- Title: SPAIN: New Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini is presented by the club
- Date: 3rd June 2009
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (JUNE 2, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COACH MANUEL PELLEGRINI AND NEW REAL MADRID PRESIDENT FLORENTINO PEREZ ARRIVE AT MEDIA PRESENTATION OF THE NEW APPOINTMENT CAMERAMAN AT PRESENTATION (SOUNDBITE) (SPANISH) REAL MADRID PRESIDENT, FLORENTINO PEREZ SAYING: "Manuel Pellegrini is an intelligent professional, hard working and balanced, who takes care of the ball and who always proposes an elegant and tasteful football." (SOUNDBITE) REAL MADRID PRESIDENT FLORENTINO PEREZ SAYING: "Manuel Pellegrini has a excellent trajectory and is a complete coach who also knows perfectly well our Liga and Champions League. However his experience is far more intense and goes further. He has also lived the passion of South American football. And above all he knows what is to live under pressure and tension." PEREZ WELCOMES PELLEGRINI/ SHAKES HANDS PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NEW REAL MADRID COACH, MANUEL PELLEGRIN SAYING: "It's hard to say in a few words the excitement and the pride of being selected to direct a club as important as Real Madrid. Maybe the most important club in the world." CHILEAN FANS CHEERING FOR PELLEGRINI AT THE STADIUM VARIOUS OF PELLEGRINI ENTERING ROOM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE ALONG WITH REAL MADRID DIRECTOR GENERAL JORGE VALDANO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NEW REAL MADRID COACH, MANUEL PELLEGRINI SAYING: "What does it feel to go up on that podium? Well it's what I have already said. I feel very proud to be the person selected. To know that you are arriving at a club which demands the best and if you are elected you need to be able to demonstrate it. And that will be my challenge and my certainty that I will be here for many years." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NEW REAL MADRID COACH, MANUEL PELLEGRINI SAYING: "I'm going to answer in the same way of what i just said about Forlan, Villa, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and we could carry on naming them. Fifteen or 20 big players. I repeat exactly the same answer. It is a big project. That needs great players but I can't give you exact names." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NEW REAL MADRID COACH, MANUEL PELLEGRINI SAYING: "I think I have arrived at exactly at the right time. In every sense. Not just in a personal point of view but also because of the people that are taking charge of the Real Madrid. They don't need introduction. A solid project. Very prepared people. Logically that given the obligation of the sporting side it is the right time." PELLEGRINI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 18th June 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA7QEPXYQD5ZDTHA02743690JDT
- Story Text: Real Madrid appointed former Villareal coach Manuel Pellegrini on Tuesday (June 2), in place of Juande Ramos.
Pellegrini is the first appointment made a day after Florentino Perez returned to the presidency of the Spanish Club.
Soon after his presentation to media at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the Chilean coach said it was a life-long dream come true to be working at Real Madrid.
" I feel very proud to be the person selected. To know that you are arriving at a club which demands the best and if you are elected you need to be able to demonstrate it. And that will be my challenge and my certainty that I will be here for many years," said Pellegrini at a news conference.
He also took the opportunity to mention there would be changes to the Club's team but refused to give names.
"I'm going to answer in the same way of what i just said about Forlan, Villa, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and we could carry on naming them. Fifteen or 20 big players. I repeat exactly the same answer. It is a big project. That needs great players but I can't give you exact names," he said.
Perez also promised to construct a spectacular sporting project with up to six new players and Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Franck Ribéry have been linked to the moves by Spanish media.
The Spanish media also reported Madrid paid Villareal four million euros (5.6 million dollars (USD)) in compensation.
Pellegrini arrived in Villareal from Argentina in 2004 and has been merited for finding young talent, for making players adopt an attractive game with predominance in ball possession and for making Villareal stand out in European turnaments.
"I think I have arrived at exactly at the right time. In every sense. Not just in a personal point of view but also because of the people that are taking charge of the Real Madrid. They don't need introduction. A solid project. Very prepared people. Logically that given the obligation of the sporting side it is the right time," he added.
The coach took Villareal to second place in La Liga 2007-2008, just behind Real Madrid and to the Champions League semifinals in 2006 and quarter finals this year where he lost against Arsensal.
Juande Ramos, was named Real's coach towards the end of the season after Bernd Schuster was sacked by the club in December .
Pellegrini will be under pressure to reconstruct quickly the nine-time European champion and transform it into a team capable of challenging Barcelona, the first Spanish team to get the "triple crown" with Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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