"I should not have done what I did, obviously not," said José Mourinho. "The person who messed up there was me," he added, referring to the moment when he casually strolled over to then FC Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova at the Camp Nou and poked him in the eye. The incident has been brought up countless times over the past year but as the opening of 2012/13 season approaches, the Real Madrid manager seems to be attempting to calm the waters as the man he once assaulted is now head coach at Barcelona. The two men start the season at different stages. Mourinho, is now beginning his third year at the helm of the capital club where many a manager before him did not even last a … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Madrid and Barcelona prepare to do battle
spanish league
2011: Grand Slams, Liga intrigue and drugs
Last year was a pretty remarkable one for Spanish sport, doping scandals aside. With the World Cup win in South Africa the obvious pinnacle, there was glory for Spain in football, tennis, swimming and basketball. But what does 2011 hold in store for the country’s athletes and national teams? In tennis, world number one Rafael Nadal has opened his campaign at the Australian Open, seeking to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams. Nadal already ranks seventh in the list of overall Grand Slam winners with nine, is one of three players in the open era to hold a Golden Slam, one of only seven in history to have achieved the career slam and the only player to … [Read more...] about 2011: Grand Slams, Liga intrigue and drugs
What now for Real Madrid’s €250-million flops?
Legend has it that on one of the several occasions that Real Madrid was wooing Arsène Wenger in the hope of persuading him to become the team’s new coach, he visited the Bernabéu to meet with senior club officials. After the meeting, as the unimpressed Arsenal boss drove away from the stadium, he said to his translator: “Real Madrid thinks it’s a big club, but it behaves like a small one.” When Real crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage after drawing 1-1 against Lyon at the Bernabéu, the gap between the club’s lofty ambitions and reality was plain for all to see. This year, of all years, was when the nine-time European champions were supposed to return to the top of the … [Read more...] about What now for Real Madrid’s €250-million flops?