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Rosell: Barcelona are in excellent shape
The supremo is delighted with the economic progress that the Catalan giants have made recently, while also acknowledging their 100 per cent start to the new Liga season
Postponement was not easy for Real Madrid, admits Mourinho after Rayo win
The Blancos' boss praises his side's resolve to grind out the three points at the Vallecas, despite the floodlight issues which forced the fixture to be rescheduled 24 hours later
Thiago: Messi and Villa argument was just a discussion, and shows our ambition
The former La Masia star has spoken out in defence of his two team-mates after allegations of a troubled relationship between the forwards surfaced
Godin: It's always nice to score as a defender, and we have to keep thinking game by game
The Uruguayan centre-back reminisced about his opening goal in Los Rojiblancos' last La Liga fixture, and also said that he believes that their team is very strong right now
Rayo Vallecano - Real Madrid floodlight problems a terrorist act, says president
The chief of the home club has said there was foul play involved after 57 cables were cut leading to the cancellation of the Franjirrojos versus Los Blancos match
Messi and Ronaldo are the kings of football, says Queiroz
The former Portugal boss has nothing but praise for the Primera Division stars, while describing their respective teams as the best out there
Casillas posts picture of himself & Ronaldo on Facebook amid fall-out claims
The pair were rumoured to have quarreled after the award ceremony for the Uefa Best Player in Europe, but those allegations now appear to be wide of the mark
Sep 24, 2012 10:05:00 PM
By Livio Caferoglu
Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo have seemingly patched up their differences after a photograph of the duo was posted on the goalkeeper's Facebook account on Monday.
The picture was uploaded following the Blancos' 2-0 Liga victory at Rayo Vallecano, in which both the goalkeeper and winger starred, and bears the caption: "You'll have to take this with humour".
The champions have made a disappointing start to their title defence, coinciding with Ronaldo's claims that he was unhappy at the Santiago Bernabeu in the aftermath of a league match against Granada.
An article in El Confidencial Digital also referred to a dressing-room incident between the pair, which had arisen from the inauguration of the Uefa award for Best Player in Europe.
Rumours had suggested that some of the Spanish players in the Madrid squad were happy and even laughed when Andres Iniesta pipped Ronaldo to the individual honour.
Their relationship was further called into question after Casillas appeared not to celebrate the forward's last-gasp winner in Madrid's 3-2 Champions League triumph over Manchester City.
Rayo Vallecano - Real Madrid floodlight problems a terrorist act, says president
The chief of the home club has said there was foul play involved after 57 cables were cut leading to the cancellation of the Franjirrojos versus Los Blancos match
Sep 24, 2012 12:25:00 PM
Rayo Vallecano president Martin Presa has stated that the floodlight issues that forced the postponement of Sunday night’s scheduled La Liga fixture against Real Madrid were caused by a "new kind of terrorism".
The clash in the Spanish capital, which was due to take place on Sunday, was put off by 24 hours - and has now been confirmed to be played at 19:45CET - after the lights at Estadio de Vallecas failed to operate and could not be immediately repaired.
Presa had last night told the Spanish media that "vandals" had sabotaged the wiring at the ground, and he has since endorsed his viewpoint by claiming that "football terrorism" was to blame for the problem."This is a new kind of terrorism, a football terrorism where a few prevent the fans attending a show," he told reporters at a press conference.
"About 19:00 yesterday, when we tested the lighting, technicians tested the lights and there was no lighting. Given this, the technicians went up to the stands to see what happened and realized that there were 57 cut wires. All of them were going to the mains."We have undertaken a special device to manage the crisis. At 09:00, the scientific police presented themselves at the club. Two and a half hours later they finished and gave way to a team of electricians who have worked to restore everything.""This was made by someone who knew where to attack for maximum damage."
The club chief confirmed that the system will be tested later on Monday afternoon.
"At 15:00 there will be a test of ignition sources. It will be quite tedious, because we have to light them one by one.
"Unless a meteorite falls we'll be playing," he said.
Hierro: Winning is in Real Madrid's genes
The Spanish champions may have had a sluggish start to their title defence, but their former defender believes that the club still has the mentality needed to lift silverware
Mourinho wants to stay in football as long as Manchester United manager Sir Alex
The Real Madrid boss turns 50 in January and he has revealed that he hopes he can match his former Premier League adversary by coaching into his 70s
Barcelona set to open contract talks with Xavi
The Catalans are keen to keep the midfield maestro at Camp Nou, and are ready to sit down and begin negotiating a new deal according to sources close to the player
Thiago: Strange that people doubt Barcelona
The young midfielder feels his side have made a perfect start to the season, and has stressed there's no reason to question their ability
Pepe: Real Madrid have to remain focused
The powerful defender was quite pleased with his side's performance and has urged them to show more of the same in the upcoming weeks
Mourinho wants to stay in football as long as Manchester United manager Sir Alex
The Real Madrid boss turns 50 in January and he has revealed that he hopes he can match his former Premier League adversary by coaching into his 70s
Sep 25, 2012 4:40:00 PM
By Miles Chambers
Jose Mourinho hopes he can remain a top-level coach for more than 20 more years, emulating Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Scottish manager remains in charge at Old Trafford as a 70-year-old while the Real Madrid boss is comparatively young as he approaches his 50th birthday in January.
Mourinho insists his love of the game will keep him coaching, and admits he can relate to why his former Premier League adversary defies his age and continues to succeed at the highest level.
"I understand perfectly why Alex is still in the job [at the age of 70] and I think I will be the same," he said to Sky Sports.
"I love football so much, I love coaching so much. I will still be very young when I become 50 and I believe I have a lot in front of me.
"Fifty is a number with a certain impact - it's a number I believe sometimes has a psychologically negative impact on many people because they realise the world spins very, very fast and our lives are very, very short.
"It's a number that makes me think and look back but also look forward too. I'm such a happy person because what I have done so far I think is amazing."
Mourinho is currently the only man to have won the league title in England, Italy and Spain as head coach of Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid respectively.
"I look back and reflect on this and have to be thankful for what God gave me," added the ex-Porto boss.
"But at the same time I look forward and I feel myself better than ever, stronger than ever, with more experience and I think I'm still at the beginning of my professional life."
Dani Alves reveals summer Paris Saint-Germain approach
The Blaugrana defender has refused to rule out a future move to the Parc des Princes but insists he would only want to leave Camp Nou when he is no longer wanted
Jordi Alba urges Barcelona to keep up their great form
The Spain international defender has called on his team-mates to avoid letting any complacency set in, and turned his attention to the upcoming Clasico
'Abidal could return in November' – Xavi
The 32-year-old playmaker has hailed the France defender's commitment to regaining his fitness, stating that he sets a great example to the club's young players
Falcao: I'm not trying to compete with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The prolific hitman has made it clear that Atletico are his main priority as he wants to do well for the club rather than challenge the duo for the top-scorer title
Mourinho praises Kaka after Millonarios win
The Portuguese coach was very pleased with the midfielder's performance in Wednesday's game and hinted that more playing time could be on the cards
Hoeness: You can't expect Javi Martinez to play like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
The Bayern supremo has admitted they were forced to pay over the odds for the Spaniard, but feels that is no reason to expect the midfielder to play like a world-class striker
Mourinho not surprised by Steve Clarke’s impact at West Brom
After seeing his former assistant manager flourish in his first managerial role, the highly decorated head coach has described the Baggies boss as "incredible"
Barcelona's Busquets not threatened by Song arrival
The midfielder still feels he has a big part to play at the Blaugrana despite the signing of the Cameroon international and cooled any reports of a rift between Messi and Villa
Vilanova gets nine out of 10 so far, says Barcelona vice-president Bartomeu
The Primera Division giants are quite satisfied with their coach, while adding that Lionel Messi is loving life at the Camp Nou side
Xavi deserves the Ballon d'Or, says Keita
The Malian midfielder has voiced his opinion that the influential playmaker deserves to win the prestigious individual trophy
Kaka nets hat-trick as Real Madrid ease to friendly victory
The Brazilian registered three goals and his first Blancos minutes of the season in a comprehensive victory over Colombian outfit Millonarios
Di Maria puts personal success down to Mourinho
The Argentine winger is determined to repay the faith shown in him by the Portuguese coach and targets a trophy haul at the Santiago Bernabeu this season
Fabregas ready to stake Barcelona claim
The Spanish midfielder admits it is difficult to compete with the "best player in the world" but is nonetheless happy to assume a supporting role at Camp Nou
Wenger backs Song to shine at Barcelona
The Arsenal manager is confident that the Cameroon midfielder can be a star in the Blaugrana jersey, but believes he would be best deployed at centre-back
Alexis Sanchez: My best is yet to come at Barcelona
Despite scoring 15 goals in his first season in La Liga, the Chilean forward believes supporters have only seen a fraction of his ability so far
Ramon Calderon launches scathing attack on Jose Mourinho and Florentino Perez
The former Real Madrid president has criticised the attitudes of the pair and slammed the strong relationship his replacement has with the media
Real Madrid midfielder Ozil slams rumours about his social life
The Germany international took to his Facebook page to dismiss suggestions surrounding his private life, stating that he is completely professional at all times
Song: You can't say no to Barcelona
The 25-year-old has revealed that he had quickly made up his mind when the Blaugrana came knocking, and is looking forward to the Liga match against Real Madrid
Dani Alves: I'm looking forward to seeing Messi & Neymar together at Barcelona
The Brazil international hopes to see his compatriot make the move to Camp Nou in the future, and is pleased to see that Tito Vilanova has embraced Pep Guardiola's philosophy
Bartra: I have no intention to leave Barcelona
The promising defender has been struggling to secure regular first team action, but he is happy to stay and wait for his chance
Cristiano Ronaldo wins things and scores 50 goals per season wherever he goes, says Wenger
The Frenchman has voiced his opinion that the attacker will be a success wherever he plays, and added that the Portugal star's ego could be behind his unhappiness
Xavi an example to follow, says Busquets
The holding midfielder has voiced his admiration for his experienced team-mate, and is eagerly anticipating next month's Clasico
Real Madrid stunned by death of youth player Benjamin Alonso Ezquerra, a member of the club's Under-10 team, has passed away after being involved in a road traffic accident
Sep 26, 2012 12:40:00 PM
By Jake Johnson
Real Madrid are mourning the death of youth player Benjamin Alonso Ezquerra, who has died after being struck by a vehicle on Monday.
According to AS, Ezquerra, who signed for Madrid's youth setup on June 11, was hit while crossing a busy street in an attempt to catch a loose ball.
The reigning Liga champions expressed their shock in a brief club statement released shortly after the tragic accident.
"Real Madrid CF expresses its deepest sorrow about the death of its youth player Alonso Ezquerra, and sympathises with his family and friends right now at such an extraordinarily difficult time."
Alvaro Morata, a 19-year-old midfielder who recently joined the club's first team, sent his condolences to Ezquerra's family via the social networking site Twitter.
"The whole club is Alonso Ezquerra's family," he tweeted.
"All of our support goes to the family [of the deceased] at this time. Rest in peace."
Guardiola will work in Milan in 2013, says Mazzone
The successful coach's Italian mentor has further fuelled speculation that Pep is on his way to Serie A by saying that his former pupil will end up in Italy's fashion capital
Sep 27, 2012 12:25:00 PM
By Stefan Coerts
Carlo Mazzone believes that former Barcelona trainer Pep Guardiola will be in charge of eitherAC Milan or Inter in the 2013-14 campaign.
Guardiola is currently enjoying a one-year sabbatical after leaving Barca at the end of last season, and the 41-year-old has been linked with a number of English and Italian clubs in the past few months.
Nevertheless, Mazzone, who was Guardiola's coach during the his spell at Brescia, has little doubts about where the Spaniard's future lies and believes he is on his way to Serie A.
"Next year Pep could work in Milan. For Inter or Milan? That I don't know," Mazzone told Il Subsidiario.
"Pep called me on the phone and told me he was coming to see me soon. I asked him if his visit would be as a tourist or as a coach of an Italian team and he told me both."
Mazzone's comments come hardly a month after former Barcelona attacker Bojan Krkic claimed that Guardiola has set his sights on the AC Milan job.
Saturday's clash between Sevilla and Barcelona shapes as the match of the weekend in La Liga.
Fourth-placed Sevilla remain unbeaten this season and will enter the home clash full of confidence after last week's 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
But the momentum they have built in the past fortnight will come to a halt if Michel Gonzalez's charges cannot find a way to counter Barcelona and their in-form playmaker Xavi, who powered their 2-0 win last start over Granada at the Nou Camp.
The Catalan giants had looked to be on the verge of dropping their first points under new coach Tito Vilanova until Xavi struck.
But the fact Barcelona were put on the back foot early in that match will leave Sevilla confident they can topple the ladder leaders.
Real Madrid will look to build on last weekend's breakthrough win when they meet Deportivo.
After a stuttering start, the defending champions sit eight points behind frontrunners Barcelona but were impressive in their 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo showing glimpses of the form needed to propel seventh-placed Real back to the top.
Malaga also face an important encounter when they host sixth-placed Real Betis at La Rosaleda.
Third-placed Malaga are coming off a scoreless draw with Athletic Bilbao while Betis last week managed a 1-0 win over 10-man Espanyol.
Athletic Bilbao travel to fellow strugglers Real Sociedad where a loss for either side would plunge their season into deep water.
Valencia will be out to secure their second win of the campaign against Real Zaragoza and Valladolid against Rayo Vallecano is the other Sunday match.
In other games bottom team Osasuna host mid-table Levante, Atletico Madrid meet Espanyol and Granada face off with Celta Vigo.
The round concludes on Monday when Mallorco host second-placed Getafe.
La Liga wrap: Barca stage Sevilla revival, Malaga cruise
30 September 2012
Barcelona have pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback win away to Sevilla as the home side played the last 18 minutes with 10 men.
Goals to Cesc Fabregas and David Villa in the last five minutes turned the game around to give Barcelona victory but Gary Medel's red card in the 72nd minute made it tough for Sevilla to hold on at home.
Medel and Fabregas clashed after the Sevilla midfielder picked up the ball to delay a Barcelona free-kick and as the pair confronted each other both leaned in with their heads, the latter reeling away, his hands clasped over his face.
Fabregas' dramatic reaction to minimal contact was enough to see Medel shown a straight red card and Barcelona capitalised on their man advantage, eventually scoring two late goals to win the game and maintain their perfect start to the La Liga season.
Sevilla led 2-0 in the 48th minute when Alvaro Negredo added to Piotr Trochowski's first-half goal.
But Fabregas gave Barcelona some hope of a comeback when he scored from the top of the penalty area in the 53rd minute.
After Medel was sent off, Barcelona pressed for an equaliser and eventually broke through in the 89th minute, Lionel Messi piercing the hosts' defence with a precise pass and Fabregas stabbing the ball home.
In the third minute of second-half injury time, substitute Villa struck the winning goal, playing a swift one-two with Messi at the top of the box and then slotted the ball past Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop.
Second-placed Malaga had a big win on Saturday, thrashing Real Betis 4-0 in a dominant performance where they also hit the bar and had a shot cleared off the line.
A penalty in the 13th minute changed the course of the match, with visiting goalkeeper Casto sent off for a foul on Malaga winger Eliseu.
Former Betis player Joaquin scored from the spot past replacement shot-stopper Adrian San Miguel del Castillo.
Malaga doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Javier Saviola passed in behind Betis' defence to Francisco Portillo, who returned the ball and his Argentine team-mate duly hit the back of the net.
The home side also hit the post in the first half and then Eliseu's close-range shot was blocked on the line after the break, before Malaga finally moved 3-0 ahead thanks to an Antonio Amaya own-goal in the 72nd minute.
Isco completed the rout of Betis with a goal from a tight angle two minutes later as Malaga remain four points behind Barcelona.
In other La Liga results, Valencia defeated Zaragoza 2-0 and Sociedad won by the same margin over Athletic Bilbao.
De la Red: Casillas deserves Ballon d'Or
The retired midfielder believes the European and world champion has showcased enough over the past year to stake a valid claim at the coveted accolade
Vilanova hails David Villa's 'vital' impact against Sevilla
The Blaugrana trainer reserved words of praise for the striker and Cesc Fabregas, who delivered match-winning performances in a thrilling comeback victory
Falcao is irreplaceable, says Diego Simeone
The Argentine coach believes the striker's absence from injury will be a blow to his side, but is hoping the rest of his squad can adapt and overcome the loss of their star man
Mourinho targeting third straight Real Madrid victory
The Madrid coach says it is imperative that his side complete a trio of successive victories for the first time this season, ahead of Los Blancos' clash with Deportivo on Sunday
Deportivo will need to be perfect to beat Real Madrid, says Marchena
The Depor defender spoke of the massive challenge his side face against Madrid on Sunday and also looked back at the time he spent under Jose Mourinho at Benfica
Mourinho: Sergio Ramos is one of the best defenders around when he's on top of his game
The controversial coach has made it clear that he still rates the versatile defender, while he's confident Mesut Ozil will find back his best form
Perez: It took Mourinho a while to understand what Real Madrid are about
The Liga champions' president has voiced his opinion that the former Inter boss has at last become used to the pressure of working at los Blancos
Botia: No contact with Barcelona this summer
The former Spain Under-21 starlet was being linked with a return to Camp Nou ahead of the 2012-13 campaign, but has stressed talks never took place
Statistically superior to Guardiola's start, but Vilanova's Barcelona are yet to sparkle
Pep's former assistant has lost just one of his first eight competitive games as coach of the Catalan side, but doubts still remain as the team fail to shine
Vilanova: Barcelona will wait for Abidal however long we have to
The Blaugranas' head coach has no intention to rush the French defender's comeback, while also praising Alexis Sanchez
Mascherano: Xavi, Puyol, Messi, and Iniesta are the emblems of Barcelona
The Argentine believes those players are in a league of their own, while dismissing any suggestions of divisions within the squad
Mourinho: We cannot afford to drop any more points
The Portuguese believes his side have been left with no choice but to win their remaining fixtures after making their worst start to a campaign in over 10 years
Vilanova: Barcelona not yet 100 per cent
The Catalan trainer believes his team are still some way from firing on all cylinders, despite winning their opening five Liga games this term, ahead of the clash with Sevilla
Khedira unfazed by Essien competition
The 25-year-old is prepared to do battle with the Ghanaian for a place in the Madrid midfield, while admitting Barcelona's early lead will be tough to recover
Essien: Real Madrid will fight for the title
The Ghana international is enjoying life in Spain and is confident Los Blancos can ressurect their poor start to the season and retain their Liga crown
'Brazil recall was like my first call-up' - Kaka elated with return to national side
The Real Madrid man has expressed his delight at being named in Mano Menezes' latest squad, despite having not made an appearance for the club so far this season
Oltra: I do not understand Cristiano Ronaldo's unhappiness
The Deportivo La Coruna coach fails to see why the 27-year-old would be sad at Real Madrid ahead of his side's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu
Messi always does the unexpected, says Palop
The experienced shot-stopper has nothing but positive words for the tricky Argentine, and has set his sights on qualifying for the Champions League this term
Silva: There's no contract clause letting me move to Barcelona or Real Madrid
The Spaniard signed a new deal with the Premier League champions earlier this month but insists there is nothing in place to enable him to return to Spain
Xavi: The pressure is all on Real Madrid
The Spain international is quite pleased with his side's comfortable lead over their arch-rivals in La Liga, and has tipped Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or
Jordi Alba: I have not had any problems adapting to Barcelona
The 23-year-old is very pleased with the way he's settled in with the Catalans, and feels head coach Tito Vilanova is doing a great job
Rosell: Sergio Ramos? Never say never
The Barcelona president refused to rule out a move for the defender, though he admitted that such a transfer would be difficult to conduct, while Neymar is a "special player"
Di Stefano: I almost joined Barcelona
The Blancos great reflects on his playing days and sheds some light on the transfer saga that unfolded before he eventually agreed terms with the Santiago Bernabeu side
The Portuguese coach has revealed that the former France legend contacted him some time ago to inform him of his departure from the club
Sep 29, 2012 1:15:00 PM
By Ian Hudson
Jose Mourinho says Zinedine Zidane left his role as director of football at Real Madrid two months ago and rang him personally to make him aware of his decision.
Reports suggested that a rift had developed between the Portuguese coach and the Frenchman after Zidane made efforts to distance himself from the first team, a move which was supposedly against the wishes of the Madrid coach.
Zidane later denied that he had fallen out with the former Chelsea and Inter boss and implied that he was still keen on working for the club this season, but Mourinho has now revealed that the 40-year-old has not been involved with Los Blancos for some time.
“It has been two months since he said goodbye to us, saying he was looking for happiness, somewhere he would be happy," Mourinho told Marca.
“He has decided to be a coach and that’s that. It’s something public, that everybody knows.
“His integration into grassroots football has been made public and he is getting ready to coach in France."
Mourinho also stated that he did not understand why the story had only just been revealed.
“This story came out very late and I don’t understand it. He made his decision more than two months ago," he added.
Real Madrid continued their La Liga resurgence with a 5-1 rout of Deportivo La Coruna thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick.
Jose Mourinho's men were made to come-from-behind after Riki gave the visitors a shock 16th minute lead, however Ronaldo restored parity from the penalty spot seven minutes later.
Angel Di Maria put Real ahead from close range on 38 minutes and Ronaldo grabbed his second of match on the stroke of half-time.
Portuguese defender Pepe netted a fourth for the defending champions in the 66th minute before Ronaldo completed his hat-trick courtesy of his second spot-kick of the night.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Atletico Madrid extended their unbeaten run to six matches and climbed up to second on the table with a 1-0 win at cellar-dwellers Espanyol.
Raul Garcia's 30th-minute effort was enough to hand Atletico their fifth win of the season and move Diego Simeone's team within two points of league leaders Barcelona, while Espanyol remain rooted to the foot of the table with just a solitary point.
Real Valladolid trounced Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at the Estadio Municipal Jose Zorrilla.
Vallecano took the lead five minutes into the match thanks to an Alejandro Dominguez strike from close strange, but their joy was short lived.
Valladolid drew level five minutes later through Bueno before they opened up a three-goal lead at half-time courtesy of Manucho Goncalves, Oscar Gonzalez and Antonio Rukavina.
Gonzalez netted his brace after 56 minutes and Valladolid completed the demolition following Manucho's second goal of the match.
Osasuna secured their first victory of the season with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Levante.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Osasuna went on a rampage with goals from Emiliano Armenteros, Roland Lamah, Timor and Nino.
Meanwhile, two goals in the opening 20 minutes from Guilherme Siqueira and Gabriel Torje guided Granada to a confidence-boosting 2-1 win at home to Celta De Vigo.
Karanka: Kaka has role to play at Real Madrid
The assistant coach says the Brazilian is still very much a part of the club's plans and hailed his improvement in recent months
Sandro Rosell outlines plans for Barcelona domination
The Barca president hopes his side can break the mould as they go in search of more silverware and that Tito Vilanova remains at the helm for many years to come
Barcelona's Thiago faces eight weeks out with a knee injury
The 21-year-old picked up a serious knock in the Blaugrana's 3-2 victory over Sevilla on Saturday, though Carles Puyol & Andres Iniesta will be fit for the Clasico
Barcelona cannot afford to relax in the Champions League, insists David Villa
The striker stressed the team must translate their focus from the win over Sevilla into their midweek clash with Benfica, as Sergio Busquets revelled in his 200th club appearance
Vilanova hails Barcelona's fighting spirit after comeback victory over Sevilla
The 43-year-old praised his side for securing an injury-time win over the hosts, and also gave his view on the controversial red card handed out to Gary Medel
Benzema happy with Real Madrid progress
The 24-year-old says he never lost confidence in his abilty, and believes he has made advancements to his game since the start of the season, despite not playing regularly
Fabregas denies play-acting in build-up to Medel dismissal
The 25-year-old responded aggressively when questioned by a reporter regarding Gary Medel’s controversial red card in the latter stages of Saturday's clash in Andalucia
Zidane: My relationship with Mourinho is the same as it's always been
The France legend left his post as sporting director to concentrate on coaching, but insists he remains on good terms with the 49-year-old, contrary to recent reports
Sep 30, 2012 6:50:00 AM
By Mohammed Ali
Zinedine Zidane has played down rumours of a rift with Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, insisting that their relationship has always been the same.
The former midfielder recently vacated his role of sporting director at the Santiago Bernabeu after the Portuguese boss revealed on Saturday that his colleague had said 'goodbye more than two months ago'.
However, Zidane maintains that despite the reduced contact between him and Mourinho, the two remain on good terms, while also confirming he is still at the club for the time being.
"My relationship with Mourinho is the same as it's always been. I'm still working at Real Madrid, with the youth academy." the 1998 World Cup winner told Marca.
"In the meantime, I'm working towards my coaching badges, and then we'll see what happens next year. I said a long time ago that I wanted to be a coach."
Los Blancos encounter Deportivo La Coruna later on Sunday. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:50CET.
Real Madrid worth more than Manchester United, says Florentino Perez
The Santiago Bernabeu chief has also explained why he believes the voting system at the club is in need of an overhaul ahead of the latest presidential elections
Sep 30, 2012 8:20:00 PM
By Miles Chambers
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has insisted his club would make more on the stock exchange than Manchester United.
The Red Devils floated shares in New York this summer with mixed results, as the Glazer family embarked on a new venture to help deal with the club's sizeable debt.
“If we ran into the stock exchange, we would worth more than Manchester United, I can assure that," he claimed.
Perez then explained to an assembly of Madrid's elector partners this weekend why he believed the voting system within the club is broken and in need of a drastic overhaul.
“In 2009 I came back because of a situation that I do not like to remember,” he said. “Here, someone says to vote by show of hands is not democratic. Sorry, but what is more democratic?
“What is not democratic is to sneak electors who are not [worthy]. We must protect the club. We are many.
“Some people are willing to cheat. With a club like Madrid - which boasts an image of fair play - what kind of image do we offer when some members do not participate?
“Voting is direct, free and secret. At what cost? We'll arbitrate change so Real Madrid covers [the cost]; we'll put legal representatives in all provinces; and we'll finish with the ghost of postal voting.”
Perez is currently in his second term as the club's supremo, after replacing Ramon Calderon in 2009.
Mallorca's unbeaten start to the La Liga season came to an end when they were beaten 1-0 at Getafe on Monday.
Joaquin Caparros' side had picked up 11 points from their opening five games following victories over Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Valencia.
And they were favourites to overcome hosts Getafe, who sat three points off bottom spot.
But they soon found themselves down to 10 men after defender Ximo Navarro was dismissed for a challenge on Diego Castro with a little over 10 minutes played at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Navarro's red card did not go down well with the travelling side and their numerical disadvantage became evident when Castro opened the scoring four minutes into the second half.
The speedy winger, who spent three seasons with Mallorca, hit the back of the net from close range.
Getafe were dominant from that point with 11 corners to two and they came close to putting the result beyond doubt late on through Angel Lafita.
The result moves Getafe up to 11th on seven points, while Mallorca remains fifth, seven points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
Teams are beginning to work out Barcelona, admits Vilanova
The Blaugrana coach says wins are becoming increasingly harder to attain due to rivals now adopting tactics which attempt to stifle their possession-based style of play
Rodgers: Too early to talk about Sahin joining Liverpool permanently
The Reds boss praises the Turkish midfielder's start for the club following his loan move from Real Madrid but hints that his price and availability will determine his future
Zubizarreta: We can think about Clasico after Benfica
Despite Sunday's Clasico fast approaching, the Barcelona director of football's primary concern is three points in Lisbon as Tito Vilanova's men look to extend their winning run
Gago: Valencia are obliged to go for Lille jugular
The Argentina international is eager to rediscover winning ways in Europe when his side host the 2010-11 Ligue 1 champions on Tuesday
Soldado: I want to be important for Valencia in the Champions League
The prolific attacker is delighted to be involved in Europe's premier club tournament, and is eager to win silverware with los Che
Messi: I prefer winning titles with Barcelona over individual trophies
The Argentina star is focused on winning titles with Barca, dreams about success with the national side and has refused to judge Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
Sergio Ramos: We can still win La Liga even if we lose against Barcelona
The Spain international has downplayed the importance of the upcoming Clasico, while adding that he prefers to play centre-back rather than on the right
The Spain striker has not been forgiven for flirting with other clubs during the summer transfer window and was sent to the changing room after a row
Oct 1, 2012 1:15:00 PM
By Miguel Churruca
Athletic Bilbao head coach Marcelo Bielsa and star striker Fernando Llorente have fallen out during training on Monday, Goalcom has learned.
The 27-year-old's future at San Mames was in doubt throughout the summer after it was confirmed that he was not willing to extend his deal amid speculation of a move to Juventus or the Premier League.
The Argentine trainer has not forgiven the forward for his actions, and has preferred to use Aritz Aduriz up front in recent matches.
Llorente and Bielsa argued on the training pitch before the 21-time capped attacker was sent to the changing rooms early, with the Leones coach unhappy with his performance in the training.
Bianconeri director Beppe Marotta recently confirmed that the Italian champions were still interested in Llorente, who has refused to rule out a January move.
Llorente came on late in last weekend’s match against Real Sociedad, as Athletic slipped to a 2-0 defeat away. He has scored one goal in his three Liga appearances this term.
Mourinho: I hope Sir Alex Ferguson is still at Manchester United when I return to England
The Real Madrid boss wants to return to the Premier League to face the Scot once again, also speaking of his "great relationship" with former employer Roman Abramovich
Oct 1, 2012 4:52:00 PM
By Tom J Doyle
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho hopes that Sir Alex Ferguson is still in charge at Manchester United when he eventually makes a return to the Premier League.
The 49-year-old coach has insisted the next step in his career will be to make a return to English football, where he won two Premier League titles with Chelsea.
But, despite speculation linking him with the United job when Sir Alex retires, the Portuguese refused to reveal who he believes his future employers will be.
"I call [Sir Alex] the boss because he's the boss of the coaches and I hope that when I go back to English football he still manages Manchester United," he told CNN.
"I don't think about [the future], especially as I have a four-year contract with Real, I signed it and when I signed it, I signed it because I wanted to be at Real Madrid at this period of my career and I don't think of another club."
The two-time Champions League winner remained coy, however, on when he would be leaving the reigning Liga champions.
"I just say openly that for many reasons that after Real Madrid, Inter, Italy, Spain, Chelsea, England, Porto, Portugal, that after this project, the next step will be England for many reasons but when I don't know," he added.
And Mourinho further stoked speculation about a possible return to former club Chelsea by declaring that he still enjoys a "great relationship" with owner Roman Abramovich, despite the Russian sacking him in 2007.
"We are in touch a lot and the last example is Michael Essien, who was going to another club and when I [made a telephone call to say]: 'Please leave it to your friend', he left to his friend," he continued.
