Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Champions League: Mourinho must prove that he has grown real

The movies have a strong PR-character, with a drama and pathos to sounding music and exuberant joy in the background. Quieter shades, however, would also have been unusual for an entity such as Real Madrid. It should be a spot for the discerning clientele of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, now before the quarter-final first leg in the Champions League against the English representative Tottenham Hotspur (20.45 Clock, Sky).

"Do not let us down now," is the working title of the clip. Her formerly salaried employees in England had chosen the real part as performers to virtually bring the separate annex the value of unconditional support. And were thus now coach Jose Mourinho and his three protégés Ricardo Carvalho, Xabi Alonso and Alvar Arbeloas front of the camera and saying phrases like "We all know the tremendous support of the fans of English teams" (Mourinho) and "But everyone knows the magic nights in the Bernabeu "(Ricardo Carvalho).

Scenes from the spring of 2002 to paint what was said, as knocked out Real in the Champions League quarter-finals Bayern Munich and saw the Bernabeu one of its emotional moments. "We dream of a stadium and this time, supporting us with passion," said Arbeloas. "Let us down now, please do not!" It may seem strange that the people of Madrid fans before a Champions League match have to ask for help and remember the way to the so far last triumph in the European Cup, but the spot says a lot about the current batch situation .

In the championship, Real at the weekend already raised the white flag. 0-1 against Gijon, eight points behind leaders FC Barcelona. Mathematically, everything is still possible, lectured Mourinho, but in practice do not go there much. It was a game to forget, with plenty of possession but without artistic merit and in the end with plenty of bad luck for real.

The entire staff was "uninspired cast," wrote the Spanish newspaper "As", and the two Germans, Sami Khedira and especially Mesut Özil, were given a corresponding score. In any case, the form will it do with a title this season. And anyway, hot hope for recovery Cristiano Ronaldo, who had last match because of a thigh muscle malade.

Whether he can play against Tottenham? The medical department has indeed intervened, but Mourinho has already positioned as the offensive that Ronaldo would be used as no surprise as that of ailing Marcelo: "Cristiano and I might go the risk. Together we will make a decision. "The games against Tottenham for Mourinho is a thankless business.

Professional advancement would be taken for performance of duty without eulogies. Off the other hand, would be a disaster the same. Last summer, Mourinho had taken up his duties in Madrid with the promise to bring Europe's top club also real title, just as he once managed with Porto and Inter Milan.

After all, the "second round curse" (Real president Florentino Perez), he has defeated. Six times in succession was for the people of Madrid, the Champions League after the first run o. K. Round; that competition had been adopted for her neurotic traits. And they praised their "Mou" still a few weeks ago, when Lyon was beaten in the knockout round, a highly capable executive who Real have hoisted in all three competitions in the spring.

With the championship competition number one is now checked off. And in the other two competitions rival Barcelona threatens to triumph over the Madrid become: In the national cup final they meet, and both should reach the Champions League semi-finals - Barcelona must be tomorrow in the quarter-final first leg play against Shakhtar Donetsk - and then in that competition.

The quarter finals in any event, in Spain, already deemed "Overture for the really exciting weeks." Sure, the English have defeated AC Milan in the second round - a quick counter in the first leg was enough to - but a strong team are the "Spurs" by no means. Something like that is the perception in Madrid.

And it is even already on the dates in April, the speech because it might come to the very curious constellation that Barcelona and Madrid within eleven days play three times against each other. Only in the league on 16 April - the shame of 0:5 in the first round still hangs over Real -, four days later in the Cup final and a further seven days later in the possible semi-final first leg of the Champions League.

Mourinho, writes, "As", must now prove "whether he has grown the myth real." But the Portuguese seem to have no problems with such situations. "It pleases me," he likes to say, "when all guns are directed at me."

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