Mourinho demands free rein at Real

Inter boss says he would need total control over first team at Spanish giants.

Mourinho
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Mourinho is one of the world’s most in-demand coaches after his treble win [AFP]

Jose Mourinho’s stock as a coach may now be at such a high that he is able to clip the wings of one of the most demanding hierarchies in football – after he said he would only join Real Madrid if he were in total control of the team.

Real coaches must work under the powerful management trio of president Florentino Perez, director general Jorge Valdano and sporting director Miguel Pardeza.

But in the wake of his Italian Serie A, Cup and European Champions League treble with Inter, Mourinho has made it clear that he will be the one making decisions should he take over from Manuel Pellegrini as coach of the Spanish side.

Mourinho is famed for announcing himself as the “Special One” on arrival at Chelsea in 2004.

And he has backed those words up with a string of top honours ever since.

The Portuguese, who led Inter to a Champions League triumph on Saturday at Real’s Bernabeu stadium, was quoted by Spanish media on Monday saying that he needed assurances from the Primera Division giants.

‘No concerns’

“I want to see what they can offer me so that I have no concerns about being able to start my work,” the 47-year-old was quoted as saying by As sports daily.

“The president is not the one who wins, he’s not the one who plays and nor does he decide who is in the team and who is on the bench,” he added in Marca.

“That’s the responsibility of the professionals: the coach, the technical structure that depends on him and the players.

“I believe that the coach is a very important person in the whole club structure because he should lead all the departments linked to the first team.”

Real have yet to make any official comment about whether Chilean Pellegrini, who has a year left on his contract, will be sacked and replaced by Mourinho.

After becoming only the third manager to win the Champions League with two different clubs, Mourinho hinted he was on the verge of joining Real.

“I need to meet with some (Real) people with whom I have not yet spoken to,” As quoted the former Porto and Chelsea boss as saying in their Monday edition.

“I want to get to know the people, listen to their impressions and know exactly what they expect of me and the conditions.”

Source: News Agencies