More money than you can shake a stick at

If you think Alex Ferguson was pissed the last time Real Madrid were making headlines trying to tempt winger Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United, then he will go red when he hears about their latest tactics.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is all over the Spanish media telling anyone that will listen that he still has a chance to sign his dream-boat. And this time we are not talking huge transfer fees, the latest attempt to lure Ronaldo will go right to his pocketbook in the way of making him the highest paid player in the world.

To fuel speculation, Jorge Mendes who is Ronaldo’s agent, has been meeting with Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic. While he claims its for other matters, don’t believe it. Real have a history of destabilizing players thru the media and the love affair with Ronaldo has not lasted the better part of 3 years. Let's just say the meeting wasn't exactly private.

The proposed salary: over 8m pounds per year, and with income tax in Spain about half that of England it would roughly equal 200,000 pounds a week were he being paid within the Premier League.

Ronaldo has scored a whopping 29 goals this season for United and signed a new 120,000 pound a week deal for 5 years. It’s more than likely that Mendes is trying to renegotiate terms and squeeze a few more quid out of Old Trafford, and why not? A winger that can score 30 goals in a season should be the highest paid player in the world.

At the moment Brazilian international Kaka is the highest paid player in the world, where AC Milan shell out 130,000 pounds a week.

I doubt Ronaldo would like to leave, I would imagine Manchester making him top of the salary heap will quiet Madrid.

Baptista back to England?

Former Arsenal player Julio Baptista left England in a huff complaining that the pace of play was too fast and no time for creativity was possible. So why would there be rumors of leaving Real Madrid and of a return to the Premiership? It starts and ends with Juande Ramos, new Tottenham manager.

Reports say that Baptista, a Brazilian international, is set to sign for Tottenham as the fee with Madrid is negotiated but everyone around the deal is claiming ignorance.

Baptista was a former Sevilla player alothough he and Ramos crossed paths as he left and Ramos came, but nevertheless, Ramos is an admirier and Madrid manager Bernd Schuster is clearly not.

Real Madrid failed to sell Baptista in the summer as no taker would meet the asking price. But Real are likely to drop the asking price and less than 10m pounds could do it.

Real Madrid bid for Chelsea player

Seeing an opening after the signing of Florent Malouda, Real Madrid have made a 13.5m pound bid for Chelsea winger Arjen Robben.

The newly crowned champions have been liked with Robben all summer but appear ready to bid now that the Blues have cover and the price may be more reasonable. While manager Jose Mourinho ruled a move out, I doubt Robben will stay.

Real’s president Ramon Calderon promised Cesc Fabregas and Robben during his election campaign. Fabregas has ruled out a move, and a certain amount of pressure is now on to sign the Dutch international.

Robben's agent and father Hans was the person who confirmed the Real bid. Robben indicated that talks over a new contract have not been positive and would be interested in leaving. I can imagine Robben will sense his starting chances diminish as well with Malouda’s capture. I have said for some time they should sell Robben, he's frail and injury prone and all around a bit of a wienie.

Real-ly ungrateful

Just 11 days after Real Madrid’s first success since 2003, the club have decided to fire manager Fabio Capello. It was the first Primera Liga title in four years for Real Madrid. The Italian, who has won a league title with AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Madrid in 1996 (every club he has managed) came thru where it counted but succumbed to politics, Real Madrid’s favorite pastime.

The 61-year-old Italian has now won the league title with Real twice, he did it in the 1997. Capello was brought in by newly elected club president Ramon Calderon before the start of last season and given the task of bringing discipline back to the club and clearing out unwanted players. He delivered on both fronts, getting rid of fat Ronaldo and lazy David Beckham who only decided to start playing a bit as an ‘I’ll show you” to the manager. Both players deserved to go, both did… wash hands move on… oops, I forgot. Politics.

Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic confirmed Capello sacking at a press conference. Capello joined Real after he resigned from Juventus after the match fixing scandal.

Madrid has now seen 6, soon to be 7 coaches since Vicente del Bosque led the club to their last league title in 2003. Strange… at Madrid, when you lose you are fired, but when you win a title you are also fired. Chronic instability, that is all you can say.

The Zidane volley

During the 2002 Champions League Final against Bayer Leverkusen, Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid scored one of the finest volleys that I have ever seen. To score such a marvelous goal in such an important match attests to the greatness of the 3 time World Player of the Year.

The goal came from nothing, as Santiago Solari played a difficult long ball along the left touch line to Roberto Carlos. Under pressure Carlos dumped the ball towards the box and set about praying.

His prayers were answered as Zidane, in space, loaded up a brilliant side footed volley into the top left corner of the net. Everyone was left stunned, nobody expected it. It was technique that you can only marvel at. What a goal.

Let Zidane explain for himself:

And watch the goal in real time with some very annoying commentators that don’t know how to shut it:

See the entire greatest goals ever series