Preview: Real Madrid vs Getafe (League Day 3)

Real Madrid Vs. Getafe

La Liga returns to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Madrid are set to face Getafe at 20:00 (GMT+1) this Saturday and look to earn another victory after their impressive 6-0 win in Zaragoza, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick. The Portuguese star always scores at least a brace every time he faces Getafe and he currently leads the championship's top scorer ranking with Valencia's Soldado. Real Madrid defeated Getafe in their previous five meetings.

Granero has made Jose Mourinho's cut for the match. Many of the manager's players proved to be in optimum form with their national teams in the last couple of weeks: Ozil scored three goals for Germany; Higuain netted a brace against Nigeria with Argentina; and Di Maria, Benzema and Ronaldo scored one goal each for their national teams. But the FIFA virus strain is milder than in the past. Fifteen players went out, but Carvalho saved efforts with Paulo Bento and the rest of Portuguese and Özil, played only on Friday. Only Higuain and Di Maria endured the beating of traveling to India and Bangladesh. And yet,it seems that the second will start (there is an option to Callejon) and Mourinho will insist on the starting line-up of Zaragoza. Then, if the result comes good, there will be coffee for everyone: Kaka, Higuain (six goals against Getafe) For all except for Lass, soul in purgatory.

When the FIFA virus attacked Real Madrid, disease of the rich, Getafe was walking in worse conditions. So it will be difficult to find the equality lost around La Liga, major question that divides to Spanish football. Luis Garcia, who debuts on the bench for Getafe (due to suspension he had to stay in the stands against Levante on Day 2), walks on the wire. His team has not left the assembly line, with thirteen new players, and three defenders out due to injury, Lopo, Mane and Rafa, and without its three best midfielders players, Gavilan, Diego Castro and Pedro Leon, the latter disqualified on prohibitory clause of fear (two million) revealed by Mourinho. He is not Zidane and Maradona but neither is legit. Michel and Ustari complete the list of absentees. But the team is nevertheless a tough nut to crack. The Blues rely on the vision of former Real Madrid academy player Pablo Sarabia, who has taken the spot left by former Madridista Parejo. Other former Real Madrid youth teamers on the squad are Codina, Miguel Torres, Casquero and Mosquera.

Getafe knows what to expect, but found plenty of variety at the Santiago Bernabeu the last years. Seven times visited the stadium and each time found a different coach in Real Madrid: Garcia Remon, Luxembourg, Capello, Schuster, Juande, Pellegrini and Mourinho. The Portuguese will repeat today, a sign that slows down the unbearable instability in the club.

Ferguson: "As a youth I was just like Mourinho"

Sir Alex Ferguson has been Manchester United's manager for over two decades and has earned the respect of the entire world of football. Sir Alex received an award in Roma acknowledging his ethics in sport and mentioned Jose Mourinho in the speech he gave in the auditorium of Tor Vegata University.

Alex Fergison with Jose Mourinho 

"I had Mourinho's enthusiasm when I was younger. Jose is a great friend. He does not hide his emotions. That is a quality I like in human beings. He can also laugh at himself. We used to drink a glass of wine after a game and talked about a million different things".

"I do not find anything wrong with his enthusiasm. When I was younger I showed more enthusiasm on the bench too. I was always gesticulating and directing. It's Mourinho's nature to be agitated. When I saw Mourinho run up and down the touchline at Old Trafford when he coached Porto, I said to myself, 'Did I also used to do that?' People recognise his enthusiasm. The fans understand that he is fighting for them and for the squad".

Cristiano reconciles Carvalho and Pepe

Cristiano Ronaldo was the architect of reconciliation between Carvalho and Pepe. He wanted the bad vibes and the controversy could finalize yesterday. The seven, captain of Portugal and one of the heavyweights of Real Madrid, walked among his countrymen toward the three Valdebebas field. In public, with cameras present, he got together with his two companions and led to a hug with the defenders that sealed a final peace.

The striker grabbed Pepe by his shoulder and took him to Carvalho, who was one meter from them. Between jokes, Cristiano joined them in an embrace. Joining them Marcelo and Coentrao witnessed the scene. The Brazilian applauded smiling the reconciliation of their peers.

After the embrace and laughs, Pepe and Carvalho continued talking together and removed the last problems as they walked towards the pitch. They talked until they started to work. Then, with peace, Pepe stood by Cristiano and Coentrao, while Carvalho began to train with Kaka.

The situation was different from that experienced in training on Tuesday, where Portuguese defenders were not crossed a look. The problem was within the team when Carvalho noted to his companion as the cause for leaving Portugal national team: "I ​​left the national team due to an injustice. Pepe, without training, would play as starter". Seven days later everything is back to normal.

Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carvalho

Florentino Perez wants a new Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will continue in its present location for many years. Although there was a parcel reserved in the Valdebebas Sports City to build a new stadium as was showed in the initial project, Florentino has made clear that the current Bernabeu Stadium is the ideal setting for sporting interests of the first team and a "gold mine", as reported several times to the managers of the white club.

Santiago Bernabeu Project

The stadium generates 25% of the club's annual income, thanks to the money raised by contributions from members and subscribers as well as the ticketing for matches and 4,200 VIP locations. The rest of the revenue comes from television rights (35%), commercial operation (30%), UEFA (5%) and rights for selling T-shirts (5%).

Therefore Florentino Perez has decided to present to the membership-electors in the next Assembly (September 25) the new Santiago Bernabeu project. This is to create, on the facade of the stadium facing the Paseo de La Castellana Street, an area of entertainment and shopping center of over 30,000 square meters in which will be located a mall, several upscale restaurants and a five stars hotel, whose main interest will be to rent suites overlooking the field so that fans can watch Real Madrid matches without leaving the room. In most modern stadiums in England and America this is quite common.

Is also being studied closing the stadium with a cover, which will cost about 40 million euros. The club expects a minimum return of 200 million euros for this ambitious project.

Enzo Zidane trained with Real Madrid

Mourinho welcomes Enzo Zidane

Enzo Zidane trained for the first time with the first team of Real Madrid this afternoon in Valdebebas Sports City. Zinedine's son is 16 years old and plays for Real Madrid C in the youth squads of the white club when he has played in all ranks.

Mourinho welcomed Enzo Zidane before the start of training and was well embraced by peers, especially by youth players as Morata and Alex Fernandez, who also attended the training session, and his father, director of the first team who was in Valdebebas.

Enzo Zidane performed the same exercises as the rest of the squad in the open part of the training. The young player has not made ​​a decision on whether to play for the national teams of Spain or France.

Carvalho clashed with Mourinho in 2005

Many people were surprised by the Carvalho's runaway of the training camp of Portugal to learn that he was not going to be a starter in the game against Cyprus. "Never before I have felt so neglected and hurt in my dignity. If they make me feel that I am out and did not talk to me, the only option is to leave", said the Real Madrid player. However, it is not the first time that Carvalho has a bad reaction when is moved of the starting line-up.

It cocurred in August 2005, in Chelsea, with Mourinho as coach. The central defender was regular starter with the blues at that time, but saw as the coach began to bet on Gallas and expressed his displeasure in the British press. Carvalho was the third option for the central defender position and said: "I ​​do not know why I am an alternate. He (Mourinho) told me about this, but I do not understand why. It is totally incomprehensible".

Mourinho, very annoying by receive messages through the newspapers, replied him sharply: "Carvalho seems to have trouble understanding what is said to him, so it is possible he should undergo a test of intelligence. I worked with him for the last four years and not understand his words. He probably needs to see a doctor. This summer I said that we have an extraordinary template and if you are on the bench it is time to be patient, everyone would have their chance. What is difficult to understand? I hope he will be quiet because I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour".

The Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon and his peers were very angry. Terry said: "You cannot think you are sick of the coach for a day you do not feel involved". Despite this defense of his coach, Terry tried to remove the fine that the club imposed to Carvalho, 97,000 euros, which was not possible.

Mourinho and Carvalho

Ricardo Carvalho: "It was an injustice"

Ricardo Carvalho

Carvalho broke his silence after his statement announcing his withdrawal from the Portuguese national team by a conflict with his coach, Paulo Bento. The white center defender showed himself very hurt by the coach: "I am in the national team for love to my country".

Coach Paulo Bento called you 'deserter' when you left the training camp in Portugal and announced you were quitting the team. Got something to say?
If he used military language and using the same kind of language, I might call him mercenary.

Please explain ...
When you go to war for money, when you are not in the national team for love or passion for your country, you are a mercenary. I am in the national team for love and passion for my country, but he is coach because the Portuguese Federation pays him well. It bothered me and I do not think he has to treat me in that way.

Why did you leave the hotel without telling anyone?
It was not a premeditated decision. I decided when I came back to the hotel after workout and I felt that I had not been respected. Upon reaching the room, without change clothes, grabbed my backpack and car. My biggest mistake was not speaking to anyone, with the leaders of the Federation. It did not pass through my mind. But I was upset. It was not something premeditated.

What happened to take a decision of this importance?
I thought that it did not make sense at that time be in the national tam. It was an injustice because I was training well and a teammate, who had not been trained, came and the coach moved him to work with the starters. And I had to stay to one side ...

Are you talking about Pepe?
Yes. It's nothing personal with Pepe, but the coach.

But in Zaragoza you played well together, right?
Yes, we are starters in Real Madrid. Normally we always play together.

Do you think Paulo Bento was right at press conference?
The coach only spoke of this issue the day before a game (against Cyprus), when I think the important thing was to talk about that game. He could respond to two or three questions, but spent the entire press conference talking about me. Unlike me, I made my decision while I was upset, he had twenty-four hours to reflect. When I was in the car outside the hotel, spoke with the director of the national team to explain the reasons for my departure.

Have you spoken to Mourinho about what happened and the possible consequences?
Yes, I talked to him, and also with several other people in Madrid.

Have you felt the support of Real Madrid in this situation?
Yes, I spoke with several people in the club and my teammates called me to discuss the issue. Some told me they respected my decision.

Could you return in the future to wear the shirt of the Portuguese team?
You never know, because I always told my teammates and other coaches that I would never leave the Portuguese team. This, however, was a different case. But if one day they want me to play, and if they think I can be useful and call me, I would be available.