Perez: Real's dream of 10th crown within reach
Reuters - Monday 26 September 2011, 01:59
MADRID - Real Madrid President Florentino
Perez believes hiring Jose Mourinho as coach and spending
hundreds of millions of euros on players has finally laid the
foundation for winning a 10th European title.
As his team prepared to host Ajax Amsterdam in Tuesday's
Champions League Group D clash, the construction magnate told
delegates at a general assembly on Sunday a first continental
crown since 2002 was within reach.
"We've increased the talent of the squad, rejuvenating and
improving it," Perez said.
"We have the best players in the world and they are
reinforced by the academy.
"We're on the right path, sailing the right course; we've
laid the groundwork for it to be so.
"The pursuit of victory is part of the identity of this team
and we want the dream of winning our tenth European Cup title to
come true soon."
Real were knocked out in the semi-finals last season by
bitter rivals and eventual winners Barcelona in Mourinho's first
term in charge.
They began their campaign with a less-than-convincing 1-0
win at Dinamo Zagreb and warmed up for Tuesday's game at the
Bernebeu with a 6-2 La Liga win over city neighbours Rayo
Vallecano but had to come from behind after conceding after only
12 seconds.
They will be missing Brazilian left-back Marcelo, who was
sent off in Zagreb, and injured Portuguese pair Pepe and Fabio
Coentrao for the Ajax clash.
CUP STRUGGLE
Real scored six goals without reply when they played Ajax
home and away in last season's group stage.
The Dutch club have since brought in former Barca player
Frank de Boer to replace Martin Jol as coach but are still a
shadow of the side that won the Champions League in 1995 and
lost to Juventus on penalties in the final the following year.
Ajax failed to beat visiting Olympique Lyon in their group
opener and have recorded consecutive draws against PSV Eindhoven
and Twente Enschede in the Dutch league as well as struggling to
a 3-1 Cup win against the amateurs of Noordwijk.
Probable teams:
Real Madrid: 1-Iker Casillas; 4-Sergio Ramos, 18-Raul
Albiol, 19-Raphael Varane, 17-Alvaro Arbeloa; 14-Xabi Alonso,
6-Sami Khedira; 10-Mesut Ozil; 22-Angel Di Maria, 9-Karim
Benzema, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ajax: 1-Kenneth Vermeer; 2-Gregory van der Wiel, 4-Jan
Vertonghen, 3-Toby Alderweireld, 5-Vurnon Anita; 8-Christian
Eriksen, 6-Eyong Enoh, 16-Theo Janssen, 10-Siem de Jong;
7-Miralem Sulejmani, 9-Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.