Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho believes willpower to determine who moves to Champions League final
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho believes that the winner of the Champions League semi-final between the Galacticos and Barcelona will be the team that wants it more.
The enigmatic Portuguese claims that there is no magic potion to help his side overcome their bitter rivals, and insists that hard work and strength of character will be needed to win the Champions League tie.
The Madrid coach cannot afford to be his normal arrogant self when facing the likes of Barcelona. The Catalans completely demolished Real Madrid at the Nou Camp earlier in the season, where they won 5-0. It was the biggest defeat of Mourinho’s managerial
career, one which has made him permanently wary of the threat Barcelona pose.
The memory of that humiliation at the Nou Camp is still fresh in the Portuguese’s mind, and even though Real Madrid recently defeated their bitter rivals 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final, Mourinho knows that it does not mean Madrid are suddenly favourites to
win the Champions League semi-final tie between the two giants.
He said, “A few months ago we lost 5-0 and I was also the manager then. We played a good match (against Barca) at the Bernabeu in the league and we also played a good match in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Valencia-c40863, but on Wednesday we are facing a top opponent with a top coach.”
The tie looks destined to go down to the wire, and it is anybody’s guess as to which team will book their place in the final at Wembley. With so little to decide between the two sides, Mourinho believes it will come down to sheer willpower.
The Madrid boss added, “I told my players there was someone called Albert, Albert Einstein, who said that there is a force more powerful than steam, electricity and atomic energy - will. And this guy Albert was not stupid. With will you can achieve things.”
Barcelona and Real Madrid will go head to head for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final encounter on April 27, 2011.
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