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Guti press conference "The match on Saturday is like a Champions League final; we're all mentally prepared" The press conference turn was for Madridista vice-captain José Mª Gutiérrez “Guti”. The Spanish squad and the vital match on Saturday in Zaragoza were the principal talking points: “A draw is no good for either team so we will witness and all-out attacking game.” The number '14' has victory embedded all over his mind. He underlined a fan base enthusiasm which “I hadn't felt in years.” Was this break good for the players? It's been great for those of us who stayed in Madrid; the internationals will have less resting time. Maybe the best thing would have been continuity given the good results we were reaping. But this is what there is and it's nice to catch a break. What teams will be more affected by the League halt? I don't know, but I hope all except Real Madrid. I don't think it's good for any team to see its internationals leave for so many days at a time, but we're trusting that they will be back in good shape. Our worst fear is potential injuries. What did you think of Spain's match on Saturday? Spain did what they had to do. In the end, the most important thing is the result. I don't think there's a lack of ambition. Every player states the same: they know thay can play better, but you don't always get what you want. Against these opponents, who are so inferior, winning is a must. You said the other day that it was a disgrace that Raúl wasn't called up for the Spanish national team? Yes, I think it's disgraceful, but I guess the coach has his reasons. Luis Aragonés thinks that there are players in better shape now, but I think that Raúl is in top form and proving instrumental in Real Madrid's results. That's why I don't understand it. It's unfair for the Captain to be absent in such crucial times, you know, trying to qualify for the Euro 2008. Have you lost all hope of being selected with Spain? Yes, I've said it many times. Is the Zaragoza clash much more than a mere game? For sure; it's like a Champions League final. We can't lose. All the games we play lately are like this, both inside our and the fans' heads. There's an enthusiasm among the Bernabéu faithful that I hadn't felt in years. This will be the penultimate final. If we don't win, most likely we will not be League champions. What do you think of the squad having just one-day's worth of preparation just before Saturday's crucial match? It's badly planned. It's unbelievable that a player can only train one full day with his squad when it's do or die. The Clubs must defend the players. Moreover, it's them who pay us. In any event, I think that all the internationals will rise to the occasion. These things happen, but we're all mentally prepared and ready for this all-important match. Could these be your last two games with Real Madrid? I hope not. But before we speak of that, we need to focus on Real Madrid winning the League. It's not good to speak of individual players, but of winning the two games that are left. Do you think that César Jiménez doing the honourary kick-off is an unfortunate decision? I think that the most unfortunate thing is that he can't play football. I know him. He played for Madrid. These things have got to be the saddest episodes of football. Putting that behind, what is very obvious is that it will be a very tough match because they're trying to assure their UEFA spot and they will not be looking forward to waving goodbye to Europe in the next-to-last meeting. A draw is no good for either team so we will witness and all-out attacking game. Do you think that Capello should continue next year? Once again, yes. You have to give coaches time, especially when they're doing a good job. The beginning was shaky because there were many new players, trainers, and directors that needed to find common ground and fit in. Fabio is doing a great job and coach continuity in a great Club goes hand in hand with success. Did Xavi force a yellow card with the Spain squad to be back with Barcelona sooner? I don't know. Most logically, Xavi thought that Wednesday's match against Liechtenstein is not as important as the ones after. I think it has more to do with that than with him being back with Barcelona starting today. Tickets for the Zaragoza-Real Madrid game are being scalped for 600 euros. Would you pay that amount to watch the game? If Madrid win, I'd pay 600 or whatever was necessary. What would you think if Ronaldinho's suspension was finally lifted? I think it would create a precedent. The rest of the teams in a similar situation would want the same treatment. It wouldn't be logical for a player who hits another to have no suspension.

Sevilla Return For Reyes? The immediate future of Jose Antonio Reyes could be resolved this week, according to reports in Span that suggest the forward might be moving back to his boyhood heroes Sevilla - the team he left for Arsenl in 2004. Reyes looks extremely unlikely to retur to the Gunners after repeatedly making less than complimentary remarks about London in particular and English football in general. Meanwhile his 'dream' move on loan to Real Madrid did not work ou. Real are not keen to keep him after he failed to impress during his year at the Bernabeu. And with Arsenal thought unlikely to pursue their interest in Julio Baptista, who was on a reciprocal loan at Arsenal from Madrid, Reyes was left with no club for next season. However, now Sevilla are said to be ready to take him back - at least according to his agent, Jesus Rodriguez de Moya. He said: "It's clear that Sevilla is an excellent option, but I do not know what is going to happen. "He has several offers from Spanish clubs and one from abroad, but it's clear that he would like to return to Sevilla."

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Button joins bicycle time trial at Goodwood Jenson Button will take up a new challenge at this month's Goodwood Festival of Speed (22-24 June). As well as performing some dramatic demonstration runs in this year's Honda RA107 F1 car, Jenson will also be competing on two-wheels in a special bicycle Time Trial. The latest brainchild of Festival organiser Lord March, this novel Time Trial will mix stars from the worlds of motor sport and cycling. The eight contestants will be split into four teams of two, with one person from each discipline on each team. Jenson will be paired with fellow Brit and Tour de France stage winner David Millar. The four teams will set off up the Goodwood hillclimb course at two-minute intervals, and the clock will stop only when the second rider from each team crosses the finish line. "It's going to be hard-core," admits Jenson. "I'll be trying to keep up with one of the best pro cyclists in the world for just over a mile uphill. I'll have to give it large all the way!" While there will be a competitive edge to the competition, the event's main aim is to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Richard Burns Foundation. "This is a great chance for fans to watch the drivers and riders doing something different," says Jenson. "Most drivers do a bit of cycling as part of their training programme, so it will be interesting to see how we stack up against the pro riders. I think it's a great addition to the Festival of Speed and, most importantly, it will hopefully raise lots of money for two great charities." Others expected to compete against the Jenson and David combo in this unique Time Trial at Goodwood on Saturday 23 June include Mark Webber, Troy Bayliss and either David Coulthard or Alex Wurz from the motor world and pro cyclists Chris Hoy, Jason Queally and Ron Hayles.

ABETE: 'I hope Nesta returns' Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete is hopefully that Sandro Nesta will return to the Italy squad. He said: 'It's normal after a World Cup but I hope that Alessandro Nesta returns because he was a protagonist then.'

Casillas in La Vanguardia "Playing well, poorly, with luck, or without it, we're winning our matches" Even though he's on international duty with the Spanish national team, Iker Casillas had time to speak to Spanish daily La Vanguardia about the sweet patch Real Madrid are experiencing in the League. "It's a reward that this squad deserves," said the goalkeeper, who is very confident in the team's chances of winning the title. Everything seems to be clicking again in Madrid. How do you feel? Very well, especially if I look back on all these years that we struggled and didn't bring home a title. Now that we've put in so much dedication and hard work to regain the lead, we're not so willing to relinquish it. We want to do our very best in these last two matches because we have already made the effort to give much more than we really could. Has the hard part been taken care of? We've done our best not to lose the enthusiasm we started off with and we're hoping to keep it up in these two remaining games. Is it easy to forget about the League during these days you are with the national team? Not really. There is such a close race for the League and everyone was so excited to see a storybook finish. This two week stoppage has been a sour note for everyone. Yourself included? We are professionals and I personally don't have a problem changing from one thing to the next. The League championship is at such an exciting stage and the match against Zaragoza is so important, but so are national team matches. Any talk about Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Espanyol, or Sevilla doesn't help, and that's why they are rarely mentioned here. Are you suppressing your euphoria? You have to be cautious at times, but I am sure I'll be one of the happiest people in the world when the time comes. I can control myself if the moment calls for it, but when it's time to celebrate, I am one of the craziest out there. Is a player with so many matches and low points this year mentally fresh or just as tired as his body? Both mentally fresh and tired. The excitement that comes with the chance of winnng the League has been a breath of fresh air. I am sure we would be mentally exhausted if we were four of five points off Barça. And physically, let's not even go there. It's exactly what happened to us the last two seasons. The title is yours to win, but wouldn't it be a huge downer for the team if Barcelona ended up with it? No. The downer will be for Barcelona if they lose the League because they've won it the last two seasons and they were in control for a large part of this year. We've been in the lead two or three times and, as former motorcycle racer Ángel Nieto said, with a few curves left, we're now in front after being pretty far behind. Honestly, what Madrid is going through right now is a great reward for this deserving squad. But you've been criticised so much. A lot has been said about Madrid, much of it negative. Those of us who have been here a long time have suffered more for our fans than ourselves. Surely some of the criticism has been deserved, but I would rather hear it at the end of the season. All we have left to do is listen, see, silence the critics, and continue battling it out on the field of play just as we've done. And with a little luck, too. True. Sometime we play well and sometimes poorly; sometimes we've gotten lucky, and sometimes we haven't. I agree with the comment, but we are winning our matches. Have you grown more with all the success you've enjoyed or with the adversity you've experienced over this three year drought? During the adversity, of course. It's always great to go from bad to good, but it's also interesting doing the opposite and then recovering again after learning many things. That's perhaps when you learn the most. We have won Leagues, European Cups, InterContinentals, practically everything... And then you go to not winning a thing. Winning the League now would be the culmination of the greatest success. It's odd. Several years ago, only winning the League and European Super Cup was a failure for Madrid. I've learned that football is full of paradoxes and ironies. Has the thought of finishing the year empty-handed crossed your mind a lot this season? Absolutely. You think about it when you're knocked out of the King's Cup, the Champions League, and when you're six points away from the top of the table and going through a bad patch. But thanks to a little luck, hard work, team unity, our coach's know-how, and our fans, we have that fire in our bellies to at least battle it out for the League title. During last year's 0-3 defeat against Barcelona at the Bernabéu, you yelled out “We are Madrid!” Have you had to repeat it a lot this year? On occasion. There have been moments that the team has been gripped by nervousness and the ghosts of year's passed, which prevented us from steering in the right direction and made us think about going another year with nothing to show for it. There's a Barça vs. Madrid foosball table in the Spanish national team's camp. Have you ever played as Barcelona? Of course. There used to be one with Atleti that I also played with. But I don't pay attention to who I am or whether I play as keeper, midfielder, or forward (laughs). I really get along very well with Puyol and the other Barça players.