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Jose ready for Real challenge

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Jose Mourinho has signed a four-year contract to become the new manager of Real Madrid – and described his challenge of returning the club to the top in Spain and in Europe as “a big one” (check out ante-post football markets on totesport.com).

The 47-year-old was on Monday unveiled as the successor to Manuel Pellegrini and becomes the 11th coach in the past seven years of Spain’s big-spending capital club.

Mourinho terminated his contract with Internazionale last week after two seasons at the club and Real have paid Inter a reported eight million euros (£6.8m) in compensation.

“I like to give myself a challenge and this is a big one,” said Mourinho. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability as a coach.”

Sporting director Jorge Valdano said: “It’s an honour to have one of the most prestigious coaches in the world.”

The Portuguese coach arrives in Madrid off the backing of guiding Inter to a historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles.

The former Porto and Chelsea boss is charged with the task of arresting a three-year trophyless title run in La Liga.
Real have also failed to make it past the first knockout phase of Europe’s elite club competition in six seasons.

Valdano added: “We are delighted to have him here with us. The best thing for our club right now is to have Mourinho with us.”

Real suffered another season of disappointment on the home front when they lost out to great rivals Barcelona in the race for the Spanish title.

However, Mourinho said he would not be rushing into making changes to personnel until he had time to settle in.
He said: “It’s too early to speak about changes.

“I believe it’s time to analyse the situation, to get to know my club, ask lots of questions and get answers.”

He added: “If we work as a group, it’s not difficult to get results.

“I want this group to have an identity, to win everything.

“The strength of my team is always the team and not the individuals.”

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Mourinho ready for new chapter

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Manager-in-waiting Jose Mourinho has spoken of his determination to return Real Madrid to the glory days of yesteryear – and has hinted he wants Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to join him in the next phase of his hugely-successful career (5/1 Lampard 8/1 Gerrard – Top England Goalscorer World Cup 2010).

The much-decorated coach has yet to sign a contract with Spain’s prestigious capital club but is convinced he has the pedigree and profile to finally mount a challenge to great rivals Barcelona and bring European success back to the Bernabeu.

Speaking about his goals in La Liga, the 47-year-old told Spanish sports daily AS: “I want to win the league, because no player or coach has won the English, Italian and Spanish leagues and I would like to be the first to do it, and also to be the first coach to lift three Champions Leagues with three different teams.

“I would also like to discover a player from the youth team and make him into a star. I have a lot of motivations. I don’t want to lose humility, so I cannot come out and say that I’m going to win the league when you are up against a super team like Barca.”

Real embarked on a 250-million euros spending spree this time last year but ended the season trophyless under Manuel Pellegrini, who was sacked on Wednesday.

Mourinho has already earmarked targets he has in mind as he looks to put his own stamp on his new-look team.

He tried to sign Gerrard from Liverpool when he was manager of Chelsea and knows all about England team-mate Lampard’s qualities from his trophy-laden tenure at Stamford Bridge (England – World Cup 2010 Specials).

Mourinho said: “I like players in the final part of their careers. I love to have some players who are 33 or 34 years old…they are players that you buy and you won’t recover this money, but if they give you good performances for two or three years you’ve got your money’s worth.

“Both (Gerrard and Lampard) are great players who always give everything.”

Real are waiting for Mourinho to resolve his contract, which runs until 2012, with Internazionale before they can unveil the two-time Champions League winner.

The La Liga giants have only won two major trophies in seven years and failed to get beyond the last 16 of the Champions League in any of the last six seasons.

Mourinho, fresh from guiding Inter to a historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles, has also dismissed suggestions he will want to be the centre of attention, insisting the team comes before any personal gains.

He added: “I will arrive with pride for my professional work, but with much humility because Real Madrid are much bigger than all of us.”

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Jose ready to get Real

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Club president Florentino Perez is convinced Jose Mourinho is the right man to take Real Madrid back to the summit of Spanish and European football (check out ante-post football betting opportunities on totesport.com).

Spain’s big-spending capital club opened the door to appointing the much-decorated Portuguese coach when they announced they had sacked Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday.

Now all that remains is for two-time Champions League winner Mourinho to resolve his contract negotiations with Internazionale before he sets about arguably the biggest task of his distinguished managerial career.

The 47-year-old is under contract in Milan until June 2012 but that is unlikely to prevent him from becoming Madrid’s 11th manager in seven years.

“The change of coach is always difficult, but we are convinced that after this first year and this first phase, now is the moment to give a fresh impulse to our project,” said Perez.

“I am absolutely convinced that the incorporation of Mourinho, who is one of the best coaches in the world – if not the best – is an opportunity that, in this Madrid, which fights permanently for excellence, we couldn’t let pass us by.”

Real have again had to play second-fiddle to great rivals and champions Barcelona this season and were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the sixth season running – despite a 250million-euro spending spree on new players this time last year.

They have now won just two major trophies in the last seven years and not even the likes of marquee signings Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso could inspire them to silverware last season

Perez acknowledged Real have lost valuable ground in the race for major honours and hopes Mourinho will restore some order.

He added: “This club demands the maximum and is always in search of excellence.

“We have reflected a lot on this season. It’s not just not winning a title. We consider that we are in a suitable moment to bet on one of the best coaches in the world, and the opportunity to bring him to the club is there.”

On paper, there appears no other candidate with the profile and magnetism of Mourinho to transform Real’s fortunes.

This season he guided Serie A giants to an unprecedented treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles.

The former Porto and Chelsea boss has made no secret of his desire to take over at the Bernabeu and all the evidence suggests his dream is about to be realised.

He met with Inter’s finance director Rinaldo Ghelfi in Milan earlier on Wednesday and afterwards told reporters: “Now I am on holiday, then I will go and work in Spain.”

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Wenger ready to sell Cesc

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Arsenal and Spain's Cesc FabregasCesc Fabregas says his future is now in the hands of Arsenal and the midfielder is just concentrating on Spain’s World Cup bid (Spain 4/1f to win the World Cup).

Speculation over the future of Fabregas has started to reach fever pitch and now for the first time, the Gunners ace has broken his silence on the matter.

Fabregas has now confirmed that a meeting did take place between himself and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger last week and reading between the lines it looks as though the Frenchman is ready to sanction the move.

The Spanish ace would not go into too much detail but it sounds as though Wenger has granted him his wish of a return to Barcelona if the Catalan giants pay the asking price and he can draft in a replacement before he leaves.

“He told me to concentrate on my football, he told me to concentrate on the World Cup, he told me to leave it in his hands, he will deal with whatever happens in my future and that’s what I’m doing, just concentrating on football,” Fabregas revealed.

“It’s not up to me any more and it’s just now about Arsenal and wherever it has to be and that’s it. I don’t want to say anything else, I just want to be focused for the World Cup because it is the most important thing – the rest is the future and I’m not interested in the future.”

Fabregas is now free to concentrate on the World Cup safe in the knowledge that Wenger will look after him. He knows that all being well, he is likely to sign for Barcelona after the South Africa showpiece.

Wenger now has the tough task of trying to find a replacement and there have already been suggestions he may try and swoop on Everton for another Spanish playmaker, Mikel Arteta.

Replacing Fabregas, like Manchester United discovered after losing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, will be almost impossible but Arteta has the quality to slip into the Gunners midfield.

Everton would be holding out for at least £15million but Wenger will have plenty of cash to do a deal if Fabregas goes and there will also be plenty left over to swoop for Bolton’s Gary Cahill as well.

The Gunners are 6/1 to win the Premier League next season but without Fabregas it will be a tall order unless Wenger can weave his magic in the transfer market.

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Jones ready for pitch battle

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Dave JonesCardiff boss Dave Jones has warned his players they cannot use the much-criticised Wembley playing surface as an excuse if they struggle against Blackpool (Cardiff 13/10, Blackpool 21/10, draw 9/4 90 Minutes) in Saturday’s Championship play-off final.

The Bluebirds will hope to overcome Ian Holloway’s Seasiders and clinch a place in the Premier League (Cardiff 8/13 to gain promotion) for next season which brings with it a reported £90million cash windfall.

However, after Chelsea skipper John Terry became the latest big-name player to launch a scathing attack on the quality of the Wembley playing surface following Saturday’s FA Cup final, Jones is getting his players prepared for the worst.

“We can’t do anything about it so we’ll just have to get on with it,” said Jones.

“We won’t blame the surface.”

In fact Jones feels his players could even be at an advantage ahead of the game given that the Cardiff City Stadium’s surface has also been lambasted for its poor quality this past season so they will be used to playing on a difficult pitch.

“We had complaints about our ground but there was nothing we could do about it,” added Jones.

“The groundsman was pulling his hair out because he had been worried.”

In the meantime, Jones is just hoping his players can adapt well to the ‘massive occasion’ and end Cardiff’s 48-year exile from the top division.

He said: “We’ll have a look at the pitch but if the pitch is a mess what are we going to do? We’ve got to get on with it.”

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Roque ready to keep miracle going

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Roque Santa Cruz has hailed his nation Paraguay (1/2 to qualify from Group F) ahead of this summer’s World Cup and says he is hopeful they can keep the “miracle” going when they head to South Africa.

This will be the fourth time in a row the nation has appeared at the finals of the tournament, their recent qualification record eclipsed only by the two powerhouses of South American football, Brazil and Argentina.

The Paraguayan league gets very few spectators coming to watch the games and matches are often played in front of just a few hundred people.

Despite the likes of Columbia, Chile and Peru having recognised leagues and as such more money to invest in their national team it is Paraguay who have somehow managed to turn out a decent side every four years in time for the World Cup.

In South Africa they will once again be up against nations with much better resources as they try to make a name for themselves.

Santa Cruz, speaking after scoring the winner for Paraguay in their 1-0 victory over North Korea, says it is miraculous Paraguay are able to compete with South American nations, let alone the world’s best.

“It’s a miracle, it’s something Paraguay has been blessed with and we are very proud, coming from such a small country, to be involved in such a great tournament,” Santa Cruz told reporters.

“It’s probably because we are so down-to-earth. The football is not the best, we don’t have a lot of resources, we have don’t infrastructure or stadiums like other countries have.”

The Manchester City forward will be leading his nation in South Africa this summer despite a difficult season back in England where injuries have restricted his participation.

The 28-year-old managed only three goals in the whole of last season as he struggled to hold down a first-team spot when he wasn’t in the treatment room.

However, Santa Cruz (100/1 Top Goalscorer) believes he is over his injury problems and is hopeful he will find the goal regularly enough to help Paraguay achieve their dream of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

“Fitness-wise I feel very good, and it’s good for me to have 90 minutes behind me,” he said.

“Paraguay have never been involved in the quarter-finals, that is what we want to achieve and see if we can go on from there,” he said. “It would be a good World Cup if we could do that.”

Paraguay will certainly fancy their chances of reaching the first knock-out round at the World Cup having been drawn alongside Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia.

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Hobbs ready to go all out

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Leicester City defender Jack Hobbs has promised that his side will be throwing caution to the wind when they visit Cardiff City in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals on Wednesday night (Cardiff evens Draw 23/10 Leicester 11/4).

Cardiff hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg at the Walkers Stadium, after Peter Whittingham scored his 24th goal of the season to give the Bluebirds a vital away win.

Yet the former Liverpool defender Hobbs believes that Leicester can still reach the play-off final: “We will go there with all guns blazing and come flying out of the traps, create as many chances as we can and, hopefully, take them.

“They will have a problem because they have a one-goal lead, so do they sit back or do they come at us? We know we have to come out all guns firing, hopefully get an early goal and then go from there.”

Leicester must overcome the odds to beat a Cardiff side that are unbeaten in their last seven home games at the Cardiff City Stadium, in a run which included a 2-1 win over the Foxes. Cardiff also beat Leicester at home in the FA Cup this season.

History shows that winning promotion might now prove tough for Leicester. No team has overcome a first-leg semi-final deficit and then went on to win the play-offs, since Bolton Wanderers won promotion in 1995 (Cardiff 11/10 to be promoted, Leicester 6/1).

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson’s options may be boosted if defender Wayne Brown and on-loan Everton striker James Vaughan pass late fitness tests, while Steve Howard is available again having served a suspension. Chris Burke and Anthony Gerrard are both doubtful to play for Cardiff.

The winners will face Blackpool in the play-off final at Wembley, after Ian Holloway’s team came from behind twice, to eventually beat Nottingham Forest 4-3 at the City Ground, giving the Seasiders a 6-4 aggregate victory.

Blackpool were not fancied against a Forest side that were unbeaten in their last 20 home games and had not conceded a goal at the City Ground in more than 12 hours. A second half hat-trick from striker DJ Campbell, gave Blackpool an unexpected victory and a shot at their first promotion to the top flight since 1970.

A delighted Ian Holloway said after the match: “I said it would have to be the best we have ever played if we were to do it – and I think it was the best we have ever played.”

“We are still learning and still evolving but we have achieved something mega.

“We are within 90 minutes of playing in the Premier League and that is unbelievable.”

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Mancini ready for must-win game

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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believes his side are ready for their must-win encounter with Tottenham (9/4 to win on the midweek coupon) on Wednesday night.

The midweek clash could decide who gets that fourth and final Champions League spot with the two sides seemingly having cut a drift LIverpool and Aston Villa.

Spurs’ win over Bolton kept them one point ahead of City while Mancini’s men ended any hopes Aston Villa had of a top finish by beating them 3-1 at Eastlands.

Liverpool’s hopes could be extinguished should they fail to beat Chelsea on Sunday with the Reds five points behind Tottenham with just two games to play.

Mancini believes no matter what else happens the winner of Wednesday’s match will be the team that makes it into the Champions League next season.

“I think we must beat Tottenham,” said Mancini. “It will be a massive game and we need all the supporters.

“It will be a fantastic game on Wednesday.”

City looked to be back to somewhere near their best on Saturday with the front three of Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez (28/1 top goalscorer) and Emmanuel Adebayor all getting on the score sheet for the home side.

However, the majority of City supporters had their eyes on debutant Marton Fulop, the Sunderland goalkeeper joining the Eastlands outfit on an emergency loan following Shay Given’s shoulder injury.

Fulop looked out of sorts at times, flapping at a number of crosses, although Mancini put it down to nerves and has backed him to come good.

While City’s goalkeeping situation shows no sign of improving Tottenham have their own concerns over their shot stopper.

Spurs (4/5 top four finish) number one Heurelho Gomes was visibly limping towards the end of their game with Bolton and manager Harry Redknapp has since revealed the Brazilian picked up a groin injury coming for a cross.

Gomes will now have a scan to determine whether he will be fit to start with Redknapp prepared to turn to England under-21 goalkeeper Ben Alnwick should his number one be ruled out of action.

Redknapp says he would be happy to turn to Alnwick, despite admitting that Wednesday’s game will be ‘massive’.

“We’re right there. We have two big games to come,” said Redknapp.

“It’s a massive game and we would have taken this at the start of the season.”

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Fulop ready for City challenge

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Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop says he is ‘ready to do a job’ for loan side Manchester City in their quest to clinch the Premier League’s fourth Champions League place (City 11/4 Top Four Finish).

City were given special dispensation by the Premier League to take the Hungary international to Eastlands after first-choice keeper Shay Given was ruled out for their final three matches with a dislocated shoulder he suffered at Arsenal last Saturday.

City boss Roberto Mancini only has third-choice Faroe Islands custodian Gunnar Neilsen at his disposal so the arrival of Fulop on an emergency loan will boost his optrions ahead of this weekend’s massive game against against Aston Villa (City 10/11, Villa 13/5, draw 5/2 Weekend Coupon).

Fulop does not know if he will start for City, but he is confident of helping them out if he does not get the nod.

“I got the call on Tuesday from City and I was more than happy to come and help the club,” he told City’s official website.

“It’s fantastic to be here at such a time. It came out of the blue but I’m delighted to try to help City achieve their goal.

“I’m ready to play, if I’m selected. I came here to do a job and I’m confident that I can do that. I feel good, and we need a win to get that fourth-place spot, which is so important for the club.

On Given’s injury problem, Fulop added: “It’s an horrific injury for a goalkeeper.

“It’s a really bad one because you use your shoulders with almost every movement. I really hope that Shay recovers very soon.”

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Jose ready to go the distance

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Jose Mourinho will tell his Internazionale players they must be prepared to go until the final whistle when they take on holders Barcelona in a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final second-leg clash at the Nou Camp on Wednesday (4/6 Inter Milan – To Qualify).

The Serie A title-chasers travel to Spain (4/9 Barcelona 11/4 draw 11/2 Inter Milan – match betting) with a 3-1 advantage secured in Milan on Tuesday.

Pedro threatened to make it a comfortable night for the Spanish champions when he gave them the lead on 19 minutes.

But goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito inflicted only a fourth defeat of the season on a side bidding to make Champions League history by retaining the trophy.

Inter are now in the box seat to win a first major European trophy since they completed a double in 1965.

However, Mourinho, who served as an assistant to the late Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal at Barcelona from 1996 to 2000, has warned there is a long way to go.

The Portuguese coach said: “We still have a lot to do, we’re going to play in Barcelona next week don’t forget. Barcelona are the best team in the world when they play at home.”

Victory for the Nerazzurri at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza was Inter’s fifth in succession since the knockout stages and Mourinho is convinced his players have arrived on the big stage.

However, the 47-year-old also stressed they would not be getting ahead of themselves taking into account three-time winners Barca defeated Inter 2-0 in the group stages earlier this season.

Mourinho, winner of Europe’s elite club competition in 2004 with his former club FC Porto, added: “We must fight hard to make this dream come true. We have two choices for the game in Barcelona: get to the final in Madrid or leave Europe with our heads held high. Our chance of going through is 50%, just like before the first leg.”

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