World waiting for Real Madrid-Man United clash: Jose Mourinho
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has hailed the Champions League football tie between his side and Manchester United Wednesday as one of the biggest matches of the season.
|Last Updated: Feb 12, 2013, 01:08 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has hailed the Champions League football tie between his side and Manchester United Wednesday as one of the biggest matches of the season.
English Premier League`s current league leaders and reigning Spanish league champions go head to head in the first leg of their last 16 tie in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium Wednesday night with the return three weeks later in Old Trafford.
While Manchester United go into the game 12 points clear at the top of the Barclay`s Premier League in England, Madrid are 16 points behind FC Barcelona and the Champions League is the chance to redeem a season tainted by disappointment and controversy.
However, Mourinho`s men showed what they can do with a 4-0 thrashing of Sevilla Saturday in a game in which former Manchester United striker, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a blistering hat-trick and that has wetted Mourinho`s appetite for the match.
"It is the match the world is waiting for," the Real Madrid coach said in an interview on MUTV in which he highlighted the quality of two sides who would normally have expected to meet at a later stage of the competition.
"People think we are under pressure because a big team will be out, but it is the kind of match we want and the people are not waiting for any other game. I hope we give them what they want," he added.
Mourinho visited Old Trafford to watch Manchester United prepare for the game with a 2-0 win over Everton and spoke of his close relationship with United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, who some believe he may one day succeed at Old Trafford.
"I feel privileged about that because he is such an important person in the world of football and, more importantly, he is good person. I have always had a fantastic relationship with him and I am proud of it," he said looking back at their rivalry when Mourinho had coached Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
"We have had so many matches between us which started with Porto. We had some with Chelsea, Inter and now Real. Some I had won, some I have lost, others I have drawn."
"Of course, I want to win and he wants to win, but I believe the loser will have a little bit of space to feel a little bit happy because of the friendship. But make no mistake, I want to win," warned Mourinho.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.