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The Collins Column

So, the worst kept secret is out. Jose’s leaving the Bernabeu on June 2 and for many players and fans alike, they will be sighing with relief at the thought.

Yes, Mourinho brought relative success in his three years in charge of Los Blancos – the record-breaking La Liga win last year being the most outstanding achievement. He also landed the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa in his time in charge.

But he also had rows with pretty much everyone he came across – except three members of the current playing squad if reports are to be believed.

While the club and fans may be pleased to see the back of Mourinho, the feeling may well be mutual. The Portuguese will have felt an extra spring in his step on Tuesday morning, knowing he will know longer be in one of the most high-pressured jobs in football any more.

When Mourinho took charge three years ago he was still relatively fresh faced. He looks like he’s aged 10 years in a short space of time.

And that’s what the Madrid job does to you, so whoever fills his shoes will be in for a rough ride along the way.

Mourinho became Madrid’s eleventh manager in just seven years when he took charge.  At such a high profile club, there is no time to settle in. There is no honeymoon period.

The pressure from the board to deliver European and La Liga success is immense particularly as the club is obsessed with La Decima. And life isn’t made easier by a fickle crowd that can turn on the manager at any minute, or by a Madrid press that scrutinises every word, every decision.

Even winning trophies doesn’t save the manager from the chop. Vicente del Bosque and Fabio Capello both delivered titles and were shown the exit door immediately.

Managers who leave the Bernabeu hotseat usually take some time to recover from the experience. Wanderlei Luxemburgo, Bernd Schuster and Juande Ramos never managed in Spain again after their stints in charge.

Those interested in the task of succeeding Mourinho – Ancelotti, Laudrup, Benitez, or whoever it may be – should be warned that the job is akin to taking a suicide pill. Good luck to them!

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Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Chelsea star David Luiz as a potential replacement for Pepe should he leave the Spanish giants in the summer.

The Portuguese defender has been subject of interest from Manchester City who as said to be considering an offer of around £20 million.

And according to the Daily Express, Madrid would act swiftly to replace him with Luiz, who played a key role in Chelsea’s Europe League success.

Pepe, who had a high profile falling out with Jose Mourinho over the manager’s decision to drop club legend Iker Casillas, has found himself out in the cold in recent weeks, due to the form of Madrid’s young central defender Raphael Varane.

It is thought Pepe has decided he wants a new challenge, and could follow his manager out of the Bernabeu in the summer.

Chelsea would be reluctant to part with Luiz, 26, although a bid of around £30 million may tempt them.

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Paris Saint Germain directors would be open to negotiating Carlo Ancelotti’s transfer to Real Madrid if Los Blancos agree to consider offers for Di Maria, Coentrao or Pepe, according to Spanish sports daily Marca.

Florentino Perez has admitted they have contacted PSG about their manager, and they’ve been told he still has one year left on his contract. However, the Italian coach met with the club directors to ask them to leave this summer.

PSG’s owner, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has been reluctant to let Ancelotti go, but sources have told Marca he would be willing to accept if Real agree to start negotiations for the transfers of Di Maria, Coentrao or Pepe.

Selling Coentrao was one of Los Merengues objectives for the summer. The French club have Maxwell and Tiene at left back, but the Brazilian will be 32 years old in August, while the Ivorian usually plays on the left side of the midfield. Coentrao’s signing for PSG could be the perfect deal for both teams if Ancelotti arrives at the Bernabeu in exchange.

The future of Di Maria and Pepe will be linked to the decisions of the new board of directors and the new manager that will arrive after the elections on June 16th.

The Argentinian has not performed at the expected level this season, but he is one of the fans favourites. Pepe, however, has fallen from the starting 11 due to Raphael Varane’s improvement and he could be seeking a new destination. The Portuguese has recently been linked with a move to Manchester City.

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Carles Villarubi, Barcelona’s vice-president, has said Jose Mourinho’s departure from Real Madrid is a good thing for Spanish football in general.

Real’s president Florentino Perez announced on Monday that the Portuguese boss would leave the club at the end of the season after the two parties came to an amicable agreement.

Mourinho has been in charge for three years and has won a trophy in each of the three campaigns he has overseen – the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the Spanish Supercopa.

But his time in the Bernabeu hotseat has not been without controversy, and he has had fallings out with UEFA officials, the Spanish FA, referees, other clubs, and even his own players.

Speaking to Radio Catalunya, Villarubi said: “Mourinho has been the scourge of Spanish football and his departure from Real Madrid will be taken as a positive by the club.”

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The self-anointed Special One, Jose Mourinho, is leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.

But how successful has he been in his three years in charge at the Bernabeu?

Realmadridnews.com takes a look back at his season-by-season highs – and lows.

2010-2011

Mourinho arrived in a blaze of glory in the summer of 2010 having won the Champions League with Inter Milan – the second European Cup of his managerial career – along with the Scudetto and the Italian Cup.

Hopes were high among Los Blancos fans that the team would knock Barcelona off their perch as Spain’s top club, and the signing of German international Mezut Ozil showed Mourinho’s intent to continue Madrid’s love of free flowing and attacking football.

It all started so well, with Madrid remaining unbeaten in the first 19 games of Mourinho’s reign. But that came to a shuddering halt in November 2010 when Los Blancos lost 5-0 at the Camp Nou in his first El Clasico encounter. The humiliation, the heaviest defeat for Mourinho in his career, showed just how much work needed to be done at the Bernabeu to catch up with el Blaugrana.

Madrid exacted some revenge at the end of the campaign when they beat Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final, thanks to a stunning Ronaldo header. It was Mourinho’s first piece of silverware in the Spanish capital, and Madrid’s first Copa success in 18 years.

Controversy is never far from the Portuguese though, and he was handed a touchline ban for seemingly telling Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to get booked in a Champions League match to avoid a suspension later on in the tournament.

He was also given a further five-match ban touchline ban after he suggested UEFA gave preferential treatment to Barcelona following Madrid’s elimination by the Catalan giants in an ill-tempered Champions League semi-final.

2011-2012

Mourinho secured the La Liga title for Real Madrid in record-breaking fashion, with Los Blancos gaining 100 points, scoring 121 goals and ending with a positive goal difference of 89.

The supporters were delighted to end Barcelona’s three-year reign as champions.

But there was disappointment in the cup competitions, with Barcelona defeating Los Blancos in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey, and the club suffering a painful defeat on penalties to Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League again.

The manager was given another two-match touchline ban, this time for appearing to poke Barcelona’s then assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye after Madrid’s loss in the Spanish Supercopa at the start of the campaign.

2012-2013

Madrid started the season well enough, securing the Spanish Supercopa on away goals following an aggregate 4-4 score with Barcelona.

Unfortunately for Mourinho and Madrid, that was as good as it got in the manager’s last season in charge, as it all unraveled very quickly.

Damaging defeats and draws in La Liga early on saw Mourinho chuck in the towel, leaving Barcelona to run away with the title.

He put all his focus on winning the coveted Champions League, with the club in search of La Decima. Madrid eased into the semi-final again where they faced Borussia Dortmund. Hopes of making the Wembley final were shattered in the first leg, with Los Blancos suffering a 4-1 defeat. They restored some pride in the return leg at the Bernabeu, winning 2-0, but the damage had been done in Germany.

The final nail in the coffin came last Friday when Real lost to bitter rivals Atletico de Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on home turf. It was the first time in 14 years that Madrid had lost to their city rivals, and to make matters worse for Mourinho, he was sent off in the 76th minute for telling the referee to go and celebrate with Atletico fans and players following a decision he disagreed with.

Off the field, he lost the support of large sections of the club’s fans over his decision to drop long-serving captain Iker Casillas. He then followed that up by punishing any player who spoke out against his methods and decisions, which saw Sergio Ramos and Pepe left out of the side on various occasions. Reports suggest Mourinho has lost the dressing room now with only three players on speaking terms with their manager. Perhaps it’s the right time to part then.

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The two main Madrid newspapers put their focus on the announcement by Florentino Perez that Jose Mourinho will not continue at the club at the end of the season and he will call for elections.

“The Special End”, titles Marca. “Florentino closes the Mou Era and calls elections for June 16th”, they say.

“He said it was better for him to leave and I share that opinion”, reports As. The Madrid daily also emphasizes Perez’s words: “He’s brought Real back to the place where it belongs. I understand the level of pressure has been above normal”.

As also reports the latest statements by the Paris Saint Germain owner about Carlo Ancelotti. According to the Spanish paper, Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “I’ve been told Ancelotti has a pre-contract with Real Madrid”.

“PSG counter-attacks”, claims Marca. “The French club accepts to negotiate for Ancelotti if Real studies their offers for Di Maria, Coentrao or Pepe”.

Marca also speaks about what they call “The Neymar Labyrinth”. “Santos considers Barcelona’s offer is insufficient and will listen to others, including Real Madrid”, they maintain.

 

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Jose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.

Speaking at a packed press conference at the Bernabeu, president Florentino Perez said the club and the Portuguese boss had agreed a mutual decision to part ways.

Mourinho, who is now widely expected to return to his former club Chelsea, won a trophy in each of his three seasons in the Spanish capital – the Copa del Rey in his first year, La Liga in his second, and the Spanish Supercopa earlier this season.

Despite the successes, a failure to win the Champions League – he guided Madrid to three successive semi finals – along with the recent defeat to city rivals Atletico de Madrid in the Copa de Rey final, meant the writing was on the wall for Mourinho.

Perez told journalists: “We don’t think our achievements of this year have been sufficient for a demanding club like Real Madrid or coach like Mourinho.”

He added that the decision to go their separate ways was mutual and the club wished Mourinho every success for the future as well as thanking him for the work he has carried out since 2010.

Mourinho’s time in the managerial hotseat at the Bernabeu has not been without controversy. He has had a number of high profile fallings out with current stars in the squad such as Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Pepe, all of who have been dropped on various occasions.

Reports have suggested he is only on speaking terms with three players in the squad – something that is likely to have hastened his decision to leave.

In the press conference, Perez refused to speak about potential candidates to replace Mourinho, saying: “We don’t have an agreement with any other manager.”

It come amid growing speculation PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti will take over following confirmation he has asked to leave the French champions.

Perez also called for new elections and said he would run for president again and will present his project in the coming days.

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Real Madrid have confirmed Jose Mourinho will leave his post as manager at the end of the season.

Club president Florentino Perez told a packed conference the decision was a mutual one, and thanked Mourinho for his work over the last three years.

Here are the main points from that press conference:

20:08 – Florentino arrives at the press conference room at Santiago Bernabeu.

20:10 – The president  “We have reached a mutual agreement to end the relationship between the club and the manager, we both think it is the right moment. I would like to thank him for his work. We are stronger and more competitive now.”

20:11 – Florentino calls for elections and says he will run for them and present his project in a few days.

20:13 – “Nobody has dismissed anyone, we both thought it was the right moment to end our partnership, “Perez insists.

20:16 – “We don’t have any agreement with other manager,” Perez claims.

20:17 – “Today Real Madrid is where it belongs, among the four best clubs in Europe. Before Mourinho arrived, we were losing in the last 32 round of the Champions League, so I think Mourinho’s three years here have been possitive.”

20:20 – “Last year we were all happy because we had beaten all the records in La Liga, but this year, a result that would be normal for any club, seems too short for Real Madrid. This is a very demanding club but I think the outcome is positive.”

20:22 – “As Mourinho said in a previous press conference, he will not receive any compensation for dismissal. This is not a dismissal. We have just agreed to follow different paths.”

20:24 – “Of the current La Liga managers, Mourinho is the manager that has spent more years in a row at his club, and that is not easy, specially at a club that has this level of pressure.”

20:28 – “Unsing the word ‘failure’ is unfair. We have recovered the level we used to have ages ago”.

20:30 – Perez when asked about Mourinho’s controversial moments: “Has he made any mistakes? Of course, he has recognised it himself, but you have to understand that the level of pressure here is not normal.”

20:32 – “In England the match lasts from two hours before the game to two hours later. Here it lasts seven days. It is difficult to get used to that pressure, I’ve had to get used to it, but that is what makes this club big. Of course when you cross the line and insult your media, that is not normal, because you have to understand that we all have families, children…”

20:34 – “We haven’t been lucky in those three semifinals. We were close to getting to the final in all of them. Had we beaten Borussia Dortmund, maybe the story would have been different.”

20:37 – Florentino leaves the press conference after refusing to talk about his project for the future Real Madrid and the fact that Carlo Ancelotti asked Paris Saint Germain to leave the club.

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A poll conducted among As.com readers shows that 82 per cent of voters would like to dismiss Jose Mourinho right now and promote Castilla’s coach Alberto Toril as manager for the two remaining games of the season.

Only 18 per cent of voters think the Portuguese should stay in charge until the end of La Liga, and there is a general agreement on Toril as the perfect candidate for the temporary coach job.

Mourinho’s support among the fans has fallen to its lowest level after the Copa del Rey final and the way the team lost. The fact that he was sent off and did not return to the field to receive the runners-up medal has also disappointed many.

As reports today that during Castilla’s victory over Lugo this weekend many fans chanted to Toril things like “Kick Mourinho out!” or “Go for him!”. The coach of Real Madrid’s second team has had previous confrontations with Mourinho, who criticized his line-ups and his game style.

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Betting companies have slashed their odds on Gareth Bale signing for Real Madrid following Spurs’ failure to qualify for the Champions League.

The north London side missed out in the race for fourth sport to rivals Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League season and will have to settle for a place in the Europa League.

And with Bale keen to play at the highest level, a number of the European footballing giants are said to be keen on his signature.

Betting company Bwin is offering odds of 3/1 on the Welshman heading to Real Madrid this summer.

Bale, who scored 21 league goals for Spurs including nine from outside the box – the highest of any player across the European leagues – has seen his stock rise significantly this season. Champions Manchester United are 4/1 to sign him, while Pep Guardiola’s new club Bayern Munich are 14/1.

Should any of the clubs decide to make an offer it is thought it would have to be in the region of £50-£60 million to tempt Spurs into parting with their star man.

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