Realmadrid News

Mijatovic to Realmadrid.com: "We're leaders: mission accomplished so far"

The first half of La Liga has gone by and Real Madrid are table co-leaders with Sevilla and Barcelona. Your thoughts, please.
Things are good. Mission accomplished, I think. Although it is also true that we are thinking of the points that have already fled the Bernabéu in the last 5 months. But that's football for you. I think we played fairly well. The team did its job and is up there, fighting for the title. Now, we have to keep on fighting to maintain this privileged position until the end of the campaign. I think we have a competitive team, so it shouldn't be a problem. The team have proved exceptional character over the last three games and it has a good blend of youth and experience. The signings in July brought the necessary experience, while the Winter transfer window signings have focused mainly on young players, thinking of the future as well. I think this will work, although it is true that we have a lot of work ahead of us still. The team knows what it has to do: work harder with every passing day to meet our objectives.

The winter transfer window has seen three new players join our ranks.
We signed young players thinking of now, but especially of the future. It would be unfair to think that they are here to fix the problems we have now. Surely, they are top quality players that will be stars in the future team of Real Madrid. We have to work hard. We have the plans laid out. It won't be easy, but we knew this from the start. We inherited quite a difficult situation, with the team having won nothing in the last 3 years. But it's not an excuse. I think we can fight to win it all and also improve.
In spite of the elimination against Betis, the fans saw the team off the pitch with a roaring farewell.
The team is convincing many skeptics. I am sure that we can do even better, work harder, but we are getting there little by little. The fans are increasingly convinced that the team can stay up there and be fully immersed in the fight for the titles. We're pleased at the moment. We've lived through rough patches. For example, last summer we had many difficulties: we couldn't do our job because we had very little time to achieve what we wanted. But, in the end, things are working out. Our priority right now is to stay in the very top end of the table and maintain our options intact, both in the Primera Liga and in the Champions League. Also, we need to improve with every passing game.

The image of the team has changed radically since the game against Deportivo Coruña.
We wanted to correct our mistakes and I think we're achieving this. The team has a positive attitude and is hungry to do things well. Moreover, we have brought new and extremely talented players who have, in any case, joined when things were quite complicated. So, we need to give them some time. But we're very excited because the team is working and, therefore, I think we are in a position to do this. Now, we need to focus on maintgaining this philosophy and improve in all terrains little by little.

The arrival and good performances of Gago and Higuaín, who have made the teamsheet consecutively in the last few games, has also been a morale boost for the fans.
Take into account that our last three signings -Higuain, Gago and Marcelo, who unfortunately injured himslef a few weeks ago- are players that can be useful now. But we brought these players thinking of the future. We can"t tell the fans that they are here to save the team through its current mishaps. They have adapted well, to the point that two of them have been starters over the last few games. They have proved that they have a bright future ahead of them. I think we need to protect and look after them. We have to explain to them that they haven't come here to save the day, but that they are here thinking mostly of the future.

With just a few days before the winter transfer window is officially closed, there are three footballers who have been targeted by all media because they might be leaving Real Madrid pretty soon. How is the whole Ronaldo affair as we speak?
We are talking things through with his closest circle. We have some offers for him and we'll have to see what happens before closing date. I want to make one thing very clear because there's been a lot of talk surrounding this matter in the last few days, and that's letting him go for free. Real Madrid cannot allow that. He has suffered a lot over the last few years. It is true that he has not played a lot but we have trie to recover him for the team. Both me and the coach decided to decline the offer we received for him this summer. We kept him here, thinking that we could recover him for the team. In the end, we have been forced to realise that things have not turned out as we thought they would. That's what the situation is like now, so we'll have to wait and see what happens these next few days.

Cassano is pretty much expected to leave.
We have had problems with Cassano. He's done a couple of things that we did not like at all. We will try to find a solution that's good for him and for the Club. If nothing interesting arises in the ten days until the winter window is up, he will stay here and then we'll see what happens.

How about Beckham's situation?
He has six months left on his contract. He's here and like many players who have been important in this Club, he wants to play. But there are very promising youngsters who want an opportunity and look like they have a brilliant future ahead of them. I think these young players have an advantage right now, because the future of Real Madrid now has priority over the players that have been here for many years. What is evident is that he still has six months left on his contract, which he has to see through. The rest is up to the coach.

Given this situation, the most benefitted parties are the youth system players, who have now found an open door through which to slip through and find a spot in the first team. Torres is doing everything right.
Yes, we are very happy with Torres. He has done very well through these tough times. Since we were elected this summer, our intention has always been to count the youth players in. I think that Míchel has done a great job in this sense, because in the summer we had no time to sign anyone for Real Madrid Castilla. We are ever so happy for the kid. He's made the starting eleven in the last few games and he's doing exceptionally well. There are others, like De la Red, Valero, Nieto... many young and promising and talented players. We want to promote players from the youth system categories always. The B team is in a very tough championship, the Spanish Segunda Liga, but they're strong and working and doing better with the passing of time. I think that we will have a chance to see many more players from our youth system in the future.

Proof of the quality of the youth system are youngsters like Nieto, who has gone from Real Madrid C to being called up with the first team.
There is lots of talent in the youth categories. But when we arrived here this summer, I have to say that Míchel found a situation that could best be represented as chaotic. He had no reports and it was very hard to work in those conditions. But he's done well by the team. He's assembled a solid side and now he's out there, competing every weekend. There is talent and quality, but also a lot of work ahead of us to achieve the goals we have set for the first team and all the youth teams in our system.

How about a message for Madridismo?
We have two main objectives: the League and the Champions League. We are working hard and excited to do things well. The team has the capacity to stay at the very top. In spite of all the problems we have faced these five months, we finish the first half of the tournament leading the table jointly with two other teams who were in a much better situation to win the League. In the Champions League, we will face the Last 16 stage against a superb opponent, so the tie will be hard-fought. But we will do everything that is in our hands to go through. It would be key for us. Now, the most important thing is to avoid thinking of the ultimate objectives and focus on the games at hand. This is how we will get closer and closer to our objectives. As regards RM Castilla, the team needs to stay in the Spanish Segunda division. Míchel is very acquainted with the entire youth system, so I think that he will also be able to achieve our goals in the end.


Interview by Laura Navas
Photos by Ángel Martínez
Translation by Luis Orueta

posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 12:48 AM