Mou: the team has shown that it won’t have problems with fighting and achieving challenges. We’re still alive in three competitions and we want to continue like that until the end. Why shouldn’t we enter 2011 with the hope of doing so? I would like to help Madrid not only win once, but to start a cycle of victories.

Mou will spend the vacation with his family in New York.

New York? Cool.

Mourinho: We thrilled the crowd

Jose Mourinho was delighted with the way his team thrashed Levante 8-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie.

When Mourinho first took charge of Madrid at the start of the season he was often criticised for being too defensive for the club's expansive tastes, but since then his sides have shown more attacking intent and it was certainly on display last night.

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both bagged hat-tricks, while Mesut Ozil and Pedro Leon added further strikes.

"We thrilled the crowd, but it also thrilled us," Mourinho said. "It was a beautiful and fun game, especially for the younger crowd at the stadium tonight.

"I'm sorry for Levante's professionals because it is always harsh to lose this way, but I'm happy with the way we ended the year. We've won 20 of our 25 official games, drawn 4 and lost only one. My men played a serious game tonight and that's the only way to earn such a victory."

Mourinho was particularly pleased with the performance of Benzema, who has struggled for much of the season, and remains linked with a move away from the Bernabeu.

"What matters is that Benzema played well," he said. "He ran deep to support his team-mates in the very first minute and, when you start a game like that, the natural thing is to eventually give a great performance.

"Scoring goals is a matter of small details. He played a good game and the only reason I replaced him was because I wanted (Alvaro) Morata to feel the Bernabeu crowd."

Benzema received a standing ovation as he went off and is aiming for a repeat of the experience soon.

"I felt great affection from the standing ovation I received from the crowd," he said. "It was a natural reaction, especially after scoring three goals, but I am nevertheless very happy for it."

Benzema also revealed he will need another hat-trick if he wants a match ball as he and Ronaldo chose to sign last night's and present it to the 18-year-old Morata, who was making only his second appearance, and first at home.

Madrid have now begun their winter break and do not play again until the January 3 derby against Getafe.

They then face Levante in the second leg two days later.

And Mourinho revealed the players will receive a small gift as a result of their heroics in the first leg.

"Before the game start, my players asked me if I would allow them to spend the night of January 5 at home with their families if we won 4-0," he said.

"I told them we would travel on the day of the match if we got six. So we will travel on the day of the match, not as a sign of disrespect to our opponents - we drew our league game there - but because we feel it is important to have that night at home."

Mourinho, in buoyant mood after such a big win, also fired a barb at Rafael Benitez, his successor at Inter Milan who already appears to be on his way out.

Benitez's relationship with the Inter hierarchy has broken down in the days since they won the FIFA Club World Cup at the weekend, with the Spaniard demanding the club back him in the transfer window or sack him as the defending Serie A champions languish in seventh position.

"I am very happy and feel very proud for Inter Milan's success in the FIFA Club World Cup," Mourinho said. "It was a great pleasure to train them, just as it is to coach Real Madrid. I thought Rafa Benitez would thank me for practically winning the title for him, but... Inter Milan fans would tell you how they really feel about it."

And Mourinho also denied reports of a rift with Real director general Jorge Valdano, insisting he planned to see out his four-year contract.

"I have no personal problems with anybody," he said. "I think it's natural to have occasional differences of opinion at a club with so many people working in it. I have no personal problems with anybody."

Europa Press | 26/12/2010

El técnico del Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho , ha realizado un repaso de lo sucedido durante el 2010 en donde destaca su llegada al Real Madrid, donde espera "cumplir el contrato de cuatro años", y la gran frustración que le produjo no poder dirigir a Portugal en los partidos ante Dinamarca e Islandia.

"Fue la frustración de este año", reconoce el técnico del Madrid que no recibió permiso por parte del Real Madrid, en el pasado mes de septiembre, para dirigir a la selección de Portugal en dos partidos de clasificación para la Eurocopa de 2012. La Federación Portuguesa trabajaba en la búsqueda de un sustituto de Carlos Queiroz, y pensó en el técnico del Real Madrid, para finalmente fichar a Paulo Bento.

Por otra parte, Mourinho considera un punto de inflexión su fichaje por el club blanco, donde ha llegado con ganas de títulos. "No podría pasar toda una vida aquí sin ganar títulos, espero cumplir el contrato de cuatro años con el Real Madrid", comenta el portugués en una entrevista concedida al diario deportivo de su país 'Record', donde hace un pequeño balance de un gran año que termina.

Además y a modo personal, el técnico hace un especial reconocimiento a dos de su jugadores, su compatriota el delantero Cristiano Ronaldo del que asegura ha "superado sus expectativas", y del argentino Angel Di María, quien ha logrado "lo más difícil, ganarse al Bernabéu".

El técnico madridista hace referencia al 5-0 sufrido en el Camp Nou como punto negro del año. "El año deportivo hubiera sido perfecto de no haber sido por la derrota sufrida en Barcelona". Sin embargo, Mourinho cierra el 2010 habiendo conseguido con el Inter de Milán el triplete (Serie A, Copa de Italia y Champions), y con todas las esperanzas puestas en su nueva etapa en el Real Madrid.

Mou: Navidad en EEUU en busca del anonimato

El portugués quiere pasar desapercibido. José Mourinho no ha salido a dar una vuelta por Madrid desde que se instaló en la capital de España el pasado mes de julio. Ni siquiera sale de paseo por Pozuelo de Alarcón, la localidad más próxima a su domicilio. Las veces que ha acudido a un restaurante han sido en el par de comidas que ha tenido con la plantilla. Ha desechado las constantes invitaciones de los restaurantes futboleros porque dice que no quiere que hagan publicidad a su costa por su mera presencia en esos locales. A su esposa, según le confesó a De la Morena en El Larguero, le molesta sobremanera que la gente le aborde por la calle, en los restaurantes, en el cine o en un cualquier tienda. Por este motivo, Mourinho ha decidido pasar sus vacaciones navideñas en Estados Unidos. Se marcha a Nueva York en busca del anonimato. Aunque no haya cultura futbolística en USA, será muy complicado que pase desapercibido en la ciudad de los rascacielos.

La comida de la RFEF bendecida por dos curas. Angel María Villar, como buen cristiano, decidió que la comida que la Real Federación Española de Fútbol ofreció a sus directivos fuera bendecida por dos curas. El Padre Daniel, capellán del Atlético de Madrid, y el Padre Iñaki Orduña fueron los encargados de ir bendiciendo una a una todas las mesas de la comida navideña de la RFEF. El presidente Villar se ha comprometido con ambos curas a llevarles a la recepción que Su Santidad el Papa Benedicto XVI ofrecerá a la Selección española de fútbol el próximo 14 de febrero.

El christmas de Pelé. Edson Arantes do Nascimento siempre ha cultivado su imagen. Y a sus 70 años lo sigue haciendo. Para estas navidades, Pelé ha enviado un christmas personalizado (ver foto de arriba). Además, acaba de estrenar su marca de ropa, Pelé Sports, inaugurando una tienda 'on line'.

El COE ignora a la Federación de Baloncesto. Que las relaciones entre Alejandro Blanco, presidente del Comité Olímpico Español, y José Luis Sáez, presidente de la Federación Española de Baloncesto, son muy malas no es noticia. Pero que el COE ni invite a la FEB, una federación que hace destacar al deporte español en los Juegos Olímpicos, a su gala es una decisión poco elegante de los dirigentes del olimpismo español.

La discreción de El Fenómeno. Ronaldo Nazario da Lima, el auténtico Ronaldo, ha estado en Madrid una semana y pasó desapercibido a pesar de hacer mucha vida social y verse con gente del fútbol y ex compañeros del Real Madrid. Ronaldo siempre que puede se escapa a la capital de España donde tiene casa. El Fenómeno volverá el próximo verano.

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Mou, in an interview with Portuguese paper Record, he said that Cristiano Ronaldo “surpassed all his expectations” and that Ángel di María had “achieved the most difficult task, winning over the Bernabéu crowd.” High praise indeed for these two players.

Jose Mourinho: Inter Are The Best Team In The World; Real Madrid Need A Striker

Mourinho dismisses Barcelona once again and asks for reinforcements...

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes that Inter and not Barcelona are the best team in the world. Mourinho won a treble with the Beneamata last season and joined los Merengues in the summer.

Last month the Blaugrana defeated los Blancos 5-0 in the Clasico at Camp Nou to stake their claim as being the best club side in the world, but Mourinho believes that Pep Guardiola's team do not deserve that tag.

"No, the best team is Inter, who, after winning the Champions League, have just won the FIFA Club World Cup," Mourinho said in an interview with Record.

Mourinho also reiterated Madrid's need for a striker in January.

"We need [a striker], quantitatively speaking. I like [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Karim] Benzema, each one in their own way, with their style, but they are few to meet the demands of a team like ours.

"I like having more options for the front: when I play with one, I like having two on the bench; when I play with two, I like having one always ready to come on. And with one of them injured, I breathe worse already.

"We started the season with two strikers, right now we have one and my feeling is that we will continue like this for a long time.

"Perhaps I am a little bit pessimistic but, for the previous experiences we’ve had, and which fortunately were not many but were very informative, injuries to the spine and herniated disc are really hard things to recover from. I do not believe Higuain will recover that fast.

"I mean, I believe so, we need reinforcements, but I highly doubt that will happen," Mourinho continued. "One thing is what we need, another is what we do. And in this case, I really need, but I doubt we will do it."

Inter Must Back Leonardo - Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has told Inter not to let their Leonardo chance slip through th

eir fingers...Jose Mourinho believes Leonardo is the right man to lead Inter into a new life following Rafael Benitez's brief tenure.

The Brazilian will be unveiled officially on Wednesday, and Mourinho, who led the club to a unique treble last season, has told them not to waste the chances they have with 'Leo' in charge.

"He is great, support him the way you did me," the Real Madrid coach told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Leonardo is great. I ask the Inter fans to welcome and support him the way they did with me.

"Last season Leo proved he is a coach of real potential. He is a great professional and not to be tagged as a Milanista. He dedicated many years to Milan and will now do the same for Inter with the same passion.

"I really do wish him every success. Please support him.

Mourinho clashes with photographers

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was involved in a clash with photographers at Madrid airport after returning from holidays in New York.

According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the Portuguese and his family were swamped by photographers shortly after touching down at the airport.

Mourinho appeared to be extremely annoyed with the flashing cameras and urged them to stay away from him and his family.

The photographers refused to budge and the Special One allegedly hurled insults at them in full view of the public.

But just when it was about to boil over, security personnel came in to intervene and reminded all there were children involved.

The commotion quickly dissolved and Mourinho and his loved ones were hurriedly ushered to their vehicle.

José Mourinho is back in Spain after getting delayed while vacationing in New York, due to the heavy snow that caused the closure of JFK International (by the way, reader Jen wrote me to say that she had spotted TSO – and his LV luggage – at the airport) and thus the cancellation of his flight. Mou and his family were scheduled to touch down in Madrid on Monday, but did not arrive until eight last night. Today, he’ll preside over the first training session after the Christmas break and in the evening, he’ll coach Team Africa in the Champions for Africa charity game. Fun fact: while in New York, he had asked the organizers of the match to send him the list of players on his team so that he could start strategizing…

Pepe: I want to stay at Madrid

Real Madrid centreback Pepe claims he is happy to sign a new contract with the club as long as the terms are favourable.

The Portuguese defender has been embroiled in a contract stand-off with the Spanish giants in recent months but Pepe insists that he wants to stay at Madrid for the long haul.

Speaking to Marca TV , Pepe said: "I hope to stay at Real Madrid.

"But it depends on God. I want to stay in Madrid, but that is an issue that does not depend only on me."

Pepe also believes that compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo is the total package and is not simply a flamboyant talent.

"He is the most complete player in the world. Anyone who knows and works with him every day knows this. He is a team player."

The former Porto marker has recently returned to the Madrid first team fold after more than a year out with knee ligament woes.

“I think that Real Madrid cannot have a coach with no track record. Right now there is a coach in place with 2 Champions Leagues…championships in different countries including league cups and 17 championships. Then I arrive here and create so much doubt [among the press], that if you are a title-less manager coming to manage [Madrid], they’ll kill you”