Real Madrid News
Former referee makes controversial claim about Real Madrid president Florentino Perez
In an explosive interview, former La Liga referee Eduardo Iturralde González has claimed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez once tried to corner him after a game and asked him to referee the game ‘like he does for Barça’.
La Liga has been hit by the Enriquez Negreira scandal recently, with Barcelona under the scanner for payments to the former Vice-President of the Referees’ Committee.
Recently, the Prosecutor’s office decided to charge Barcelona and two of their former presidents with corruption for the same.
Real Madrid, who had been silent on the matter for long, announced that they were going to conduct a board before deciding their next course of action.
Amidst this, Los Blancos also released a video of all the mistakes that Iturralde Gonzalez had made while refereeing their games in the past.
The former official, who has been vocal about the Negreira scandal, then made sensational claims about Perez, stating that the Real Madrid president once tried to pressure him into making favourable decisions.
“In a 6-1 match against Deportivo or something like that, the game ends and we left the field and the assistants go off with me. There is a person who puts me in a room and tells me: ‘I only ask you to whistle at me the same as Barca,’” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“He’s from Real Madrid. I ask him to see if he’s making a joke and I tell him that the conversation is over. He wanted to put me alone in the room, but I told him no. After half an hour the Technical Committee already knew of Referees (CTA). I brought it to their attention, it seemed very serious to me, but there it was. There was nothing.”
“The one who put me in a separate room was Florentino Perez. I don’t have to hide. It happened. There is a CTA report, because I made it known. So they can see what it means to pressure. I’m not going to hide,” he added.
It remains to be seen if there is any truth to these allegations made by the former referee and whether Real Madrid issue any statement on these comments against the club president.
Real Madrid News
Inter Milan boss Chivu praises Mourinho ahead of Real Madrid showdown: ‘A special person’
Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu has described Jose Mourinho as “a special person” ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Romanian spent two seasons playing under Mourinho at Inter between 2008 and 2010, a period that culminated in the club winning the Champions League at the very same stadium in 2010.
A serial winner
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Chivu reflected warmly on his former manager.
“He’s a special person who I was lucky enough to meet in my life. He gave me important help during a difficult period of my life, and I’ll never forget that,” Chivu said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Chivu also praised Mourinho’s ability to influence the teams he manages and instil his mentality in his players.
“He’s very good at immersing himself in the reality of the team he represents and transmitting his mentality. He’s a winner who knows how to communicate things at the right moment. Very few people know how to do that like he does,” he said.
“He has won everywhere he has been, and I’m sure Real Madrid will have a great season.”
Despite his admiration for Mourinho, Chivu insisted that the Portuguese has not served as a template for his own coaching career.
Asked whether he takes inspiration from his former manager, the Inter boss replied: “I’ve never copied anyone. I have my own idea of football, which has been built through my years as a player and as a coach.”
Chivu assesses Mourinho’s Real Madrid
Chivu believes it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid.
“It’s still very early. It has been a fairly balanced start, although they lost their last match undeservedly because they played very well,” he said.
“They’re a team with a great history and a coach who knows how to do things.”
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone”
With Mourinho in the dugout and Chivu in defence, Inter defeated Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The now-Inter manager believes returning to the stadium where they lifted the trophy 16 years ago will provide a special occasion, although he knows the challenge facing his team.
“The stadium has been renovated and it’s even more beautiful. It has a great tradition and today it’s more beautiful and more modern. We like playing a Champions League match in this stadium,” he said.
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone. Inter haven’t won here for 60 years. We’ll do everything possible and we want to show that we’re competitive and that we have the desire to dominate.
“There’s no perfect way to play against Real Madrid because they have players who can make the difference regardless of the plan you have.”
Inter arrive in Madrid after recovering from a difficult game against Napoli, while Chivu prepares to face the coach who played such an important role in his career.
