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We Should Keep Baptista, Claims Guti Guti believes that Real Madrid should hang on to Julio Baptista and does not feel threatened by reports that the club are looking to sign a new player for his position. The 30-year-old playmaker knows that new coach Bernd Schuster will employ a squad rotation system next term and is confident that he will have a major part to play. Madrid travelled to their pre-seaon training camp in Irdning in Austria over the weekend without Baptista, but Guti hopes that he will remain at the club. After playing in the Copa América, the Brazilian has been given extra holiday, but is reported to be the target for several clubs keen on signing him. "We have a good squad here and there are some players who are not here with us that have a lot to give, such as Julio Baptista," Guti said. "There are many players on the squad and we will all enjoy several minutes of playing time this season. Nevertheless, I will welcome any new signings, even if they are for my position, but I personally feel we have enough players as it is. "If more new players come it would mean the team has more chances of using a rotation system. I have no problems with this because I believe I can bring a lot to the team and I will make things difficult for any newcomer. "The team is still hungry. Us veterans are dying to win more titles and the newcomers want this too. We hope this mixture of young and veteran players ends up being fruitful at Real Madrid. "There's less tension now that we've won the League, but we know that not winning a title this season will be a disaster." Guti thinks that Schuster's style of playing means that he will require more midfielders to be included in the squad over the course of a long season. "Schuster's Getafe played both with an attacking and a defensive midfielder," he continued. "Judging from that, it seems my position has been strengthened. Many players from the youth system have been promoted to the first team and they want to stay, so things won't be easy for any of us. I am confident with what I can bring to the team. "Last year we mainly focused on physical work, leaving ball work somewhat aside. Each coach is different and we have now started the pre-season focusing mainly on ball work, but I'm sure we will do a lot of physical exercises in time. "Football players are more comfortable when they practice both aspects of the game. "He likes his teams to play well, but he also likes to have a strong defence; he tightly blends both aspects together. "Nevertheless, despite the fact that we all want to play great football, the most important thing is to win, and to do that we must have decisive players and we must avoid conceding many goals. "I also believe Real Madrid have to play good football, but we also have to win; it is no use playing well if we don't win because it then seems we aren't doing a good job. We are always obliged to be at the very top of our game."

"Schuster is anxious to prove he can coach a great club like Real Madrid" Real Madrid's second captain, José María Gutiérrez “Guti”, was the first to analyse the team's pre-season work so far. Jose Mª Gutiérrez “Guti” talked to the media in the Press Room of the Schloss Pischlarn Hotel. The playmaker believes Barcleona will be the hardest team to beat next season. Judging from Schuster's scheme it seems your position has been strengthened. Schuster's Getafe played both with an attacking and a defensive midfielder. Judging from that, it seems my position has been strengthened. Many players from the youth system have been promoted to the first team and they want to stay, so things won't be easy for any of us. I am confident with what I can bring to the team. The team's working method has already changed... Yes. Last year we mainly focused on physical work, leaving ball work somewhat aside. Each coach is different and we have now started the pre-season focusing mainly on ball work, but I'm sure we will do a lot of physical exercises in time. Football players are more comfortable when they practice both aspects of the game. It seems obvious Schuster likes quality football... He likes his teams to play well, but he also likes to have a strong defence; he tightly blends both aspects together. Nevertheless, despite the fact that we all want to play great football, the most important thing is to win, and to do that we must have decisive players and we must avoid conceding many goals. I also believe Real Madrid have to play good football, but we also have to win; it is no use playing well if we don't win because it then seems we aren't doing a good job. We are always obliged to be at the very top of our game. How has the squad taken Capello's departure? Alright. We were very happy with his work, but it's up to the Board to decide what to do with these matters and they preferred Schuster for the job. The squad is very happy with our new coach because he is very excited and anxious to prove he is capable of coaching an important team like Real Madrid. We must all do our part to help. We haven't worked much yet and we must use this time to get to know each other better. Do you think the team needs more signings to be made? The team has a good squad and there are some players who aren't here with us that have a lot to give, such as Julio Baptista. There are many players on the squad and we will all enjoy several minutes of playing time this season. Nevertheless, I will welcome any new signings, even if they are for my position, but I personally feel we have enough players as it is. How do you feel when you hear the names of many players who play in your position that may join the team? I feel well. If they come it would mean the team has more chances of using a rotation system. I have no problems with this because I believe I can bring a lot to the team and I will make things difficult for any newcomer. Is the squad balanced? Yes. We are a strong team with players capable of playing for many minutes during one game. The important thing is that the Club is signing players we need as opposed to signing stars. This is what we need in order to be strong challengers for every title. What do you think of Barcelona? They were a great team last season and I think they are making excellent signings. They are strengthening every position, but we are the current League champions and they are the ones who have to become stronger. Who has a better squad?They are basically equally good. They have many stars and we have a good team. They will be our strongest opponent. Do you think Barcelona are now the galacticos Maybe. We won many titles during that period and I'm sure they will do very well if the coach manages them well. But a team isn't simply made with famous names. For us it is very important to have players who know what it means to wear a Real Madrid shirt. Is the team still hungry for titles after winning the League? We're still hungry. Us veterans are dying to win more titles and the newcomers want this too. We hope this mixture of young and veteran players ends up being fruitful at Real Madrid. There's less tension now that we've won the League, but we know that not winning a title this season will be a disaster. Is your goal to win the Champions League? The three main competitions are our main goal. We've just started and we must do our best to win as much as we can, especially after the great efforts made by the Club.

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Cannavaro tracked by AC Milan? Although the former Juventus defender insists he won’t leave Real Madrid, there are reports Milan are in talks for Fabio Cannavaro. The World and European Player of the Year has been linked with a return to Serie A with old club Juve, but according to the latest rumours coming out of Spain, his real destination is San Siro. The Rossoneri have stated repeatedly they are looking to bring in a forward and this weekend there has been talk of both a swoop for Real Madrid benchwarmer Julio Baptista and £84m rated Ronaldinho. However, it’s claimed that transfer guru Adriano Galliani is actually planning a surprise move for Cannavaro to strengthen an ageing defence. Both Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta are playing with recurring injury problems, while Marcos Cafu, Marek Jankulovski and Giuseppe Pancaro have also sat out long periods with fitness worries. “I am staying here because I want to win the Champions League. It’s the only trophy I’m missing,” Cannavaro told Spanish newspaper ‘Marca.’ “I signed a three-year contract with Real Madrid, not with Fabio Capello, so I don’t see why I should leave because he’s gone. They keep saying I want a return to Italy, but it’s not true.” Yet this statement could open the door to Milan after all. Real Madrid last appeared in the Champions League Final in 2002, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1. The Italians have without doubt been the most successful side in the tournament over the last few years, winning it twice and appearing in three Finals in the last five seasons.

Pele: Kaka's home is San Siro Brazil legend Pele believes Kaka is better off at Milan than Real Madrid and invites Pippo Inzaghi to join Santos! The Merengues have a new Coach, but continue to claim that Kaka will be wearing their jersey either this season or the next. Now he has received advice from the ultimate hero for all Brazilian football players – O Rey himself. “I played for 20 years at Santos and was always faithful even if I received lucrative offers from Real Madrid and Juventus,” he told the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport.’ “I chose to stay where I had grown up, become a great, where the people loved me and I was happy. Money is not everything. That is a cliché, but it’s true. “I don’t want to tell Kaka how he should behave, but just to look inside himself. He seems happy at Milan, so why should he change?” The Rossoneri have a Selecao feel to them with Kaka, Ronaldo, Nelson Dida, Marcos Cafu and Serginho in their ranks. They begin pre-season training on Monday and both Kaka and Ronaldo flew into Malpensa Airport this morning. “If Ronaldo is physically fit, I really think he can be Number One in the world again,” continued Pele. “He has to train consistently and it looks as if he has found the right atmosphere and motivation at Milan to be great once more. I think Ronaldo’s presence is very useful for the club and for Kaka.” With President Silvio Berlusconi reportedly prepared to pay Ronaldinho’s £84m buy-out clause and Under-20 sensation Alexandre Pato close to a deal, there could be more Brazilians on their way. “Pato is a good player, but not yet a champion. I think it is best to wait a little before bringing him to Europe. Look at Robinho and how long he took to show his quality for Real, because he was still a little green. It’s too early to say what player Pato will become. He has potential, though.” Pele revealed he is a big fan of Milan’s homegrown contingent, above all Champions League Final hero SuperPippo. “I don’t know if Milan really need a striker. They have Inzaghi, who is incredible! I thought it would be fantastic if I could bring Pippo to Santos. With him at the centre of the attack, we’d win five titles on the trot. “There are no defenders able to mark him, not just in Brazil, as he always seems to score. Think about it and let me know!”

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Kakà For €104m, The Daftest Yet? Real Madrid are preparing to offer a deal worth €104m to join them from AC Milan next summer, according to an outlandish report in Italy. After missing out the Brazilian star this summer, the story states that los Merengues will put forward a proposal that the player could not refuse. An eight-year contract will be laid on the table by Madrid that will see Kaká earn €13m-per-year for eight seasons at the Bernabéu. If such an outrageous bid is made then it will be the most expensive transfer in football history. This year has seen some far-fetched reports stretch the imagination, but by predicting events in 12 months time appears to be a new angle. Madrid president, Ramón Calderón, included Kaká in his election campaign last year as one of three players he would sign, but he has yet to deliver. Milan have dug their heels in and refused to even talk about the transfer, leaving the Spanish champions without a star signing so far this summer. While an approach for Cesc Fàbregas fell flat, the link to FC Barcelona's Andrés Iniesta was denied by both the Blaugrana and Madrid. So, the question now has to be; do you believe that there is any truth in this or is it the most ridiculous transfer story of the summer so far?

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Cannavaro to Marca "Our mentality is what differentiates us from the rest" Fabio Cannavaro has spent one year donning the Real Madrid shirt and is now ready to take on season two as the leader of the defence with two new teammates Pepe and Metzelder. In an interview with sports daily Marca, Cannavaro explained that his main goal is to win the 10th European Cup for Real Madrid. How did your holiday feel? Very good. I feel phenomenal and am ready to start training and playing football. It's been a great month to rest, recharge my batteries, and have some fun. I'm looking forward to kicking the ball. Do you miss the competition? Yes. I'm ready to begin competing again after a month off. After winning the League with Real Madrid everything should be a lot easier. The team is more confident, we have a new coach, and we have to maintain the spirit that made us champions of the League. What do you know about Schuster? He's a new coach and I remember him as a player. They used to call me Schuster when I was small. I had long, blond hair. He did a great job with Getafe and now he wants to be successful with Real Madrid. We all have to ready to play for him. We have to remain united. Schuster has said that he is counting on you and that you are very important. What do you think about that? It feels good that he said that. I am looking forward to improving and winning titles with Real Madrid. I did make some mistakes last season, but I also think I played well over the last two months. It's only normal to have some trouble after a World Cup and a move to a new country. But I rested a lot this summer and I now know Spanish football and Spain, so I hope I can perform well. I want to continue winning titles this season. Finishing second here isn't acceptable. Improving upon last year's accomplishments will be hard. How did you celebrate so much success over your holiday? I wake up every morinng and celebrate the fact that I am the champion of the world and of Spain. What more can I ask for? I really had a great time over the holiday remembering what I accomplished. I am happy. How do you see your future? We've spent the last month listening to rumours about you leaving Real Madrid. They aren't true. In Italy they insist that I am returning, but it's not true. I have always said that I am happy at Real Madrid and in Spain. I am happy to have signed for this team. I don't know where they come up with all those teams that I will be joining. I don't understand why they say that stuff. I am calm. No one in the Club has told me that there's an offer for me or that they want to sell me. No one at Real Madrid has said anything to me. I am sure I will continue with Real Madrid. Why would I leave the most important Club in the world? I am happy and can't ask for anything else. What do you think about Metzelder and Pepe being signed? Great. They are both good defenders. Pepe is young and talented. Metzelder has lots of experience. They will be great additions to the defence. It's only normal that we sign two good defenders after Pavón and Mejía left. Do you like the signing of Saviola? Yes. It's better to have him on your side than on the opponent's. Saviola had the chance to leave and Real Madrid was correct in signing him. Saviola is a footballer that guarantees goals. He'll serve us well. Who has to be worried of who? Barcelona of Madrid or vice versa? Barcelona of us because we are the champions. What's your next goal? Winning the Champions League. It's the only title I'm missing and I want to win it. I'm sure the fans would love it as well. We have to stay very focused and try to win the 10th European Cup for Madrid. It would be a huge success for me. I want to win the Champions League. Do you think you have the team to win it? I'm sure we do. We're Real Madrid and I'm sure we have the team to win the Champions League. We have to maintain the mentality that made us champions of the League. We have to continue with the same spirit and continue playing as a team. That was the key to winning the League. We were a team and it didn't matter who was playing because the group was clicking on all cylinders. Is Real Madrid's pending task to play pretty football? We always want to play well. We hope that our fans see better games this season. But when all is said and done, what people really want is to win titles. If we can win and play well at the same time, even better. Look what happened to Barcelona. Everyone said they played well, but they didn't win anything. I'm sure they would have wanted to win a title or to be in our situation. If we play well, that's great. What does Real Madrid have that other teams don't? Our mentality is what differentiates us from the rest, and it's what we have to hold on to. Winning the League really worked wonders for us. You're not tired of winning titles? I will never get tired of winning. I love it. I have won a lot, but I don't live in the past. Everything I've won is behind me and I just focus on the future because I want to continue winning. I will turn 34 in September and I haven't lost my drive. I don't live in the past. I feel good, I'm motivated, and my goal is to win the Champions League, the only title I'm missing. That's why I think Pepe and Metzelder are good signings. There will be a lot of matches this season and I can't play my best football through all 70 games. I can play 40. We need a team and players that can regulate and pick up the slack. Will you hang up your boots playing for Real Madrid? I want to finish out my contract. That's why I signed it.