Real Madrid confirms Di Maria deal

Real Madrid have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Benfica over the transfer of Argentina winger Angel di Maria.

His switch to the Bernabeu, on a six-year deal, is reported to be worth 25 million euros (£20.3m).

The 22-year-old, who is currently part of his country's World Cup squad, becomes Jose Mourinho's first signing since taking charge at Real last month.

Di Maria moved to Portugal in 2007 from Argentine side Rosario Central.

The attacking midfielder has started all four of his country's World Cup matches so far, playing on the left side of a central three - although he has not yet hit top form in South Africa.

Di Maria won the World Under-20 Championship with Argentina in 2007 and scored the extra-time winner against Holland in the final of the 2008 Olympic Games.

But he especially caught the eye of Europe's top clubs last season as he helped Benfica to a Portuguese league and cup Double.

Despite reported interest from elsewhere, Di Maria has opted to become the first player to join Mourinho in Madrid since the ex-Inter, Chelsea and Porto boss signed a four-year deal with the Spanish giants on 31 May.

Mourinho is interested in Schweinsteiger

According to the Spanish AS newspaper, Mourinho has put the 25-year-old German international on a shortlist of midfielders he wants to sign, along with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard , Roma's Daniele De Rossi and Athletic Bilbao 's Javi Martínez.
A fortnight ago, it was reported that Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti had alreadylined up Schweinsteiger as a replacement for Michael Ballack and was willing to make a £25-million bid to secure his signature.

Schweinsteiger was instrumental in Bayern Munich capturing the domestic double and reaching the Champions League final last season.
His three-million-euro-a-season contract at Bayern runs until 2012.

Kaka: Gerard must join Real Madrid

BRAZIL ace Kaka insists Steven Gerrard MUST join Real Madrid to win the trophies he deserves as one of the world’s best players.

Kaka, 28, who is in South Africa as part of Carlos Dunga’s squad, has the highest regard for Liverpool and England skipper Gerro and said: “He would get into any team in the world.”

And he believes a role within Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid revolution would see him win the trophies he craves.

“He is one of the few players in the world that has the ability to be a Madrid player,” said playmaker Kaka.

Gerrard, 30, has yet to decide his future after Liverpool finished only seventh in the Premier League last season. With no manager appointed since Rafa Benitez’s departure, Kaka added: “I would urge him to join Madrid.

“If you never play for Madrid, then there will always be something missing.

“There is no greater achievement than wearing the white shirt of Madrid.

“His next contract will be his last big one – and that’s a big choice not just financially but about what you can win.”

Mourinho (left) tried three times to lure Gerrard to Chelsea when he was boss.

And Kaka added: “I am sure Gerrard respects Jose a lot and Madrid would be the ideal move for him.”

Jose Mourinho's first Interview at Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho offered his first official interview to RealmadridTV and Realmadrid.com on Monday, during which he admittedt that coaching Real Madrid is a huge motivational factor based on it's history, tradition and the current project in place.

What are your first thoughts as the new head coach of Real Madrid?
I am quite relaxed and motivated, which is all one can be when proud to join Real Madrid. This is as good as it gets for a football professional. I need some vacation time, but I would love to be able to start training my new players tomorrow if I could.
You once said that a coach will always feel an absence if they never make it to coach Real Madrid. Is that what drove you to reach this point?I knew that sooner or later I would coach Real Madrid. I was successful coaching past teams. Real Madrid’s history, tradition and this project are tremendous motivational factors after winning the Champions League with Inter Milan. When one cycle ends another begins, and Real Madrid is a challenge that no coach can let escape.

You have been successful in Portugal, England and Italy. You have won practically everything. Is coaching in La Liga another incentive?
I am familiar with Spain because I worked here for four years but under different circumstances. The possibility of winning La Liga is tremendous incentive for me because no coach has won the Champions League ot league in three different countries. I am a club and group man. I have empathy for the employees, the players and the fans. I want to be the same Mourinho that has worked for other teams. The magnitude of this club doesn’t frighten me. It won’t be an easy challenge, but I am anxious to take it on. I am very excited to begin working here.

Pepe’s return will also be important.
If the doctors of Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team say he is fit, then he must be. It’s great that he can play for Portugal because he will come back with the confidence of having played important World Cup matches. It’s important that our injured players begin preseason training with the desire to work hard. It is incredible that in the middle of the preseason in August some of our players will have to leave to play a match with the national team. It happened to me a lot at Chelsea and Inter Milan. I would only have four or five players to coach, but if you have the best players out there then…

Which of Casillas’ skills stand out for you?
It’s easy to defend well when you have many defensive players. It’s difficult to do when you have many attackers. With many defenders you are bound to defend well, but you don’t attack. If you play with many attackers and you are well organised as a team you can make a difference. My teams all have team players. They do a good job in defence, but they also play the game, score goals and win matches and titles. They are balanced and ambitious teams. Casillas is a fantastic goalkeeper. My goalkeeper coach is also great. He made Victor Bahia the best goalkeeper in Europe. He did the same for Cech. I hope he’s done the same for Julio Cesar this season and that he does so for Casillas next year. I don’t know Casillas personally, but I like him very much.

What’s more important for you to work on first, physicality or psychology?
It’s a global process in which the psychological aspect of training is important. It isn’t easy for a coach to work when his players arrive little by little throughout the preseason. My goal is to reach the first match of the championship in decent form.

What does Mourinho need from the Club?
I need confidence, although the greatest confidence I have is this four-year contract. It’s hard for a coach nowadays to get such a contract. I don’t have a traditional coaching staff consisting of a fitness trainer, a goalkeeper coach, assistants and others. My staff consists of people who work with us on all levels: equipment managers, janitors… They are all important. I work well if my staff works well. I don’t if they don’t. I need everyone to compromise with this project so that we all share the same ambition I currently have. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you work on a daily basis.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family…
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my work philosophy. I don’t want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don’t want people to go crazy and spend too much money.
Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
Maybe. This is how I am and I don’t want to change. It would be easy for me to say goodbye and enjoy spending time with my family now that I’ve won all these titles, but I am ambitious and winning is important to me. Being a winning coach is the best profession in the world. I don’t like the idea of being a coach who doesn’t win. My goal is not to be Real Madrid’s coach, but to be a coach who wins at Real Madrid. That’s my professional motivation.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
I won the Champions League during my second years at Porto and Inter. I reached the semifinals twice with Chelsea. I believe it is the top championship, the hardest of all. We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don’t like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I like to take on a challenge without fear and aggressively. This is why my main objective is to win.

What does Mourinho need from the Club?
I need confidence, although the greatest confidence I have is this four-year contract. It’s hard for a coach nowadays to get such a contract. I don’t have a traditional coaching staff consisting of a fitness trainer, a goalkeeper coach, assistants and others. My staff consists of people who work with us on all levels: equipment managers, janitors… They are all important. I work well if my staff works well. I don’t if they don’t. I need everyone to compromise with this project so that we all share the same ambition I currently have. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you work on a daily basis.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family…
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my work philosophy. I don’t want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don’t want people to go crazy and spend too much money.

Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
Maybe. This is how I am and I don’t want to change. It would be easy for me to say goodbye and enjoy spending time with my family now that I’ve won all these titles, but I am ambitious and winning is important to me. Being a winning coach is the best profession in the world. I don’t like the idea of being a coach who doesn’t win. My goal is not to be Real Madrid’s coach, but to be a coach who wins at Real Madrid. That’s my professional motivation.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
I won the Champions League during my second years at Porto and Inter. I reached the semifinals twice with Chelsea. I believe it is the top championship, the hardest of all. We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don’t like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I like to take on a challenge without fear and aggressively. This is why my main objective is to win.

What does Mourinho need from the Club?
I need confidence, although the greatest confidence I have is this four-year contract. It’s hard for a coach nowadays to get such a contract. I don’t have a traditional coaching staff consisting of a fitness trainer, a goalkeeper coach, assistants and others. My staff consists of people who work with us on all levels: equipment managers, janitors… They are all important. I work well if my staff works well. I don’t if they don’t. I need everyone to compromise with this project so that we all share the same ambition I currently have. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you work on a daily basis.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family…
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my work philosophy. I don’t want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don’t want people to go crazy and spend too much money.

Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
Maybe. This is how I am and I don’t want to change. It would be easy for me to say goodbye and enjoy spending time with my family now that I’ve won all these titles, but I am ambitious and winning is important to me. Being a winning coach is the best profession in the world. I don’t like the idea of being a coach who doesn’t win. My goal is not to be Real Madrid’s coach, but to be a coach who wins at Real Madrid. That’s my professional motivation.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
I won the Champions League during my second years at Porto and Inter. I reached the semifinals twice with Chelsea. I believe it is the top championship, the hardest of all. We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don’t like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I like to take on a challenge without fear and aggressively. This is why my main objective is to win.

What does Mourinho need from the Club?
I need confidence, although the greatest confidence I have is this four-year contract. It’s hard for a coach nowadays to get such a contract. I don’t have a traditional coaching staff consisting of a fitness trainer, a goalkeeper coach, assistants and others. My staff consists of people who work with us on all levels: equipment managers, janitors… They are all important. I work well if my staff works well. I don’t if they don’t. I need everyone to compromise with this project so that we all share the same ambition I currently have. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you work on a daily basis.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family…
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my work philosophy. I don’t want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don’t want people to go crazy and spend too much money.

Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
Maybe. This is how I am and I don’t want to change. It would be easy for me to say goodbye and enjoy spending time with my family now that I’ve won all these titles, but I am ambitious and winning is important to me. Being a winning coach is the best profession in the world. I don’t like the idea of being a coach who doesn’t win. My goal is not to be Real Madrid’s coach, but to be a coach who wins at Real Madrid. That’s my professional motivation.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
I won the Champions League during my second years at Porto and Inter. I reached the semifinals twice with Chelsea. I believe it is the top championship, the hardest of all. We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don’t like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I like to take on a challenge without fear and aggressively. This is why my main objective is to win.

What does Mourinho need from the Club?
I need confidence, although the greatest confidence I have is this four-year contract. It’s hard for a coach nowadays to get such a contract. I don’t have a traditional coaching staff consisting of a fitness trainer, a goalkeeper coach, assistants and others. My staff consists of people who work with us on all levels: equipment managers, janitors… They are all important. I work well if my staff works well. I don’t if they don’t. I need everyone to compromise with this project so that we all share the same ambition I currently have. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you work on a daily basis.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family…
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my work philosophy. I don’t want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don’t want people to go crazy and spend too much money.

Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
Maybe. This is how I am and I don’t want to change. It would be easy for me to say goodbye and enjoy spending time with my family now that I’ve won all these titles, but I am ambitious and winning is important to me. Being a winning coach is the best profession in the world. I don’t like the idea of being a coach who doesn’t win. My goal is not to be Real Madrid’s coach, but to be a coach who wins at Real Madrid. That’s my professional motivation.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
I won the Champions League during my second years at Porto and Inter. I reached the semifinals twice with Chelsea. I believe it is the top championship, the hardest of all. We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don’t like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I like to take on a challenge without fear and aggressively. This is why my main objective is to win.

Mourinho signs for Real Madrid

According to newspapers and agents Jose Mourinho signed a contract for 4 years for Real Madrid.He will get 10,000,000 sterlin per year and he will be the most earning coach of the world.

Jose Mourinho is a very succesfull coach and maybe he is the best coach in the world now.Two days ago he won the champions league cup with Inter at Santiago Barnebau beating Bayern Munchen.

I hope he will win La Liga Championship & Champions League Cup next year beating our biggest competitor Barcelona.

WELCOME MOURINHO TO WORLD BIGGEST CLUB REAL MADRID