I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 796: Chapter 52: Tottenham Approaches

PS: A new book will be published tonight at midnight. Once it’s approved, you can read it. One Chapter per day before the first round of recommendations. Hopefully, the signing process will be successful by Monday. Let’s go, my brothers who need to invest! This is the fourth book after learning from previous lessons, adjusting titles, names, thrill points, and the protagonist’s presence being too weak... I hope everyone will like it!

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

Fans from both teams are paying a lot of attention to this match and have been creating a lot of buzz before the game.

Tottenham is not a weak team; they have ”the big guy” Crouch upfront, Modric in the midfield, veteran Van der Vaart, and the speedy Bale on the flanks.

Coupled with the unique ”ruggedness” of the Premier League, Real Madrid takes this opponent very seriously.

As the crucial Champions League quarterfinal against Tottenham approaches, Real Madrid’s coach Mourinho wishes to ease the pressure on his players. To this end, he specifically stated: ”Both teams are fighting to advance, but the team that must win is actually Tottenham Hotspur, because Real Madrid has nine more Champions League trophies than they do.”

On Monday, Mourinho attended the pre-match press conference before leading the team in training.

At that time, the reporters were very concerned about whether Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, and Benzema could participate, which would become a focal point of this match. However, Mourinho didn’t speak candidly about the injuries within the team, deliberately creating some confusion.

Everyone had expected this tactic; after all, pre-match smokescreens have become a routine thing.

Mourinho mysteriously said: ”I don’t know if they can play; we have to continue observing specific situations. After training, I will make a list. Benzema won’t be able to play, and Di Maria, Cristiano, and Marcelo are all adults who can make their own decisions.”

Mourinho doesn’t like talking too much about matters unrelated to the game, saying: ”Now is the time to consider the Champions League. Many players want to play this match, but not everyone can.”

”At the Bernabeu, the fans definitely don’t want us to stop here. Last season, we reached the semifinals; this season, we hope to go further.”

”El Clasico, the King’s Cup final, and the like are too far away. I hope the players are now focused on this match.” Mourinho believes that being held to a draw by Sporting Gijon last Saturday won’t affect the morale of Real Madrid’s players, because the importance of the Champions League matches speaks for itself: ”It’s the most important event in the world, and for such games, you don’t need extra motivation. You don’t need to talk about the results of other matches. The Champions League is so wonderful that there’s no need to think about Sporting Gijon anymore. Even if we lose 0-10 to Sporting Gijon, it has nothing to do with this match. Now, no one is thinking about Sporting Gijon; everyone is only thinking about Tottenham Hotspur.”

Reporters then asked Mourinho about his views on Real Madrid being the favorites to win and his thoughts on Barcelona defeating Villarreal.

Mourinho acknowledged that Real Madrid is the favorite, saying that Tottenham Hotspur is under more pressure. The Portuguese coach also subtly expressed dissatisfaction with the referees helping Barcelona beat Villarreal: ”In the league, we are first; in the Champions League, we don’t know what will happen. We fight for victory in every game, but we can’t always win. When we play well, we can win, almost always win; if we don’t play well, we win nothing. Some teams play well and win; even when they don’t play well, they can win. I don’t want to say more because we still have to play the King’s Cup final; I will continue to sit on the Real Madrid bench.”

Regarding Tottenham, Mourinho praised former Real Madrid player Van der Vaart: ”I think Van der Vaart is a good player, and he is very happy at Tottenham Hotspur. He could have also been a good player for Real Madrid, but he made his own decision, and we have Chen Zhong, we have Kaka. Real Madrid can’t have all the players. Van der Vaart is doing well in the Premier League, and I’m happy for him.”

Simultaneously, when asked about his views on the scoreline,

Mourinho did not emphasize the importance of winning this match as much as the outside world had rumored, instead stating that a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur is not a bad result, which surprised people. But he maintained this viewpoint: ”Ever since participating in the Champions League, I’ve known that if the first match at home ends 0-0 or 1-1, it’s not a bad result.”

”This doesn’t mean we are playing for a draw, but overall it’s not a bad result.” He also stated that the match against Tottenham is just as important as any other match, ”For me, no matter what the event, who the opponent is, it’s all the same.”

Mourinho also praised Redknapp’s coaching: ”Redknapp is my friend, and I only have good words for him. He does his job well; it’s there for all to see. I’m happy for him; he’s built a good team. If I can’t reach the final, I hope he can. He’s a good coach for any team.”

Finally, reporters asked about Bell, a player who has stirred things up in the Premier League since moving from full back to a more advanced position, and many believe he has the potential to become a world-class star, even considering him a superstar in the Premier League.