Christian Schäfer - Der Professor

Great signing mate, hopefully the first of many future superstars at Madrid under your management!

Fantastic signing, one of many I assume.

Seems you got him terribly cheap considering his attributes! What a talent!

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06/08/2023

Christian Schäfer made the second signing of his term in the form of Argentine midfielder Andrés Cubas. The Copa América finalist joined from FC Schalke 04 for an initial fee of €80M (£63.25M), with clauses pushing the potential total fee to €120M (£95M). The twenty-seven year old was a key figure in Schalke's Bundesliga winning side last season.

The Argentine spent five seasons at the German club, and played in a UEFA Champions League final against Christian Schäfer's Dynamo Dresden side in 2022, but was not victorious against his new manager. Cubas has made fifty-three appearances for his country, and played a key role in his nation's run to this summer's Copa América final. However, Schäfer denied Cubas of a medal once again as Brazil came out on top in an action-packed final.

Cubas' main asset is his extensive passing ability. His ability to pick out a team mate has made him a primary playmaker for his former sides, and he picked up eighteen assists for Schalke last season. Cubas also provides great defensive cover for his back line, making him a valuable player to have in holding midfield. Comparisons have been drawn between Cubas and Sergio Busquets, Barcelona's holding midfielder for fifteen whole years.

The new Madridista believes he can become a key player for Real Madrid and has hopes to win Europe's most coveted club competition; the UEFA Champions League.

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Andrés Cubas:

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"Becoming a Real Madrid player is a tremendous honour. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to sign for the biggest football club in the world. I believe that I have joined a club where I can match my ambitions as a footballer and win several trophies.

The standard of players at Real Madrid is a high one and there is plenty of competition for places, especially in midfield. But I'm a very confident and ambitious player and I plan to become a key player for Real Madrid over the coming years, and cement my place in the side. I believe that I have proven myself to be capable of doing so, as long as I play at my best.

Real Madrid are the undoubted kings of football. They have won more trophies than I can count, and I hope to be a part of some more trophy victories. My dream is to win the UEFA Champions League, a prize I was denied of in the final two seasons ago. Playing for Real Madrid presents the best opportunity possible to win the Champions League, and I plan on doing so."

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Previous Update: #56 - Cebolinha Rejoins Schäfer At Real Madrid
Next Update: #58 - Real Splash Cash On Mexican Superstar

I hope he does well for you. At 27 looks like a great signing.

Interesting to see who the other target is you bring in!

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07/08/2023

Having completed the €80M signing of Argentine midfielder Andrés Cubas just yesterday, Real Madrid have made another mega move with Mexican winger Hirving Lozano joining from Juventus. The twenty-eight year old cost the European champions €90M (£71M), with future clauses worth an estimated €50M (£40M) extra.

Lozano had become a key player for Zidane's Juventus in recent years, and was directly involved in twenty-one goals last term (9 goals scored, 12 assisted). The Mexican winger has been likened to current Real Madrid captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is due to retire following this season, and is expected to take the place of the Portuguese legend when he hangs up his boots.

Lozano's pace and dribbling ability will cause much worry for opposition defenders, while his ability to score goals from inside the box, as well as from range, makes him a serious goal threat. Lozano has been commended in the past for his ability to work well as part of a team, a side which Ronaldo did not specifically have to his game, and will add a new dynamic to the Real Madrid attack this season.

Hirving Lozano named Cristiano Ronaldo as his childhood idol, and looks forward to playing alongside the Real Madrid captain. He hopes to learn from Real Madrid's legendary number seven over the coming season, and hopes he can give new manager Christian Schäfer a positive selection headache.

Hirving Lozano:

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"It is a massive moment in my career to join Real Madrid Football Club. It is a dream-come-true to play for a club of Real Madrid's size and reputation. I enjoyed playing for Juventus but I look forward to my future at this club, which I hope will be very successful and marked by many trophy successes.

Growing up as a young boy in Mexico, Cristiano Ronaldo was my idol in football. He made the most of his chances at Manchester United, and now at Real Madrid for fourteen years. It will be a personal privilege to play alongside Cristiano and I hope to learn a lot from him while we are both at the club.

I've been in great form in recent seasons and I am delighted with my level of performances. I hope to play at an even higher level at Real Madrid to give the manager a real selection headache. I know that I am not guaranteed to start, but I hope to prove myself to be good enough to play every game for this football club."

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Previous Update: #57 - Andrés Cubas Joins Real Madrid In Mega Move
Next Update: #59 - Real Madrid Enjoy Successful US Tour

Another quality signing hopefully he does better than Hernandez did for Real

90 mil is an awful lot of money, hopefully he comes good for you!

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12/08/2023

Real Madrid enjoyed a successful mini-tour of the US as the players looked to gain match fitness ahead of the upcoming season, while new manager Christian Schäfer sampled different tactical approaches the club profited from public-related events and merchandise sales.

Real Madrid played two friendlies during their visit to the US, as they faced Chicago Fire and FC Dallas. Reports of each match are available below, as well as a report on transfers made by the club so far this summer.

vs Chicago Fire (09/08/2023)

In Christian Schäfer's first (non-competitive) game as Real Madrid manager, the German manager experimented with his team. A total of sixteen Real Madrid players participated in the friendly, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Alessandro Florenzi coming off the bench to take part.

Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score a very impressive hat-trick, which saw the crowd worship him as one of their own. Mateo Kovacic scored Real Madrid's fourth goal of the game, while Tony Garner also scored for Chicago Fire.

It was a very one-sided affair and Real Madrid looked set to impress ahead of the new season.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 9.5

Transfer Window (So Far)

The signing of Gadiel Honoré was made by Rafa Benítez, and the French striker has since been moved to the U19s. Adrien Lambert was sold by Rafa Benítez.

Christian Schäfer had made three new signings to date. Andrés Cubas and Hirving Lozano were subject to mega moves to Spain's capital, while Cebolinha made the move from Brazil to become a part of Schäfer's squad.

A number of players had been sold to make way for new players. Major sales included Dutch defender Kenny Tete to Leicester City, Korean midfielder Lee Ga-Ram to Arsenal, Portuguese attacking midfielder Hugo Fernandes to VfL Wolfsburg and Russian defender Igor Pecheritsa and Spartak Moscow.

The two major signings mean that Real Madrid's current net spend for the window surpasses €50M, with the window still open.

vs FC Dallas (12/08/2023)

The second friendly prompted a change of formation, with Schäfer preferring a 4-3-3 over the previous 4-2-3-1. A total of twenty Real Madrid players played in this fixture.

Hirving Lozano set the first half on fire with a thrilling brace, but squandered his chance of a first-half hat-trick when his penalty was saved. James Rodríguez added Real Madrid's third on the hour mark, before Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score a brace.

Real Madrid looked to be in total control, with just three days before their UEFA Super Cup fixture against Leicester City.

Hirving Lozano (Real Madrid) 9.0

August Fixtures

Real Madrid's opening game of the season will be against Leicester City in the UEFA Super Cup. The fixture will be played at the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro in Portugal. The Supercopa de España follows after this, with the first leg being played at the Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid kick off their league season at home to Málaga at the end of the month.

Christian Schäfer will be hoping to win his first trophy as Real Madrid manager against Leicester, with the fixtures against Barcelona expected to be tricky ones. Winning two trophies in his first month in charge would certainly help see him begin his Real Madrid career with a bang.

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Previous Update: #58 - Real Splash Cash On Mexican Superstar
Next Update: #60 - Schäfer: Leicester No Pushover

Looks like you are ready for the season

So, just a lazy 192M spent by Madrid thus far. Quiet window then

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14/08/2023

Christian Schäfer spoke to Sky Sports correspondent Michael Balik in an exclusive interview ahead of tomorrow night's UEFA Super Cup tie between his side, Real Madrid, and Mauricio Pochettino's Leicester City. Der Professor sees the tie as a good opportunity to gain an early season trophy, while he spoke highly of the opposing manager.

Christian, tomorrow you will finally make your debut as Real Madrid manager. How do you feel about the upcoming game?

Christian Schäfer: "I am very excited about making my debut as Real Madrid manager, of course. It is an opportunity which does come around for too many people and I find myself very fortunate to be in this position. I have been lucky to have had an exciting career to date, and now it is time to begin a new chapter.

But this game is more important for Real Madrid than it is for me. It is an opportunity to start the season with an invaluable trophy victory. This club is one with success ingrained in its very soul and I wish to continue this magnificent tradition. This trophy is not as reputable as the Champions League, or even La Liga, but it is still a very important trophy. Real Madrid has won the Super Cup two times before, and I hope we can add to that tomorrow."

Two players have signed for Real Madrid in recent days; Sergio Rico and Eden LuaLua. Can you discuss these transfers?

Christian Schäfer: "Keylor Navas retired in the summer, leaving Juan Carlos Triviño as our only senior keeper. We brought Sergio Rico in from Middlesbrough in England for a fee of about ten million euros (€10M/£7.9M) to act as cover for Triviño. Rico has gained plenty of experience playing for Middlesbrough, as well as Villareal and Sevilla, and he was an ideal replacement for Keylor Navas."

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"Eden LuaLua is a young French midfielder with a fantastic future ahead of him. He was a target of mine during my time at Dynamo Dresden, but Monaco were reluctant to part with him then. I do not know what changed their minds recently, but they allowed us to purchase him for ten and a half million euros (€10.5M/£8.3M). LuaLua possesses many similar abilities to Paul Pogba, but is more natural in a deeper midfield position, similar to Andrés Cubas. He will be involved in first-team action this season, and hopefully he can prove to be a world class player in the coming years."

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Do you have any more news regarding your squad ahead of tomorrow's fixture?

Christian Schäfer: "The squad is fit and ready to play. Cebolinha will probably miss out with a thigh strain he picked up a few weeks ago, but the rest of the squad is raring to go. The tour of the US was very successful and it allowed the players to undergo intensive preparations for the upcoming season, while enjoying a refreshing stay in another country. The players want to perform at the highest level possible, and they are in the perfect position to do so."

Mauricio Pochettino is your opposing number tomorrow. What do you make of him and his side?

Christian Schäfer: "They deserve a lot of respect. They have become a well-established Premier League side since Pochettino joined and they have an exciting squad. Kenny Tete joined their squad from our ranks this summer, and I believe Will Hughes is due to join their team before the game tomorrow. With players like Zach Clough and Chupa Akpom in attack, we have to be wary of the threat they pose and show them deserved respect. After all, they did win the Europa League last term."

How important is this game for the upcoming season?

Christian Schäfer: "It would be a major achievement to bring the trophy home and to begin the season with a bang. We want to be as successful as possible and put down some good form, and there's no better way to do this than by competing in the Super Cup competition."

Which player have you been most impressed with so far?

Christian Schäfer: "It is very difficult to say because I am lucky to have a squad full of players of the highest caliber. However, if I were to pick one player then it would have to be Cristiano (Ronaldo). Before I came here, I heard he was a very professional trainer, and I certainly knew of his talent, but now I know just how good he is. He gives his everything in each training session and always pushes himself to perform better. He is a model professional and a great idol for the others in the squad."

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Previous Update: #59 - Real Madrid Enjoy Successful US Tour
Next Update: #61 - Ronaldo Inspires Real To Super Cup Glory

Good luck with the match, you will do great!!!!

Good luck. Wonder if we will see this fixture IRL next season