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Kaka And Carol Hola Brazil Photoshoot HQ

Kaka And Carol Hola Brazil Photoshoot HQ

Real Madrid keen on Chiellini Real Madrid are keen to nab Giorgio Chiellini from Juventus should the Serie A giants fail to make the UEFA Champions League. The defender is currently contracted to Juventus till June 2015, but the La Liga giants will look to make a move for him during the summer transfer window, according to reports in La Gazzetta dello Sport. Reports indicate that the Italian international will consider a move for Champions League football should Juventus fail to land a top-four place in Serie A this season, and their inconsistent form could tip the balance in the race for Chiellini's signature. However, Juventus will not let the player leave easily without a big money bid, given that the club's hierarchy see the defender as an important part of the squad.

Real Madrid hopeful of keeping Pepe Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano is optimistic of keeping centre-back Pepe at the Bernabeu. The Portugal international is out of contract in 2012 and has been linked with a move away from the Primera Liga giants, with the two parties yet to agree a new deal. But Valdano is optimistic over negotiating a new contract, insisting the club are focused on keeping the 27-year-old in Madrid. Valdano told Canal+: "He has shown he is a great player. We are making progress in the negotiations and we hope to reach a solution. "Last season these questions were about (Gonzalo) Higuain and in the end we resolved them. He's an important player and so we are making an important effort." Brazilian-born Pepe, who arrived at Real from Porto in 2007, refused to give any clues over his future. When asked about the situation, Pepe said: "I'm not going to talk about this issue. "At the moment I can only say that I'm happy at Madrid and that the fans treat me very well. I'm going to do everything possible to stay." Pepe also declined to talk about any supposed offer from fierce rivals Barcelona, saying in AS: "I'm a Madrid player and it's a lack of respect for the Madrid fans to enter into this. I'm happy in Madrid."

Mourinho: I love knockout stages Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho cannot wait for the knock-out stages of the Champions League and claims he 'loves it'. Mourinho and his men take on French side Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16 of the competition with the first leg held at the Stade de Gerland next Tuesday. Looking forward to the clash, the Special One told RealmadridTV: "I love knockout stages. Love them. I think they are designed for people who are mentally strong because the pressure is there all the time. "Details make all the difference: having to score one more goal, or to concede one less... A small mistake can make all the difference. "This sort of pressure is something I feel comfortable with. I don't feel pressure because the Champions League is arriving, but rather an appetite to play it." Mourinho led Madrid to the final of the Copa del Rey in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu and when probed on his secret to achieving cup success, the former Chelsea and Inter coach simply said it's all in the mind. "As I said, you need to be mentally strong in knockout ties and, at the same time, you need to analyse your opponents very well because small details can make a real difference. "I'm used to playing first legs to win. It doesn't matter if you're home or away. The first match is one you must try to win. You don't sometimes, but that's the direction you must take. "You shouldn't wait for the second match to resolve the situation. 'Is the first match at home? OK then, let's try to win. Is it away? OK, let's try to win that too'. I think that's a good approach." "You know, I give my best. And when I give my best because I trust my work, I believe results will arrive. That's what I want. I don't want to be able to just say I coached Real Madrid once. "I want to be able to say I coached Real Madrid and, during my period with the team, we won this and that. That's my objective." In the Spanish La Liga, Madrid closed the gap between them and Barcelona to five points after their 1-0 win over Espanyol on Sunday.

"Legend of Mourinho lives at Inter" Inter Milan coach Leonardo admits it will be impossible for any coach to surpass what Jose Mourinho achieved at the club. In two years at the club Mourinho won two Serie A titles, one Supercoppa, one Coppa Italia and one Champions League title - leading the club to an unprecedented treble in 2010. Once he left to take up the Real Madrid hot-seat, it was always going to be difficult for a successor to match him. Consequently, Rafael Benitez became the first casualty of inflated expectations - surviving only six months before being replaced by Leonardo. The former AC Milan manager seems to be doing a lot better than the Spaniard - and part of it may be because of his humility. In comments reported on UEFA.com, he admitted: "The legend of Mourinho's lives on here - everything he did and achieved. "It's impossible to achieve more than he did. We just have to take the many positives that he left, because it's not just the Mourinho effect, it's what lives on in the players who are still here, and we must bring on those ideas." The 41-year-old revealed he had spoken to Mourinho after accepting Inter Milan's offer. "I talked to Mourinho, but I knew him before, so we already had a good relationship," he said. "He spoke to me about everything very openly, like a friend, to help me, as it was a very difficult situation for me, coming in halfway through the season, joining a team that has won everything, that has great players in the squad, that has its needs, its methods. "So he definitely showed me great support." While it was difficult for him to come in midway, the Brazilian also admits he found a great infrastructure in place when he arrived at the club. "I have found a very solid team, and being able to start with a base like that gives you great optimism and strength," he explained. "You can see that in training, what form they are in. It's unbelievable - these are players who have already won everything, players who have already played at this level for many years, and then last year's successes which crowned all that. "That spirit, which is permanently present, gives you the right boost. It motivates you to succeed. I have to say that we have a very strong and solid base here." It is interesting to note the contrast between Leonardo's comments and those made by Benitez. The former Liverpool manager had slammed the medical staff at the club and claimed numerous players had been carrying injuries for two seasons. Nonetheless, the Benitez era is now a thing of the past and Inter have bounced back into contention on all major fronts.

i think this is cristiano's thread.....>>??

Mourinho: I was happiest at Chelsea Jose Mourinho has told Sky Sports that he remains in "love" with former employers Chelsea. The Real Madrid coach has three years left on his current deal with the Spanish giants, but speculation has increased in recent weeks linking him with a sensational switch back to Stamford Bridge. Amid reports current Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is on borrowed time, Mourinho admits you cannot rule anything out in football. Asked if he would see out his contract at the Bernabeu, he told Revista De La Liga: "I don't know. I love Chelsea. "I was the happiest man [when there]. I was thinking to be there all my life and a few months later, I was out. So you never know. "In Inter Milan I found an incredible family. Then after two years I felt it was over. "When I sign a contract, I sign with the intention to respect the contract and be happy."

Mourinho: It was a real hard match Jose Mourinho is confident Real Madrid will progress to the next round of the Champions League despite drawing against Lyon. Madrid drew 1-1 in Lyon on Tuesday night in the first leg of their round of 16 clash with the French outfit which means Mourinho's men take a crucial away goal back to the Bernabeu. However, Lyon will still fancy their chances given that Madrid have not progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition for the last six years - last season Lyon were the team that knocked them out. "I feel like I watched a real Champions League match: hard and well contested with very few clear chances due to the defensive rigour on both sides," Mourinho was quoted on Skysports.com as saying. "In the second half we managed to find spaces and, to begin with, we were closer to a second goal than Lyon were to an equaliser. "But it sets things up well for the second leg, where we will hope to qualify in front of our supporters." Former Lyon striker Karim Benzema scored with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute but Bafetimbi Gomis equalised for the home team with just seven minutes remaining.

Mourinho: It was a real hard match Jose Mourinho is confident Real Madrid will progress to the next round of the Champions League despite drawing against Lyon. Madrid drew 1-1 in Lyon on Tuesday night in the first leg of their round of 16 clash with the French outfit which means Mourinho's men take a crucial away goal back to the Bernabeu. However, Lyon will still fancy their chances given that Madrid have not progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition for the last six years - last season Lyon were the team that knocked them out. "I feel like I watched a real Champions League match: hard and well contested with very few clear chances due to the defensive rigour on both sides," Mourinho was quoted on Skysports.com as saying. "In the second half we managed to find spaces and, to begin with, we were closer to a second goal than Lyon were to an equaliser. "But it sets things up well for the second leg, where we will hope to qualify in front of our supporters." Former Lyon striker Karim Benzema scored with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute but Bafetimbi Gomis equalised for the home team with just seven minutes remaining.