Real doctor: Mourinho says he's staying put
442 Staff - Wednesday 25 April 2012, 16:22
Jose
Mourinho has informed the club's coaching and medical staff that he
wants to stay at Real Madrid next season, according to club doctor Luis Serratosa.
Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo at the Isokinetic Medical Group International Conference of Sports Rehab and Traumatology at
Stamford Bridge, Dr Serratosa was keen to highlight the effect that
Mourinho has had on the club as a whole.
And he revealed that the Portuguese manager, who has been linked with
a return to former club Chelsea, has told some of his coaching staff
that he is looking to stay on at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"When Jose came, we needed stability and he gave it to us," he said.
"Thankfully he has said to some of us that he is going to stay next
season. He'll be the first manager for a long time to stay for three
seasons and I think that's great for the club. Football is very
unstable, especially at Real Madrid.
"At the Bernabeu, things are very different – can you imagine if we
had lost 5-0 again to Barcelona on Saturday and then got knocked out of
the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday? It will be the end
of the world at Real Madrid. Again!"
Despite a reputation as an outspoken, egocentric coach, it is
Mourinho's work behind the scenes, with every department at the club,
that Dr Serratosa believes sets him part from his rivals.
Now, having spent two seasons working with fitness coach Rui Faria - who has followed Mourinho from Porto,
Chelsea and Inter Milan – Dr Serratosa feels much more at ease with his
role at the club.
"We've had so many different managers, with every manager bringing
his own team of coaching staff. In my time at Madrid, we’ve had 12 or 13
different fitness coaches that I have had to work with!
"A club doctor's biggest challenge is to maintain their position
when making a decision about the fitness of a player. We always work
under pressure and it’s important to stick to our convictions. Mourinho
has been great – he understands how important the medical sides of
things are. As a result, the medical support and coaching staff, as well
as their relationships with each other, are the best it has been for a
while."
By Vithushan Ehantharajah