La Liga - Real Madrid thrashed by minnows

Eurosport - Tue, 27 Oct 22:50:00 2009

Real Madrid suffered an astonishing 4-0 defeat at third-tier side Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey, humiliated in the first leg by a club with a budget more than 400 times smaller than the La Liga giants.

FOOTBALL 2009-2010 La Liga Manuel Pellegrini (Real Madrid) - 0

Real were missing their two most expensive signings, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, as well as several other key players, but were undone by a club with a £1 million annual budget compared to Real's £400 million.

It was the third defeat in five matches for Manuel Pellegrini's side and piled more pressure on the Chilean coach after Saturday's 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon and last week's 3-2 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League.

"It's an embarrassment, I have no explanation," Pellegrini said after the last-32 clash.

"When you lose like that there is not much to say. Sometimes in the Cup you think that your weaker opponent is easily beaten and until you lose you don't take them seriously."

Pressed about his future, he added: "I have never thought about, I am not thinking about, and I will not think about, resigning."

A fired-up Alcorcon, who play in the same league as Real's youth team Castilla, laid siege to the visitors' goal in the frantic early stages of the last-32 clash, forcing Jerzy Dudek into a couple of smart saves with shots from distance.

Former Real youth player Borja Gomez gave Alcorcon a shock lead in the 16th minute when he cut in from the right and curled a precise shot into the bottom left corner.

Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa inexplicably clipped the ball into his own net six minutes later before Fernando Bejar headed against Dudek's left post.

Ernesto Gomez made it three five minutes before the break, sidefooting home Diego Cascon's cross from the right, and Borja pounced on a loose ball to make it four in the 52nd minute.

Pellegrini replaced Raul with Ruud van Nistelrooy with just under 20 minutes left as Real searched desperately for a goal.

Alcorcon keeper Juanma palmed the Dutchman's shot on to a post with four minutes remaining but Real were unable to find a goal ahead of the second leg at the Bernabeu in two weeks.

Real director general Jorge Valdano apologised to the Madrid fans for the side's woeful display.

"It's difficult and I know how the Madrid supporters must be feeling," he said.

"We have to take it as a lesson in humility that must serve as a starting point for a fresh beginning.

"We must stick together, and when I say together I am also thinking about the coach."

Real president Florentino Perez, who spent over £200 million on players in the transfer window, was watching from the stands at Alcorcon's tiny stadium south west of the Spanish capital, which had its capacity boosted to 4,500 from 3,000 for the match.

In the night's other Copa matches Quique Sanchez Flores marked his debut as Atletico Madrid coach with a 2-0 win at third-tier Marbella and Sevilla won 4-2 at Atletico Ciudad.

Another Segunda B side, Cultural Leonesa, play host to holders and Liga leaders Barcelona on Wednesday, while last year's finalists Athletic Bilbao visit second division Rayo Vallecano.

Reuters

Comment 86 - 105 of 105

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  1. Barcelona and Real Madrid would both stryuggle to­ qualify for the Champions League if they played in the­ premier League. The standards in England are so much­ higher. And I hate to remind Real Madrid fans that­ Ronaldo was warned that he would be taking a backward­ step after leaving Man Utd, the best team in the world,­ there is only one way to go and that's down. We­ mugged Real madrid off when we got 80 million for him­ and now they are starting to regret spending so much­ money/ lol

    From elrosso, on Thu 29 Oct 10:42AM

  2. What you were thinking when they bought players with 90­ mil euros. Where is this money coming from? Betting

    From Fatih, on Thu 29 Oct 8:04AM

  3. Cultural Leonesa 0 - Barca 2 !!! Visca el Barca!!!

    From damnsoldja, on Thu 29 Oct 12:12AM

  4. This was the 2nd team. But the 2nd team at Real­ Mierdrid should be able to beat league 2 opponents. The­ reserves who don't see the bench should win. And­ 4:0? That's a complete joke. That is a team that is­ unprepared to play football and casts real doubts about­ this team abilities to win trophies when the 50-60 game­ season starts to wear them down. And if that happens,­ people in China, Japan, USA, S.America, start buying­ Barcelona jerseys and the money needed to pay back­ those huge loans goes away. One or two games don't­ make a season. But in this economy, even the mighty­ Real Mierdrid is not going to get much leeway before­ they get told to generate some cash by selling players.

    From Maxx92, on Wed 28 Oct 6:26PM

  5. And Rooney's gonna say "Listen Ronnie, if you­ think you're having My limilight this time you can­ think again! Just joking, course you can have it­ Ron', we know you can't function without the­ cameras focusing on your hairstyle and suntan. Good to­ see you back bro'. We always knew you'd­ return!"

    From kmortr, on Wed 28 Oct 5:38PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Why the fuss. The players bought with all the money did­ not play.

    From tinselgroup, on Wed 28 Oct 4:15PM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Chelsea!! Forever & ever & ever.Check us out­ today on FA

    From ifeanyi m, on Wed 28 Oct 4:11PM

  8. 2.Looks like all that money on Ronaldo/ Kaka/ Benzema/­­ Alonso didn't give them depth to compete on all­­ levels. That is one revenue stream cut off. Was Perez­­ looking at that to help pay his 'Galacticos'­­ bill? Go ahead and fire Pellegrini. How long is his­­ contract and how much will you pay to Spalletti or­­ Mancini? Neither one strikes me as a guy who'll­­ play puppet to you. So is that another 6 million euro­­ on your bar tab? What now? Rush Ronaldo back, see him­­ injured for the rest of the year, drop to 4th and see­­ Real Mierdrid have a fire sale to keep from going­­ bankrupt? Sounds fine to me. Bet those banks who­ issued­ the lines of credit to Perez are feeling pretty­ nervous­ right now.­­ Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! This is­­ funny. Couldn't happen to nicer people

    From Maxx92, on Wed 28 Oct 3:20PM

  9. Alcoron 4 - El cojon 0

    From Giovanni T, on Wed 28 Oct 3:14PM

  10. Real thank you for being such a JOKE!!! It reminds us­ that football is nothing serious. Just like your­ president isn't. LOL!!!!

    From Giovanni T, on Wed 28 Oct 3:13PM

  11. Real thank you for being such a JOKE!!! It reminds us­ that football is nothing serious. Just like your­ president isn't. LOL!!!!

    From Giovanni T, on Wed 28 Oct 3:11PM

  12. IM NOT SURE WHICH IS WORSE FOR MADRID PLAYERS, PUTTING­ UP WITH RONALDO OR LOSING LIKE THIS

    From chris.shaw47, on Wed 28 Oct 3:04PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    got an even better joke 105 baca 1 rubin 2 scummy barca­ fans have short memories

    From Alan, on Wed 28 Oct 2:00PM

  14. Everyone! I have a joke for you! ok, are you ready?­ REAL MADRID...! (end of joke). hahahahahahahaha!

    From eliemansour390, on Wed 28 Oct 1:54PM

  15. for the madridistas: dont sack Pellegrini, then s u c k­ Pellegrini!!! hahahahahaha!!! f c k r s! u need a new­ manager?! hahahaha!!! he is brand new!!! hahahahaha!­ it's not the managers fault only! or then, bring­ back Schuster or Ramos!­ hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah­ ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!madrid is just simply s­ h e t!!! FACT!!! Visca el Barca!!!

    From damnsoldja, on Wed 28 Oct 1:48PM

  16. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! triple hurra!!!­ Alcoron 4 - Madrid 0!!! hahahahahahahahaha!!! Visca­ el Barca!!!

    From damnsoldja, on Wed 28 Oct 1:34PM

  17. Fabregas, and Mascherano have proper morale because­ they like Barca better? :) The same happened with­ Beckham and Ronaldinho and Kaka etc:) Ronaldinho went­ to Barca because in the end Real Madrid decided against­ buying him :)

    From Csaba, on Wed 28 Oct 1:34PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    madrid will hammer alcocorn 6-0 in the 2nd leg so i­ dont know what the big deal is here, once this team­ gels they will the best team on the planet lets see­ what the idiots slagging them off now have to say in­ may. Remember u read this, madrid will struggle and­ scrape by till the barca game then destroy in the camp­ toilet and thats when madrid will come into their own

    From Alan, on Wed 28 Oct 12:53PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    if you want to wipe your a** on your rivals google­ footballtoiletpaper, you can get Celtic, Rangers, Man­ U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Sunderland, Newcastle,­ Birmingham and Villa toilet paper

    From footballtoiletpaper, on Wed 28 Oct 12:35PM

  20. CSABA's comment on how Real Madrid is more­ attractive is a load of @#$%, Fabregas, and Mascherano,­ proper footballers with proper morales and footballing­ ability, rather than posers who are desperate for­ advertising deals and hefty goal bonuses, said they­ would rather play for Barcelona. Benzema and Ribery­ both said they would rather play for Real Madrid after­ Los Blancos decided they'd waited long enough to­ jack up the price of every footballer in the world and­ spent 80 million on Ronaldo. Is Real the more­ attractive club? Or do they just not mind giving­ players a bigger weekly wage than these players know­ they deserve. Mes Que un Club.

    From mark.b.lane, on Wed 28 Oct 12:10PM
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