#real madrd

[wags-and-kids-in-madrid]

Andrea Martínez

[trendykun]

Mbappe Shows Respect: Chooses No. 9 at Real Madrid to Keep No. 10 with Modric

Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrd sparked questions about jersey numbers. While he previously wore No. 10 for both Paris Saint-Germain and France, the young star opted for No. 9 Read more click here.

[realmadridfamily]

[iscoalarcon]

Vinicius Junior celebrates his goal with Nacho during the match vs. CA Osasuna

[asensiomadrd]

[thomasmxller]

me @ myself during the champions league season:

[iscos-alarcons]

ronaldo could have scored his 300th league goal and get a hattrick but he let benzema take penalty but yeah he is so selfish smh

i am so proud of cristiano

[halazidwne]

[extremeviki54]

I love Zidane but he is so biased when it comes to Benzema and this will lead to another trophyless year for Real Madrid. I don’t understand why they bought Jovic and don’t even give him a chance to prove himself. This team isn’t only about Benzema. I really want the younger part of the team to be more involved this season.

not to be rude but zidane is a coward for not letting jović finish the match and only relying on benzema. the match isn't that important, why not let him have 90 min? what will you do if benzema gets a long term injury at any point? why can't jović play as much as the others? let him play or let him go. he deserves better.

[doonitedin]

"I asked to leave", confirms PSG striker Kylian Mbappe

“I asked to leave”, confirms PSG striker Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe confirmed he told Paris Saint-Germain he wanted to leave the club in July in an interview released Monday by French broadcaster RMC. Mbappe was subject to reported bids from Real Madrid approaching 200 million euros ($230 million) in August as he entered the last season of a five-year contract with PSG. “I asked to leave,” the 22-year-old star said, explaining once he decided not to…

[xtraminute]

Mandzukic

[iscoalarcon]

Celebrating La Duodécima | June 4th 2017

[asensiomadrd]

navas is injured, courtois is injured and we just sold kiko?? can we please just pretend like this season never happened and move on to the next

[thomasmxller]

'... and that's the story of how toni reinjured his ribs.'

[phil-mansour]

Season 2 Episode 3: Real Housewives of Madrid

Third Stop: Madrid, Spain (May 11 - May 15)

*Cold Open* Time for a FLASHBACK!

2:30 AM - April 8th, 2017 - San Jose

I am lying awake in bed, listening to the Managing Madrid SB Nation Podcast while watching an EDM-laden Toni Kroos passing highlights compilation - as one does - when a realization hits me. I'm about to be funemployed (™) at the end of this month.  Maybe instead of just browsing my Instagram’s Discover page for exciting soccer highlights, I should just physically GO to a Real Madrid game.

And thus the trip planning began in the wee hours of the morning with the goal (yes, pun. They call me the Punisher*** for a reason) of seeing the world’s biggest club in person.  As I got closer to the start of my journey, it became more and more ambitious.  What started as solely a trip to Spain’s capital became the four country adventure that you’ve been following through Season Two of this blog.

***No one has ever called me that.

*Smash cut*

9:00 AM - May 6th, 2017 - Lisbon Hostel

Tickets to Real Madrid’s final home game (against Sevilla FC) are coming out any second. I planned ahead for this moment and I am ready to go and on time.  I even became a literal card carrying member of the Real Madrid fan club to get priority access.

I find the perfect ticket - fourth row, about 100 euros. Let’s do this!

CREDIT CARD ERROR.

Wait, what?

Three credit cards, approximately 17 attempts, and one expensive international call to Madrid later... I find out that this club worth 3.26 billion dollars doesn’t have their shit together and apparently cannot process credit cards of non-Spanish origin.  I’ll have to get extremely lucky and buy my ticket in person to one of the biggest games of the season.  Cool. Great. Awesome.

*Fade to Present*

5:00 PM - May 11th, 2017 - Madrid

Fresh off the plane from Barcelona, I take the metro straight to Real Madrid’s stadium - the Santiago Bernabeu.  With travel duffel bag in hand and sporting an incredibly strained achilles tendon, I limp along towards the ticket office through the pouring rain.  After several prayers and the crossing of all the fingers, I manage to purchase the very last available ticket.  #Blessed.

All of a sudden, the rain subsides and the clouds part.  I could feel the friendly warmth of the gentle sun as I was greeted by the familiar chirping of song birds.  I was a new man with renewed ankle strength. 

Okay that last paragraph wasn’t true.  The weather was still miserable and I could still barely walk as I hobbled back to the metro in extreme pain. But hey, I was going to see Real Madrid in person. I’ll count that as a win.

The next day, I decided to ride the good vibes and go on a tour of the Bernabeu.  I purchased a ticket for the tour via Trip Advisor and set out to the meeting point at 8am.  Little did I know I had actually purchased a combo bus tour + stadium tour.  I was herded into a bus with about 30 other tour go-ers that had an average age that I would describe as ‘Albus Dumbledore’.  

I will never, ever, ever do this again. Without exaggeration, bus tours are the absolute worst.  The tour leader’s monotonous droning as we stopped in front of various city sites each for the duration of a red light is enough to drive any millennial insane.  The tour leader could say, “and on your right, we see Joe Biden and the ghost of the Notorious B.I.G. playing tug-o-war with the entire cast of The Force Awakens” and I would still fall asleep. Never again.

Amidst all of the political chaos in 2017′s America, it was a breath of fresh air to see this simple message at the top of Madrid’s city hall.

I woke up on the bus outside the Bernabeu like Frodo waking up at the end of Lord of the Rings, finally free from the bus tour’s grasp.

Unlike the Barcelona FC tour, I thoroughly enjoyed the Real Madrid’s.  I couldn’t help but appreciate the feeling of making the walk from the home side’s locker room to the pitch - the same walk that some of the world’s greatest players make every weekend.

Ronaldo’s been naked here.

Put me in coach!

I auditioned to be the team’s mascot. I’m still waiting for my call back.

A brilliant star in the making and Isco, central midfielder for Real Madrid and #BeardGoals.

One of my days was spent on a trip to nearby Toledo with two of my ToleBros from Lisbon - Debra and Victor!

Toledo is known for it’s architectural beauty and its merging of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures.  But, really, the one thing that stood out was that literally every single shop in the place sells swords.  Every single one.  If the city ever gets hit with a zombie apocalypse, the people of Toledo will be ready.

Holy Toledo! What a view!

A shot from Madrid’s largest park - Parque del Buen Retiro.

And finally on the last day, the reason why this whole trip came to be - Real Madrid vs. Sevilla FC.  Here’s a completely real and legit picture of me celebrating with Cristiano and Captain Sergio (we’re on a first name basis now).

Here’s me setting up Cristiano’s first goal of the game.  I’m the one in the white shirt that does the thing with the ball.  Madridistas sure know how to celebrate a goal.

This was the most exciting part of the game and it didn’t even result in a goal.  Real Madrid simply toying with Sevilla all the way down the pitch. Ole!

I’ve been to a lot of sporting events in America - all different sports, men and women, pro and college - but nothing compared to the experience of seeing a top European club.  The fans were passionate, intelligent, and clapped for all of the right things.  I won’t soon forget the deafening sound of 80,000 fans all whistling derisively at the ref for a poor decision or at an opposing player for a cynical tackle.  Better yet, I can now say that I’ve seen the three best soccer players in the world - Cristiano Ronaldo, Christian Pulisic, and Christen Press.

Madrid was a great experience, mostly buoyed by my engagement with the soccer team.  While very much worth visiting, I prefer Barcelona as Madrid was a bit too metropolitan for my taste and a little overwhelming.  I am much more excited to return to Barcelona’s more chill and relaxed vibe.  That being said, I’ll never forget my first Real Madrid game and I can’t wait to go to another someday.

Song of the day: At least 50% of all songs ever made should sound like Frank Ocean’s Pink + White.

Scenes from the next episode: Phil returns to the city of love for some much needed R&R, beaucoup baguettes and a healthy sampling of vin (wine, not Diesel).

[lewmilton]

Is Gerard Pique okay? 🤣🤣🤣