Mourinho: "We must return to normality by winning"

Jose Mourinho at press conference after draw against Racing

Jose Mourinho addressed the media in a press conference after the 0-0 draw with Racing. He was serious and somewhat discouraged but declined to evaluate in-depth the poor play made ​​by Real Madrid.

"We had complete control over the game, especially in the first half. We played in our opponent's half of the pitch after half-time and we didn't have that many chances on goal. This is due to Racing, who defended fiercely and played their game well looking to take one point".

"As a team we didn't do our best and some of our players performed under par, but we tried to win and ended the game the way we played it: with two defenders, with someone playing in the middle and with two forwards. Kaka was a free agent and Xabi Alonso worked very hard in midfield. We had complete control over the last 30 minutes of the match".

"We didn't have the necessary dynamics. They were always broken by the passiveness of those who can't affort the pace of the game to be altered. The pace was broken by simulation, by injuries, by the stretcher coming onto the pitch... We're responsible for this because we failed to put a stop to it".

"Our concentration was better tonight than it was on Sunday and I have a different overall feeling about the game. We dropped four points away from home last season in our first few games. Our main reference in terms of fighting for the title are Barcelona and if they win tonight they'll only have a 3-point cushion over us, not a 30-point lead".

"It's less worrysome to draw a match in which you're the only side that tries to play and win. We've dropped five points in two away games and that is worrysome. We will try to win and score goals on Saturday. We've scored one goal in our last three games and we must return to normality by scoring and winning on Saturday".

Racing 0 - 0 Real Madrid (Spanish League Day 5)

The bone injury caused by overuse is called stress fracture, but this is not the way we want to take. Here and now call stress fracture to the psychic collapse causing maximum stress situations. In the same way that the teams are passed of top phisycal conditions, the groups can be melted by excessive motivation. Real Madrid gives that impression, a team clogged by Mourinho. The Portuguese coach has sent so many times his players to the war that the players suffer the stress of the soldier, the huge collapse that produces the combination of anxiety and depression.

Teams that want to get rid of their coaches, play like Real Madrid did yesterday. I do not think there was a deliberate plan to force such a thing. I bet most players still believe in their coach, but I do not konw if blindly or the eyes begin to open. However, the subconscious is whimsical and subversive. And yesterday there was a collective subconscious reaction, almost a sit-down strike, a fact that now we can only guess. Maybe it was the response to Mourinho's purges or favoritism towards the clan (of the Portugueses). Or maybe it happens that the players have become deaf after the heavy noise around the team, the club and Mourinho.

Bad day for Real Madrid

It must be stressed. What is more surprising is the general collapse. A shot to the Racing Santander goal in the first half, an innocent header by Callejon. Then in the second half, slightly more heart than football. To Toño, Racing goalkeeper, sometimes suffered acrobat, was enough to dominate the air to look like Yashin. Racing, which had conceded eight goals in three games, weathered the storm with amazing ease. Against Sporting will suffer more in the next day.

Because Racing, with the respect and recognition of his heroism, is a very limited team. At this date is waiting for the miracle of Cuper, which this time will be enough with the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. It has little and yesterday was even less. Without Kennedy, Colsa, Arana and Acosta. Five debutants in the starting lineup, including a boy of 18 years, Jairo, who won several rounds against Marcelo. To draw in these circumstances is like winning the game and it would have been win the heaven if Casillas had not saved a shot by Serrano that smelled strongly to goal.

In Real Madrid, nobody. Sad officials, people working. You can only play so bad if the head is somewhere else, if problems are around, missing illusion. It also influences the lack of joy, of course. Mourinho has transformed the game in a vindictive twist: you have to win to take revenge, to close mouths and destroy hypocrisy.

It is increasingly clear that the glow of the Spanish Super Cup was scheduled to sprint without much travel. With that momentum the team won in Zaragoza and without it, team sinks against the cinderellas of the tournament. Neither Cristiano, even. A little of Varane and a lot of nothing. This has only just begun, say the optimists. But it has started bad.

Summary

Stadium: El Sardinero
Attendance: 12,000

Preview: Racing vs Real Madrid (League Day 5)

Racing Santander vs Real Madrid

Mourinho, once again, devoured the hours before the match of Real Madrid. In his press conference rejected any discussion on sport and insisted on looking enemies and renewing outrage. Somebody can say it is a strategy to release pressure to the players. The problem is that the resulting pressure is no longer on him, but that falls on a club that has not enough time to fight against so many ghosts.

The contradiction is permanent. Mourinho regrets the provocations of the enemy, but invokes them. Following the example of the Levante and the proclamations of the Portuguese coach, will be difficult for the Racing resist the temptation to entangle the game today. Perhaps the fair play remains intact by the youth of many of Racing Santander players.

Real Madrid want to prove their defeat against Levante at the Ciudad de Valencia was only an accident. Until Sunday, the Whites had comfortably won their eight previous away matches in the championship. Last season Real Madrid gave an impressive performance at El Sardinero despite the absences of Higuain, Khedira, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lass. They look to do the same tonight despite missing Pepe, Coentrao, Khedira, Sahin and Altintop.

Pepe and Coentrao both suffer from fibrilar tears and will miss the match alongside Sahin and Altintop. Khedira is suspended for the match. Despite these important absences, the team will look to give an impressive performance like last season's, which coincided with the club's 109 anniversary and gave them a 3-1 win despite missing Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lass and Khedira. Jose Mourinho has taken all his men with him to Santander and also academy goalkeeper Tomas Mejias. French striker Karim Benzema hopes to net a brace against Racing at El Sardinero, just like he did last season.

Racing are currently in the relegation zone and have only taken one point in the last three league encounters, but they are still a tough team to beat, as they proved in Mestalla where they managed to lead 3-1 at one point. Coach Cuper has kept the core of last season's side and strengthened it with the signings of Tziolis, Stuani with Sevilla academy players Bernardo, Acosta and the promising Jairo. The right end of Racing B (three goals in Third Division) has chances to come into the starting lineup, led by his talent, but favored by injuries.

This is Hector Cuper's first season at Racing and his third stint as coach in Spain. The Argentine will miss the injured Arana, Colsa, Torrejon, Acosta and Kennedy, but he'll be able to count on Diop, who was suspended for last week's match. Former Real Madrid player Munitis (36 years) is a key figure on the team and will be able to face his former side becuase recently recovered from a sprained left ankle.

Real Madrid won their previous four league clashes at El Sardinero and will look to add to this impressive run tonight. Six months ago, Real Madrid won by 1-3 at the Sardinero Stadium. Highlighted the midfield formed by Xabi Alonso and Granero, the joy of Özil and rapport between Adebayor and Benzema, authors of the goals. Those were different times: Cristiano was out and Canales (former Racing player) was part of the team.

Legends: Jose Martinez 'Pirri'

JOSE MARTINEZ 'PIRRI'

Jose Martinez Sanchez "Pirri"

Jose Martinez Sanchez, known by his nickname 'Pirri', was born in Ceuta in 1945 and began playing football in the teams; Imperio Riffien, Sociedad Deportiva Ceuta and Atletico Ceuta, highlighting in all these teams in which he played. While giving his first steps into the world of football was studying at the Augustinians of Ceuta.

At 18 he moved to Granada to continue his studies. There he joins the local team, the Granada CF, where he begins making a name in Spanish football. In season 1963-64, "Pirri" is called to play in the Spanish selection of fans for his great performances in Granada. He plays on the right wing as midfielder.

Real Madrid was living a time of change. The team was veteran and needed updating. Men such as Alfredo Di Stefano, are replaced by Grosso, came Mogollon and Sancho, De Felipe joined the team after have been on loan at Rayo Vallecano... Jose Martinez "Pirri", joined the Whites in 1964, and had the difficult mission to replace Ferenc Puskas.

Began that season the famous team of "Ye-ye", consisting of eleven Spanish players led by Francisco Gento. In his first year in white, "Pirri" won the first of the ten Leagues he would win in his time as a player for Real Madrid. From midfield to defense, to end up as free defender. His efforts made ​​him one of the legendary players of Real Madrid, being the sixth player in team history that more often has worn the white jersey in the Spanish League (417).

Without doubt, two events marked the sporting history of "Pirri". In 1966, Real Madrid was one of the youngest teams in Europe, and despite his inexperience, won the continental title in a very emotional final played at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, against Partizan Belgrade.

Five years later, "Pirri" lived one of the saddest chapters of his sporting life, during the final of the Cup Winners' Cup 1971, lost against Chelsea. "Pirri" was injured during the first match, which ended in a draw, and went down in history for having played the game with his arm in a sling for a broken collarbone. They had to play a match tiebreaker and the title was won by the English. The image of "Pirri" with his arm close to his body, under the white shirt is one of the images that will go down in football history. Four years later, in 1975 he played a Spanish Cup final, against FC Barcelona, with his jaw broken. Therefore he was awarded by the Real Madrid with the first 'Laureada', the most important badge of the club that was given him by then club president Don Santiago Bernabeu.

Midfielder, defender, makeshift striker. If something was characteristic in "Pirri" was his versatility. His quality and strength combined perfectly with the claw and the anger that showed on the pitch. In addition to his defensive qualities, "Pirri" was a scorer, achieving 170 goals in his sixteen seasons with the shirt of Real Madrid (561 matches).

In 1980 he moved to FC Puebla Mexico, where he played his final two seasons and finished his Medicine studies. Back in Spain, he joined the Real Madrid medical staff and then his coach team. In 2000 he was general manager of Real Madrid, leaving the position with the arrival of Jorge Valdano in September of that year.

Levante 1 - 0 Real Madrid (Spanish League Day 4)

The same place and a crime even worse. The Real Madrid of Khedira and Kaka drew back in Valencia and suffered miserably in one of those slaps whose pain does not subside until the end. In a match to forget, the German midfielder was sent-off and the referee Turienzo Alvarez did not mark a clamorous penalty increasing the malaise. A commendable Levante, laborious and rogue, took advantage and Real rolled down the slope from the regular to the horrible and tactically misplaced, with Cristiano Ronaldo and without him, returning to stay behind Barcelona.

Levante defeated Real Madrid (1-0)

As in the best movies of action, style that Real Madrid cultivates, the plot and the fight were full of guilts and a single nerd: Khedira. Turienzo Alvarez did not want to mark a foul on Di Maria, he answered with a bad action on Juanlu, Iborra touched the face of the Argentine, who collapsed as killed by a shot, Ballesteros rebuked him and Khedira stepped into the role of the absurd avenging, which cost him his second yellow. It was the 40th minute. This mess killed Real Madrid on a visit full of thorns by the experience of rival on the grass in bad conditions, by the substitution of Cristiano and by the push of a crowd that swelled up to Levante like a blowfish.

Mourinho put Khedira to meet the orthodoxy of a pure midfielder alongside Xabi Alonso without any scientific proof that the Spanish midfielder plays worse alone than with company. Nor is clear that the German mix well with him. In games like this, Xabi can with words and with music, with the cut and creation, without being overwhelmed by work. That measure, plus the forced substitution Cristiano, stole to Real Madrid the energetic and crazy football that gives Coentrao in the center. With the flat style that prints Khedira (without who Madrid had won the previous three games) team was slightly but attacked a lot less. And in games like this team pays interest on late payments. It stretches the score 0-0 and then there is no time for the KO. Neither was successful the management of Kaka. Real Madrid needs him because is a very expensive asset and because Özil must be tightened, variable yield footballer with too many minutes valley, more of which are assumed even for artists. But Kaka is not now a playmaker player but, at best, a good accompaniment. He was not the guilty but neither the solution.

Just talking football, Real Madrid went for a victory from the get-go and Kaka shone having two chances on goal: the first ended in a corner kick (11') and the second was saved by keeper Munua (12'). Possession was 86% for the Whites by the 19th minute. Benzema nearly scored from a goalie clearance in the 33rd minute, but the ball went over the crossbar. Real continued to dominate until Khedira was sent off with the second booking (40') already commented.

After half-time, Mourinho replaced Benzema with Cristiano, moved Coentrao back to the centre midfielder position, and left Kaka and Di Maria in attack with Ronaldo. Real kept looking for a goal, but the match was stained by continuous theatricalities and fouls that kept bringing the game to a halt. The referee failed to award a penalty on the 63-minute mark for a handball by Iborra inside the box, that would have also been a second booking for the player and would have therefore left Levante with ten men.

The locals then used a counterattack to score the only strike of the evening: Javi Venta reached the box after a run down the right wing and assisted Kone, who defeated Casillas with a powerful shot. Higuain came on for Kaka and a few minutes later Marcelo was replaced by Ozil. Madrid gave their all looking for an equaliser and knowing their efforts in attack could very well result in another strike against them. Levante continued to defend fiercely and won the day. A step back in title race

Summary

Stadium: City of Valencia
Attendance: 17,676
Goals: 1-0 Min.67 Kone.

Preview: Levante vs Real Madrid (League Day 4)

Real Madrid will face Levante at 8.00 pm (CET) today Sunday in their second away La Liga match this season. The Whites won their previous two clashes in the championship by tallying a whopping 10 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are performing at an incredibly high level and will look to keep their goal scoring streak at a stadium in which the Madridistas have never lost in the league championship, having won five and drawn one of their six away meetings with Levante.

Levante VS. Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho has recovered Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka for the match. The forward had to receive three stitches on one of his ankles after the match in Zagreb, which the Brazilian missed due to a muscle strain. The facts are that Cristiano, handsome, rich and good, does not want to miss the game, despite the three stitches, and Mourinho completes the best list possible, including Kaka but without Albiol and Granero whose importance on the team falls. It smells to the usual starting line up with Coentrao as co-pilot of Xabi Alonso and at the center of the debate. Mourinho likes his compatriot because offers hyperactivity, speed and power. Others suspect that he is obliged to play by his price and that the only vacancy is there.

Ronaldo has scored four goals so far in the league and will no doubt be a key player against Levante. Benzema is also proving to be decisive by scoring goals, serving assists and actively participating in all of the team's efforts. The Frenchman netted two strikes against Getafe last week.

Levante drew their first two matches in the championship (1-1 against Getafe; 0-0 against Racing), in which they were the visiting side. They will look to earn their first home victory in the campaign against Real. Coach Juan Ignacio Martinez was signed this summer. This is his first season in the First Division, having previously coached Cartagena and many Second Division and Second Division B sides. The team strengthened its attack with the signings of Aranda, Kone and El Zhar, who will look to fill the great void left by Caicedo.