adminCristiano Ronaldo celebrated his World Player of the Year award with a goal as Real Madrid beat Osasuna 2-0 — and 4-0 on aggregate — in the Copa del Rey.The 28-year-old, who won his second Ballon d’Or on Monday, was fortunate to see his free-kick slip through goalkeeper Andres Fernandez’s grasp.
Angel di Maria doubled the lead with a low finish before Gareth Bale replaced Ronaldo in the 68th minute. Bale, without a goal since November, did little to win back his place.
He may find a space in the side through Fabio Coentrao’s suspension after the left-back – rumoured to be a January target for Manchester United – was sent off for a second booking late on.
Bale’s demotion to the bench was one of six changes Carlo Ancelotti made to the team that beat Espanyol at the weekend. Osasuna had held Real and La Liga champions Barcelona to draws at El Sadar in the league this season, but never looked likely to recover from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
Real face a quarter-final clash with Espanyol, who scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to overcome second division side Alcorcon 4-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.
Athletic Bilbao set up a meeting with holders Atletico Madrid in the last eight with a 2-1 aggregate win over Real Betis. Meanwhile, the head of a new Spanish soccer anti-corruption unit, Manuel Quintanar, says his target is to fight the growing threat of organised crime in the game.
Quintanar was this week appointed director general of a new league integrity department, as the Spanish government and the football league attempt to combat the spread of bribery and illegal betting on matches.
“At a European level from Uefa they have been informed by Fifa of the enormous worry that exists over what is taking place,” Quintanar told Spanish newspaper Marca.
“It involves the mafia to an extent who have found a new way to make illegal business through professional sport. Against this problem we cannot be half-hearted and we are trying to improve our attitude towards this.
“I am looking forward to the challenge and I am looking for support and collaboration so as to have success. Quintanar wants to see perpetrators taken to court and stiff sentences imposed.
“We need to make everyone aware, starting with the judiciary, of this issue. The police already can work with what is laid down in the penal code which offers very strong sanctions,” he said.
“We need to have zero tolerance with fraud in sport and my job is to inform and ensure that measures are taken quickly at each step.
“The machinery needs to be well oiled so that at any hint of a crime we can act.”
Elsewhere, Barcelona veteran Xavi has revealed Pep Guardiola played a role in his decision to turn down a move to Bayern Munich in 2008.
Guardiola, the current Bayern boss, took charge of Barca in the same season that the Bundesliga giants made their approach for Xavi.
After applying pressure on Xavi to stay in Catalunya, Guardiola steered the Blaugrana to 14 titles in a four-year spell before taking a break from the game, and then linking up with Bayern in the off-season.-Supersport.
Online Reporter