Page

Sports
Sports

Kaka & Cristiano Ronaldo Aiming To Make Real Madrid History

Real Madrid's star pair want European glory, but know it will not be easy. Kaka and Chritiano Ronaldo want to help write a new chapter in Real Madrid's history books and believe that winning the Champions League this season would be a start.

The duo joined the club for a combined total of €161 million in the summer and are seen as the key sources of attacking flair this season.

Kaka was keen to remind Los Merengues that winning the Champions League is not a right and requires hard work and a little bit of luck.

"I am proud to be part of this team. We want to win and make Real Madrid history, but we must take things slowly and calmly," he told the club's official website.

"It isn't easy to win the Champions League. People are talking about it as if we had already won it; the team still has to grow and improve on many things. We dream about playing the final at our stadium."

Ronaldo agreed, telling fans that realism must play a part as becoming kings of Europe will not be easy.

"The fans' euphoria concerning the new project is normal, but just as Kaka has said, we have to take things slowly and focus on each match at a time," he explained.

"We want to win, but success doesn't come from one day to the next. We have to remain

Rooney 'Can Match World's Best’

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed striker Wayne Rooney to establish himself among the best players in the world.

The Scot believes 23-year-old Rooney's current impressive form could be the start of a challenge to players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

"Wayne could easily get to that level," said Ferguson ahead of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Wolfsburg.

"He is blessed with some ingredients only great footballers have."

Barcelona's Messi, who scored against United in last season's Uefa Champions League final, is expected to succeed former Old Trafford winger Ronaldo - now at Real Madrid - as this year's Fifa World Player of the Year.

However, Ferguson believes Rooney, who failed to get any votes in last year's Fifa poll of national team captains and coaches, has the qualities to join them at the very pinnacle of the game.

"When we signed him as a kid, we thought he would become a really top player," he stated.

"He has a great determination and hunger to win every match and every training session. That will never change.

"He plays as if he means it. It is a wonderful thing to have."

Rooney arrived at United after four goals and a string of impressive performances in Euro 2004 persuaded Ferguson to offer Everton £27m for the then 18-year-old.

Despite winning three Premier League titles and a European Cup with United, a 10th-placed finish in Fifa's World Player of the Year poll from five years ago remains the best such placing of his career.

After achieving a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Fenerbahce on his United debut, Rooney's scoring rate slowed as he was increasingly deployed out wide.

But Ronaldo's departure from United in July has enabled Rooney to play more centrally this season and he has responded with seven goals in nine games for his club.

Rooney topped a fans' poll to be voted the England team's player of the year for 2008 and has so far scored seven goals for United this season.

United team-mate Jonny Evans believes Rooney's new role has fuelled his prolific start.

"His form has been great this season. He is playing through the middle now and is probably in his most favourite position," he said.

United face Wolfsburg in Group B on the back of a 1-0 victory over Besiktas on 15 September.

Mikel Obi out of World Cup clash

Nigeria will be without midfielder John Mikel Obi for next month's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Mozambique due to an ankle injury.

The Chelsea midfielder was forced to miss the second half of the weekend's 3-1 loss at Wigan with an ankle injury.

Mikel confirmed on Tuesday that he will be out of action for three-weeks, ruling him out of the 11 October clash with Mozambique in Abuja.

"It's very bad and I am going to be out for three weeks," Mikel said.

"Sadly it's not something to just shake off as it hurts terribly; indeed it's a very sad situation."

His absence will be a major setback for Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu who will now be without two of his regular midfielders after he omitted Spain based Kalu Uche from his squad for the game.

The under-fire coach will have to work with midfielders like Yusuf Ayila, Seyi Olofinjana, Dickson Etuhu, Olufemi Ajilore and Sani Kaita, while Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu could also be an option in the middle.

Mikel's absence will come as a huge blow for the country as they face a daunting task of qualifying for South Africa 2010.

With two games to play, Nigeria are currently second in Group B with seven points, two points behind leaders Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Nigerian football was thrown into shock as former international goalkeeper Best Ogedengbe died on Monday night after being in a coma for a week.

"It is very sad but Ogedengbe is no longer with us. I visited him yesterday [Monday], but his wife informed me of his death this morning," a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation said.

Ogedengbe was one of the heroes as Nigeria won their first ever Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980.

Four years earlier, he featured for the Shooting Stars, who became the first Nigerian club to win the now defunct African Cup Winners' Cup.

He has worked as a coach with the country's youth team and only recently signed a deal to train Premier League club Sharks of Port Harcourt.

Home