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Real Mallorca subdue Madrid on Mourinho's Spanish debut
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By Sid Lowe
August 30, 2010
When Jose Mourinho appealed for time at Real Madrid, few seemed willing to accept that he might actually need it – but on this showing he was right. The trouble for Mourinho is that time is not a commodity Madrid have in abundance. A goalless draw with Mallorca leaves them trailing behind FC Barcelona in the Spanish league table after one game – the same Barcelona side that dropped just 15 points in the whole of last season.
To make matters worse, Cristiano Ronaldo ended the game injured. Tests will be carried out today amid fears that it is a recurrence of the ankle injury that forced him to miss two months of last season.
"No one can say we did not create chances," Mourinho said after this most disappointing of debuts. "We spent the whole time in their half and created three or four good opportunities." Besides, he added, "there is a big difference between the finished product [Barcelona] and a team in construction, like we are." He was right and Gonzalo Higuaín was particularly wasteful in front of goal.
But few could say they were overly impressed, either. If the best chances did indeed fall Madrid's way, Mallorca had opportunities too. Madrid have spent ¤80m this summer, plus almost ¤100m more in bringing in Mourinho and his staff, to go with the ¤258m spent last year. Mallorca are in administration.
"Some of my players had only ever seen Madrid on television before," said the Mallorca coach, Michael Laudrup.
It was not just the players Laudrup was talking about; it was also Madrid's new, undisputed star - their manager. As the two sides lined up for their pre-match photograph, cameras crowded round. But they did not crowd round the players. Instead, they crowded the Real Madrid bench, into which Mourinho was settling for the first time. His arrival seemed to herald a revolution. The new coach had warned that he would not include players because of their "price tag, prestige, status or reputation" and promptly included the 19 year old Sergio Canales over the star signing Mesut Ozil. Madrid's general manager Jorge Valdano insisted: "Mourinho's style is meritocracy – the man who deserves to play plays". New manager, new Madrid. Old privileges would be banished.
Old habits may take a little longer. There was an intensity about Madrid that contrasted with last season but the tendency still was to seek Ronaldo too quickly, while Sergio Ramos found himself caught as Mallorca too made chances. They were wasteful in possession and, as Mourinho had warned, still lacked a clear identity. "It's not a drama", Mourinho said. But this is a club where crises are all too readily created.
Barcelona won 3-0 at Racing Santander with goals from Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa.
• Soccer, World Cup News Archive Index
2010, 2009
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