Real Madrid Secures Mourinho
The richest club in the world, Real Madrid, exhibited the power of money in no uncertain terms as they bought out the most sought-after person in the world of club football: Inter Milan’s all conquering coach José Mourinho.
After days of speculation, it has been confirmed that the Spain based club will present José Mourinho as their coach on Monday after agreeing to an undisclosed compensation deal with the club that enjoyed a golden run under the Portuguese coach this season. They secured a treble of titles including the UEFA Champions League last week in a lopsided final against Bayern Munich.
The deal was finalized when the two club presidents met in Milan to thrash out details of the package that will free Mourinho to leave Inter, enabling him to join the nine-time European champions after a treble-winning season in Italy.
However, Inter gave no details of the deal between their president Massimo Moratti and his Real counterpart Florentino Perez, but reports in the media suggest that Inter would receive eight million euros ($9.80 million).
Real Madrid set their eyes on the Inter coach after sacking Manuel Pellegrini this week, following a season with no trophies for a team that had 250 million euros spent on it last summer.
The move for Mourinho marks a change in direction for Perez, who has finally realized that high profile players alone cannot win laurels without the support of a tactically sharp coach.
Real had an ordinary season, crumbling under pressure in big games, losing in the 'clásicos' against Barcelona and in the Champions League first knockout round against Olympique Lyon.
Having the 47 year old Mourinho in their ranks will help the team immensely as the Portuguese has a great reputation as a motivator, is a great tactician, and is strong enough to ride out the inevitable ups and downs of managing a side under the local media's microscope.
With Porto he won the UEFA Cup and the European Cup in 2004, and he won back-to-back league titles with Chelsea before moving to Italy, and the mastermind has full knowledge of his achievements but does not want to stop yet.
"When you look to all great managers in the world, people work for 20 years at the highest level, some of them, they never have the chance to win a UEFA Cup or Champions League, or both of them, so for me it's absolutely amazing. But if you tell me that 10 years later I have just the same titles I have at this moment I will be very sad. So I have to keep on working. I know that football is not success season after season. I know that, one day, I will have a bad season. But in this moment I have to believe that I am the same person and I have to fight for a better life," he said in an interview after Inter’s Champions League triumph.
His main task at Real would be to get the most out of compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo but is likely to demand more of a say in planning at the Club.
"I believe that I am working for a very special club. The coach is just another person. I haven't forgotten that I am a great coach, but I don't want to be special, I just want to be Mourinho. I'm not changing.
"I don't know the project yet. I need to find out about the project. Right now I'm not the Real Madrid trainer. I'm the Inter trainer. At this point in time I am very (very) proud of Inter. If eventually I become Real's coach it will be because Real is a huge team."
Meanwhile the genius from Portugal has little time for the most prestigious football event, the World Cup, which is set to start in South Africa on the 11th of June, as for the time being Mourinho only wants to relax and enjoy the fruits of a dream season.
"I have no time to think about the World Cup. And, to be fair, when the World Cup starts I will start my holidays. I will not be a crazy spectator. I won't go to South Africa for sure. I won't write, I won't comment, I just want sea, sun and sleep, nothing else."
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