Madrid News

A Spanish oil tanker that was hijacked by pirates off West Africa 10 days ago was freed Saturday and the 23-member crew is OK, its owner said.

No ransom was paid for the release of the Cypriot-flagged Mattheos I, although pirates who seized it stole as much as they could of the diesel fuel it was carrying as cargo, said Consultores de Navegacion spokeswoman Sheena Campbell.

Real Madrid says its revenues increased by 8 percent over the 2010-11 season to reach a record figure of nearly half a billion euros.

The world’s richest club says it earned ?480.2 million ($663 million) for a net gain of ?31.6 million ($43.6 million) from a season when it won the Copa del Rey. The net profit margin was up from ?24 million ($33 million) the season before. More >

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed the six cities that will bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

The cities hoping to take on the Olympic torch from Rio de Janeiro in 2016 include Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy) and Toyko (Japan).

All six applicants have fulfilled the IOC’s prerequisite criteria, and will now proceed to Phase One of the two-step process – which will see the IOC survey each city’s infrastructure and technical ability to host the biggest sporting event in the world.

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan has not travelled to Portugal for Thursday’s Europa League clash with Guimaraes as he ponders a move away from the Spanish club.

The 32-year-old Uruguay international has been linked with a transfer to Inter Milan, who on Tuesday reached agreement with Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala for the sale of Cameroon frontman Samuel Eto’o.

The Rojiblancos take a 2-0 lead into the second leg of their play-off tie but will be without Forlan, with coach Gregorio Manzano believing it was in the team’s best interests for Forlan not to make the trip.

Violence flared last night as a demonstration against the Pope’s arrival in Madrid turned ugly.

Anti-Pope protesters marched on the Spanish capital’s central Sol plaza to voice their concerns about the 50 million euro price tag of the four-day trip. More >

A papal visit to Madrid this month to greet hundreds of thousands of young Roman Catholics has revived a bitter debate about the role of the Church in Spanish politics and angered secular protesters who say their websites were being censored this week.

Pope Benedict XVI arrives on August 18 to celebrate World Youth Day in the Spanish capital, where supporters from all over the world have already started to gather for a series of celebrations and public appearances that will close some city centre avenues for up to six days.

Riot police armed with batons clashed with protesters demonstrating against the government’s economic policies, and seven officers were injured, officials said Friday. More >

Wolfsburg playmaker Diego has received an official transfer proposal from 2009 Europa League winners Atletico Madrid, as confirmed by the player.

The 26-year-old, however, made it clear that the Spanish capital-outfit are not the only team chasing his signature.

Diego is surplus to requirements at Wolfsburg after falling out with tactician Felix Magath, and has agreed to part ways with the club.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is set to wield more power with the Spanish giants after the club gave him the additional title of sporting manager of football.

Mourinho has urged Real to follow the English model by giving the coach more control and the Portuguese appears to be getting his way.

“Real Madrid have agreed a new organisation of the club with Jose Mourinho as the sporting manager of football,” read a press release on the Real Madrid website.

SL Benfica have confirmed the signing of central defender Ezequiel Garay from Real Madrid CF for an undisclosed fee.

The Argentinian international agreed the terms of the deal while on international duty at the 2011 Copa América, although the Lisbon club have decided against revealing the details of the deal.

Garay arrived at Madrid in 2008/09 after two-and-a-half seasons with Real Racing Club, to whom he was loaned back for a year before spending two terms in the Spanish capital. During that time the 24-year-old defender failed to establish himself as a first-team regular and, following 25 Liga appearances, has moved in the opposite direction to left-back Fábio Coentrão, who left Benfica for the nine-time European club champions this summer in a €30m transfer.