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Forum / Sports / Mourinho reveals transfer plansfor Real Madrid |
on: 27-05-2010 12:53 PM
| Jose Mourinho has revealed his transfer plans for his new job at Real Madrid and hinted that he could target English midfield duo Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. - Capello staying with England - Real Madrid axe Pellegrini, Jose waits - Forum: How much is a manager worth? Mourinho is set to take charge at the Santiago Bernabeu once terms have been finalised between Real and European champions Inter Milan, after Madrid sacked Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday night to clear the way for his arrival. Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho lifted the lid on his plans for new recruits as he bids to challenge Barcelona's dominance of La Liga. "I like players at the end of their careers. I love to have some players around 33 or 34-years- old,'' he said. "They are players that you buy which you cannot recoup the money from, but if you get two or three years out of them it is worth it. Both (Lampard and Gerrard) are two great players and always give everything." Mourinho dismissed the idea of signing Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao, describing him as a Portuguese Marcelo (who already plays at Madrid), and distanced himself from a move for Angel Di Maria as well. "Di Maria is a fantastic player in a smaller league,'' he said. ''I have doubts about how he can perform in a championship like Spain or Italy. If he is available at an affordable price then I will take the risk, but the price is extortionate, and I do not like my clubs to pay crazy prices for players. I want three or four defensive players, but we need to improve the attack as well." Speaking on possible formations, Mourinho hinted he could move for Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, who has been linked with a move to join his former boss in the summer, but also admitted his admiration for Inter's Maicon on the other side of defence. "Normally I play with four at the back, with two offensive full- backs like [Ashley] Cole and Maicon. Then a triangle in midfield and three forwards," he said. Mourinho also responded to the Madrid fans who want to win, obtain titles but also see good football: ''My Madrid will always play well, attack and will be winners. However, there will be times when we will have to face the game in a different manner. ''Having said that, my team always goes out on the pitch with a clear idea: to win. And if we are winning 3-1 and we only have 10 players on the pitch, then my players will have to sit back to defend. That's the way it is. ''It's very difficult during 90 minutes to always be better than your opponent. There's always a time in which you need to be a team and make sacrifices. It will be a balanced team. A team that plays to win titles must be aware aware of its virtues and its defects and has to work as a unit. ''A team that wants to win titles has to win games and a team that wants to win games has to play well. We will be a side with its own identity, we will not imitate anybody. The identity will be set by the players and me. For this we will have to work very hard.'' While he was cagey about his future at Inter before the Champions League final, Mourinho admitted that he had already made the decision to move before he lifted the trophy. "Before the final, a decision was made to come to Madrid. After that Inter knew it was not about a new contract or money. I want to coach Real," he concluded. | | |
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Forum / Sports / Maradona: I'll run naked if wewin |
on: 27-05-2010 09:32 AM
| Argentina coach Diego Maradona has promised that he will run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if his side manage to win their first World Cup since 1986. Maradona lifted the trophy as player at Mexico '86 and is in charge of the national team in South Africa. The ever- controversial coach has now promised to streak if he leads his side to glory again. "If we win the Cup then I will run naked to the Obelisk in Buenos Aires," he said after Argentina's 5-0 drubbing of Canada. Maradona also insisted that he left star player Lionel Messi out of the side for the friendly because of a fear over injury before the tournament, claiming he told Messi: "If something had happened to you in that match, I'd have been shot - you know where." Messi is yet to capture his best form for his country, with many claiming he is played out of position by Maradona. The forward plays in a free role behind the two strikers under Maradona, but has found success on the right side of a three- pronged attack for his club side, Barcelona. Yet he claims that the decision is down to the coach. "I don't know. It's Diego's decision,'' he said. "But I think Argentina are fortunate to have so many top- quality forwards. "I won't change. I'll keep playing in the same way. I hope to be able to do what I do for Barcelona in the national team without my form suffering. I have also won everything individually and now I would like to do the same with Argentina."
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Forum / Sports / fabregas:my future lies in the hands of wenger. |
on: 27-05-2010 09:28 AM
| Cesc Fabregas has placed his future in the hands of Arsene Wenger and says he will not let his possible transfer to Barcelona distract him from his World Cup campaign with Spain. - Puyol: Cesc would be perfect - Barca prepared for long chase - Campbell "serious" about Celtic Fabregas is believed to have told Arsenal he wants to leave for Barcelona this summer and bring to an end a seven-year stay in North London that has seen him mature into one of world football's leading midfielders. Barcelona are yet to make a firm offer for the player who quit their youth academy to join the Gunners in 2003, but the Spanish champions revealed on Tuesday that initial contact had been made between the two clubs. Fabregas has spoken of the "respect" he has for Wenger after confirming he held a lengthy conversation with the Arsenal manager, and says his destiny will now be determined by his club, leaving him free to focus on the World Cup. "I will only say one thing, I have great respect for Arsene Wenger, for Arsenal Football Club and for the Arsenal fans," Fabregas said in a press conference. "Sometimes not even in my house have I felt more loved than I have at Arsenal. "I had a long conversation with Arsene, it is probably the greatest conversation I have had with someone in my life, and I respect him so much and I don't want to say too much about this."He told me to concentrate on my football, to concentrate on the World Cup. He told me to leave it in his hands and he will deal with whatever happens for my future.That is what I'm doing:concentrate on my football."It is not up to me anymore, it is just now about Arsenal and however it has to be, that is it. I don't want to say anything else, I just want to be focused on the World Cup because it is the most important thing. The rest is the future, and I am not interested in the future."Fabregas missed the conclusion of the Premier League season due to a fractured leg but says he is recovering well ahead of the finals in South Africa."The feelings couldn't be better after training three days normally," Fabregas said. "Now it's as if I'm in pre-season, I have heavy legs which is normal at the start." | | | |