Jose Mourinho

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The Special One's Run

P

W

D L

Porto

Feb 2002-summer 2004 38 36 2 0

Chelsea

summer 2004-summer 2007 60 46 14 0

Inter

summer 2008-summer 2010 38 29 9 0

Real Madrid

summer 2010- 11 11 0 0

Mourinho must navigate just three more matches to reach an iconic milestone of 150; Levante, Malaga on March 3 and Hercules 10 days later.

And should his team negotiate those matches, the small matter of champions Barcelona in the second El Clasico on the season is on the horizon, with the fixture to be played on the weekend on April 16/17.

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Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho Looks Ahead To Lyon Champions League Clash After Beating Levante

Los Blancos secured a welcomed victory over Levante in preparation of their Last 16 tie against French side Lyon...

Real Madrid eased to a 2-0 victory over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu as goals from Karim Benzema and Ricardo Carvalho continued Jose Mourinho's impressive home record.

The Portuguese coach remains unbeaten at home for the last nine years, taking in spells at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and currently Madrid.

Speaking to the press after the game, Mourinho said, "I liked that my team played a serious match. These games ahead of Champions League matches can be complicated because players may focus more on the European competition. The team played well and was very focused.

"We knew Levante would make it tough. They were organised in defence, but we scored early and had things under control. Winning and resting players is what mattered," he was quoted as saying by the club's official website.

He added: "Ever since we drew Lyon, we have been studying and learning about them. Real Madrid have two barriers to break down against Lyon.

"It's been years since Madrid made it through to the last 16 and it's because they have never beaten Lyon. I would like to know if Lisandro, Jimmy Briand or Cesar Delgado will be playing. We have to study all the possibilities and be prepared for anything and everything."

When his team selection was questioned, Mourinho replied: "I started a team that I thought would be enough to win and we respected the opponent because we knew they had a solid defence.

"We had to be creative and dynamic, which is why I used four players in attack. I think it's only normal that I rest Xabi Alons and Mesut Oezil, who will play the next match, when I still have other alternatives.

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Mourinho post-match press conference

"Winning and resting players is what mattered; Madrid has two barriers to break down against Lyon"

Realmadrid.com

Jose Mourinho had nothing but kind words for his players following their 2-0 victory, which extends his personal home winning streak in league games to nine years.

"I liked that my team played a serious match. These games ahead of Champions League matches can be complicated because players may focus more on the European competition. The team played well and was very focused."

"We knew Levante would make it tough. They were organized in defense, but we scored early and had things under control. Winning and resting players is what mattered."

"I like how Sergio Ramos and Benzema played. Cristiano always likes to play. He is fine from a physical standpoint and does not feel tired, so why should I take him out? A player can get hurt at any time. The risk is always there and we can't do anything about it."

"I started a team that I thought would be enough to win and we respected the opponent because we knew they had a solid defense. We had to be creative and dynamic, which is why I used four players in attack. I think it's only normal that I rest Xabi and Ozil, who will play the next match, when I still have other alternatives."

"Ever since we drew Lyon, we have been studying and learning about them. Real Madrid have two barriers to break down against Lyon. It's been years since Madrid made it through to the Last 16 and it's because they have never beaten Lyon. I would like to know if Lisandro, Briando or Delgado will be playing. We have to study all the possibilities and be prepared for anything and everything."

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No rest time just yet

Preparations from Lyon have already begun

Realmadrid.com

Real Madrid had no days off following their 2-0 win against Levante. The team took part in a closed workout on Sunday in preparation for Tuesday' Champions League match against Olympique Lyonnais.

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Mourinho confident of ending jinx

Jose Mourinho claims he is not losing any sleep over the fact that his Real Madrid team come up against a side, in Lyon, who have never lost to the Spanish team.

Real have faced Lyon in six matches in the Champions League over the last five years - losing all three of their away games - and were eliminated by the French side in the first knockout round last year.

But now, Mourinho believes his side know all about their European opposition.

"I am not losing sleep over Lyon or any other team," Mourinho said. "Ever since we drew Lyon, we have been studying and learning about them."

Lyon reached the semi-finals of the competition for the first time last season, but despite the fact that Madrid have won the trophy a record nine times, they have not fared well in recent years - with their last triumph coming in 2002.

''It's been years since Madrid made it (to the quarter-finals), and it's because they have never beaten Lyon," Mourinho added.

Once again, the attention will be focused on former Lyon striker Karim Benzema, as he returns to his old club. Last year's defeat is still fresh in the memory for the striker, who thinks things will be different this time around.

"If I'm lucky enough to play I will do everything I can," Benzema said. "This match will be different to last year. Our team has changed ... I think we are going to defeat Lyon and win the Champions League."

But Cristiano Ronaldo thinks that it will be Mourinho who will make the difference in the tie.

''This year we are going to beat them (Lyon), God willing. This year is going go be totally different,'' said Ronaldo. ''The coach has a lot of experience and he knows what to do to win.

''We'll go out onto the pitch knowing that Lyon are a very difficult team, but I'm convinced that this year we are finally going to reach the quarter-finals.''

Lyon will have to do without their star striker, Lisandro Lopez, after he suffered a hamstring injury during training on Thursday.

"You have to respect the player," said Lyon boss Claude Puel. "He is injured and it's a handicap for us."

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes his side will once again be underdogs this time around but is confident they will give a good account of themselves.

The 24-year-old told L'Equipe: ''If everybody plays to his true level, we will see the beautiful Lyon.

''Faced with a great team like Real, we know that by giving 200% we are not even sure of the result. They are a favourite for the Champions League. And we are an obstacle for Real. We hope to cause an upset.''

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Mourinho: "We are the champions of all European champions, and we must play with that conviction"

Jose Mourinho addressed the media in Lyon the day prior to the first leg in the Champions League Last 16 against Olympique Lyonnais.

"The tie with Lyon is something new for many of my men. The French team happens to bring back fond memories for me because I eliminated them from the Champions League one of the years I won the title. Carvalho did the same, and so did Cristiano. We'll have to eliminate them in order to achieve our Champions League goals."

"I haven't done anything special or different in preparation for this match. We started to talk about the game and our opponent today. We know what we want and the direction we must take to win the tie."

"Scoring more goals than them will be key (laughs). Seriously now, Lyon are a tough, intelligent opponent who know exactly how to play these games. Statistics are there to be broken. We will have to give excellent performances in both games in order to win the tie. We will experience problems if we believe this to be easy. Our respect for our opponent should be based on what it is today, not what it was last year. Real Madrid are the champions of all European champions and we will have to play with that conviction. We know what we must do to reach the next round."

"I normally talk about the lineup I'll use, but I won't today. I'm the only one who knows who will play tomorrow. Not even my men know."

"We'll see if we win the Champions League or not. We must now climb two walls: reaching the quarterfinals and defeating Lyon, whom this team has never defeated. I faced a similar situation at Inter Milan and we ended up winning the Champions League; but we'll have to wait and see if we win this year."

"Zinedine Zidane has given us a report on the team because he knows French football better than we do. He also knows Real Madrid better than anyone. He will always be with us in the Champions League, but he may be even closer to us for this tie. He has been working on it for two months."

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Match facts and figures

Lyon

•Lisandro pulled his hamstring in training on Thursday and is out, but Ederson is back in training having not played since August because of a thigh injury. Yoann Gourcuff (knee), Clément Grenier (thigh) and César Delgado (thigh) are all fit after lengthy spells out. Dejan Lovren and Michel Bastos are within a booking of a one-match European suspension.

• Lyon have won 48 corners and been caught offside 30 times [in the Champions League], both more than any other side in the round of 16 ahead of the first legs.

• Michel Bastos and Dejan Lovren are within a booking of a ban.

• Puel's side are nine matches unbeaten at home, winning five and drawing four since their 2-1 League Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain FC on 27 October.

• Lyon were 18th in Ligue 1 at the beginning of October but a 13-game unbeaten run lifted them to third before a 2-1 defeat by Valenciennes FC on 29 January.

• On 23 January Lyon's French Cup ambitions ended with an extra-time defeat by OGC Nice in the last 32.

• Seventeen of the 24 league goals Lyon have conceded this season have come after half-time.

Real Madrid

•Pepe sat out the weekend win against Levante UD with a sore calf, while Gonzalo Higuaín could miss the rest of the season after suffering a slipped disc in November. Kaká (knee), Fernando Gago (knee) and Jerzy Dudek (broken jaw) have all shaken off injuries. Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl Albiol will miss the rematch if they are booked in Lyon.

• Only Manchester United FC, with one, have conceded fewer goals than Madrid's two.

• Madrid had more shots on target (54) and wide (56) than any other team in the last 16 ahead of the first legs.

• Cristiano Ronaldo had more shots on target (15) and wide (16) than any other player ahead of the first legs.

• Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso are available after serving one-game bans on Matchday 6, when José Mourinho was also suspended. Ronaldo and Raúl Albiol are within a booking of a ban.

• Madrid have won all 19 of their home matches this season. They have managed 11 victories in 19 away games, including a 1-0 triumph at RCD Espanyol on 13 February that came despite Iker Casillas's second-minute dismissal – the Merengues' earliest red card in Liga history.

• Madrid have won just three of their last six away games, losing at Levante and CA Osasuna.

• Ronaldo has amassed 37 goals in 41 appearances for club and country this season.

Random Factoid

• Lisandro's goal on Matchday 6 was Lyon's 300th in UEFA competition.

• Karim Benzema's first goal on Matchday 6 was Madrid's 300th in the UEFA Champions League.

Real Madrid Call Up

Every man will travel to Lyon for tomorrow's Champions League match against Olympique Lyonnais except for Gago and Higuain, who will stay in Madrid due to coaching decisions and injury, respectively.

Officials

Referee: Wolfgang Stark (GER)

Assistant Referees: Jan-Hendrik Salver (GER), Mike Pickel (GER)

Fourth Official: Thorsten Kinhöfer (GER)

Additional Assistant Referees: Tobias Welz (GER), Christian Dingert (GER)

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Twenty-two players were called up by Mou for the convocatoria. Poor Fernando Gago was the only one left out, but he got to play several minutes against Levante at least. Pedro León and Sergio Canales made their “return” from exile, while Pepe just made a normal “return.”

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adán.

Defenders: Pepe, Ramos, Albiol, Arbeloa, Marcelo, Garay, Carvalho.

Midfielders: Lass, Xabi Alonso, Khedira, Kaká, Granero, Pedro León, Canales, Özil, Di María.

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Adebayor.

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I hope we will win with Lyon.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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"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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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