SPAIN: MANCHESTER UNITED ARRIVE FOR CRUCIAL EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL AGAINST REAL MADRID

Record ID: 337782

  • Title: SPAIN: MANCHESTER UNITED ARRIVE FOR CRUCIAL EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL AGAINST REAL MADRID
  • Date: 3rd April 2000
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (APRIL 3, 2000) (RTV ACCESS ALL SUBSCRIBERS) 1. EXTERIOR OF CAMP BERNABEU STADIUM 2. FANS QUEUING FOR TICKETS 3. MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS LEAVING AIRPORT AFTER ARRIVING, DAVID BECKHAM SEEN IN WHITE HAT 4. MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS ON COACH, FANS WATCHING THEM 5. MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS TRAINING AT STADIUM 6. JAAP STAM, MICKAEL SILVESTRE AND QUENTIN FORTUNE, PAUL SCHOLES (RED HAIR),SIR ALEX FERGUSON 7. DAVID BECKHAM (WHITE HAT) TRAINING, DWIGHT YORKE (RED HAT), GOALKEEPER MARK BOSNICH, 8. MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER SIR ALEX FERGUSON AT NEWS CONFERENCE 9. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) FERGUSON SAYS there's a great sense of anticipation here at the stadium and we know the history of Real Madrid and it's the kind of challenge that we need now so we are all looking forward to the match. 10. REAL MADRID MANAGER VICENTE DEL BOSQUE AT NEWS CONFERENCE 11. (SOUNDBITE)(SPANISH) DEL BOSQUE SAYS we know we are these are both important and historic teams playing in this match. We can either be overawed by them or we can play to win. 12. STRIKER RAUL GONZALEZ AT NEWS CONFERENCE 13. (SOUNDBITE)(SPANISH) RAUL SAYS we are aware they are the most important team in Europe and it will be a tough game but we will make them suffer. Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Reuters ID: LVACV9CTV6QXQAT3THLK8R0P0WJ9
  • Story Text: Manchester United players flew into Madrid airport on
    Monday (April 3) and later began training in preparation for
    their Champions League quarter-final first leg clash against
    Real Madrid on Tuesday.

    Manchester United held a training session at the Camp
    Bernabeu stadium on Monday (April 3) fresh from their 7-1
    demolition of West Ham United in the premier league on
    Saturday.

    Real Madrid also trained, but behind closed doors, away
    from prying cameras.

    The Spanish players have not been at their best recently
    as a poor run of results has all but wiped out their hopes of
    winning the Spanish title for the second time in four seasons
    and the first since 1997.

    But the seven-times European Champions are looking forward
    to a titanic clash with Manchester United, and have been
    reminding observers of their proud European history.

    Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque told reporters that this
    was a match between two important and historic sides, while
    strike Raul Gonzalez described Manchester United as the most
    important team in Europe but vowed his team would make them
    suffer.

    United arrive in Madrid on the back of an 11-match
    unbeaten run in the premier league which has seen them stretch
    their lead at the top to 10 points under the guidance of
    manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

    Real, meanwhile, have stumbled from one crisis to the next
    this season, without ever finding any consistency in their
    play.

    An improved run at the start of the year, culminating in a
    3-0 win over Barcelona that reignited their title hopes, has
    been followed by a spate of missed opportunities.

    The Barca game at the end of February has been followed by
    a run of just one win in five games that has left them in
    fourth place, eight points behind leaders Deportivo Coruna.

    They booked their place in the last eight of the Champions
    League thanks to a streaky 1-0 win over Rosenborg Trondheim
    after conceding eight goals in two defeats to Bayern Munich.

    Even the weather appears to be on United's side, with
    unseasonable rain more reminiscent of Manchester than Madrid
    is forecast for Tuesday night.

    It will be United's first competitive match against Real
    in Madrid since 1968 when they played one of the greatest
    matches in European history -- a 3-3 draw in the second leg of
    the European Cup which gave United the tie 4-3 on aggregate.

    United won the first leg 1-0 at Old Trafford, but Real led
    the second leg 3-1 at one stage before United hit back twice
    to save the tie and go on to win the European Cup for the
    first time a few weeks later.

    Their only previous competitive meeting was in 1956-57
    when they also met at the semifinal stage and Real beat United
    5-3 on aggregate before going on to win the European Cup for
    the second of their five successive victories between 1956 and
    1960.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register