Jose Mourinho interview before El Clasico Copa del Rey Final

Mourinho: "I hope we see a nice match and that everything in the stands and on the street goes down without incident"

Jose Mourinho fielded questions from the media ahead of Wednesday's Copa del Rey final against

"I don't want to say anything out of the ordinary because there is never a favorite in a final. Both teams have the same chance of winning. I hope we see a nice match and that everything in the stands and on the street goes down without incident. These are typical words before a final, but I truly believe them. I have played in many finals against teams that have been either inferior or stronger than mine, but they have all been evenly-balanced. That is the natural tendency of finals."

"This is my first final with Real Madrid, but I am relaxed. I have experienced many matches like this one, which is why I am a lot more calm than a coach who has never been here before. Our confidence lies in our work to reach success in the form of titles. If we win, great. If we don't, we will continue working."

"We will play with a center forward, four on the back line, three midfielders and three forwards. We want to attack and score when we have the ball, while without it we must defend like a team. It implies that the entire team must be active in working both facets."

"I am 100% committed to my job, which is why I believe the president chose me. There are those who don't agree with my decisions, but I am the coach and my job is to make them."

"This match will have nothing to do with that seen on Saturday. You never know what direction a match may take. We will have to see how things go and only then evaluate. Whoever plays or doesn't play for Barcelona is not our problem. Our game plan was decided yesterday."

"There is no need to motivate players before a match as nice as this one. We want to win. We all know Real Madrid's history, so winning is expected and it is what we will try to do."

Sergio Ramos insists Real Madrid can still win title

Sergio Ramos insists Real Madrid can still pull off a shock title victory after Saturday's draw with leaders Barcelona.

With only six games now remaining it would take a remarkable loss of form for Barca - who have won 27 of their 32 league games this season and lost just once - to be denied the title, but Ramos has pledged to continue pushing as long as they can.

"Whilst no team has been mathematically crowned champions we are obliged to carry on and put Barcelona under pressure," said the Spain international.

On Wednesday they play Barca again in the Copa del Rey final, while they also face the same opponents in the Champions League semi-finals.

"We have a large squad with quality players. Everyone on the team has responded whenever they've been given a chance to play," he added.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona Squad List (Copa del Rey)

Granero returns to the squad list after serving his one match ban

Jose Mourinho has tabbed 19 players for duty for Wednesday's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona at Mestalla. Granero will suit up after serving his one-match suspension over the weekend. Gago and Lass remain unavailable due to injury, Albiol will serve a one-match ban and Pedro Leon and Canales were left off the roster due to a coaching decision.

REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST vs Barcelona on Copa del Rey

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan, Dudek.
Defenders: Garay, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Arbeloa.
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Ozil, Di Maria, Khedira, Granero, Kaka.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Adebayor, Higuain, Benzema.
Match Date:20.04.2011 Wednesday

Iker Casillas Interview : We have to win Copa del Rey

Casillas: "This is Spanish football's prettiest match of the season so far"

With the moment of truth finally here, Iker Casillas discussed how Real Madrid and its fans must stick together if they are to win their first title of the season.

You have always expressed your desire to win the Copa del Rey. What is reason behind it?
It is a very important trophy for Real Madrid and we cannot afford to not win it for 17 years. It will be even more important if we do win it. It is vital. I have not won it in the eleven years I have been here.

Seventeen years is a long wait. Does the team believe the time has come to win the Cup?
We believe it is time to win many trophies. We know it won’t be easy. It will be a great match between the two best teams in Spain. Anything can happen, but we are excited about our chances. We hope we can win the Cup.

The team must be even more motivated due to the fact that the other finalist is Barcelona.
The motivation should always be the same no matter who the opponent is. But it should be even greater when the first trophy of the season is up for grabs. That is all the motivation we need.

Real Madrid proved on Saturday that it is ready for everything, including playing against Barcelona with ten men.
These matches motivate players. At no time can we give up. We did respond well when our opponent had the upper hand. We fought, we ran and we sacrificed ourselves, and that is what fans want. They want a Real Madrid that never gives up.

Is the team in better sprits after shutting down Barcelona with only ten men over the weekend?
I think so. It isn’t easy with everything that is coming up. That match was a turning point for us and it helped boost our morale. Whatever the case may be, it can all be summed up by the fact that the ball may go in and that we score more goals than them.

How do you prepare for these kinds of matches?
You begin preparing from the moment you know you will be in final and that you will be facing Barcelona. My teammates and I have been thinking about this match for three months. It’s now upon us and it is all we are preparing for. It is a final and Spanish football's prettiest match of the season so far. We hope it falls in our favor.

As captain, what advice can you give your teammates?
Advice? That they have fun. They need to know that there will be a lot of Real Madrid fans supporting them and that many will try to make it to the game in Valencia. We need to think about the 18,000 to 20,000 fans that will be in the stands. We hope we can recognize them and see them from the pitch. We must win for them, the club and for us as well.


What has Madrid done this year to join Mourinho in placing so much importance on the Cup?
The coach is a winner and he has placed importance on the Cup from day one. Mourinho believes every match is important and he has made sure that we focus only on this match. That is what he stuck in our heads and we have come out on top against everyone from Murcia to Levante to Atletico and Sevilla. We sense his desire to reach and win the final.

Fan support will play a crucial role in winning.
Without a doubt. It will be crucial. We cannot wait to see that southern stands full of Madridistas. We thank them for being there because making the tip and planning their Easter vacation around this is a big deal.

Can you imagine Mestalla’s South stand full of Madridistas? What do you want to see come Wednesday?
Really, great atmosphere. I want the fans to have fun and to enjoy supporting their team. They need to know that we will do everything we can to win, but that things may turn out for the better of for the worse. But we want them to have fun and to ensure that we are a role model of a club and fan base.

Pirri, who won the 1974 Cup against Barcelona, said that this team has recovered the spirit that always defined this team. Do you see it that way, too?
We have seen historic turn arounds since the dayts of Juanito, Butragueño and the Quinta. This team must always fight and push itself to the limit. It may play well or poorly, but it can never give up for dead. We have a coach who thinks like this and who teaches it to us every day. The players have received the message well.

Jose Mourinho interview after El Clasico

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho could not hide his frustration at what he felt was poor officiating in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Barcelona in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The home side were reduced to ten men when Raul Albiol was sent off for a professional foul on David Villa, which resulted in a penalty converted by Lionel Messi.

"In the first-half, the two teams were equal. We played compact and kept our shape throughout. A win is a win and a draw is a draw but we will take the positives from this game," he said in his post-match press conference.

"What we want is to have equal decisions for both teams. The rules are the same and I am tired of playing matches with ten men. Raul Albiol will miss the cup final for a foul that was nothing."

The Portuguese coach felt that Daniel Alves should have been sent off for Barcelona after the Brazilian brought down Marcelo. And Mourinho professed that he would relish the opportunity to come up against a ten man Barca side.

"As usual, when it is ten against eleven, it is very difficult to play against a team like Barcelona. The referee's approach changed with the decision not to send off Daniel Alves. For once I would like to play against a ten man Barcelona."

Thoughts turned to Wednesday's Copa del Rey final with Mourinho urging the Real Madrid fans to get behind the team in the Mestalla, as well as sounding out a message to the officials:

"The support of the fans will be vital in the final. We expect the fans to respect the occasion and the greatness of both teams."

"It will be a game with more tension. We will try to win but it is different to a league or a Champions League game. Hopefully we will win and will be able to play on equal terms. Today, that was not the case."

Iker Casillas interview after El Clasico

"We worked hard and eventually drew the match with just ten men"

Captain Iker Casillas addressed the media after the Bernabeu Clasico.

"It is very complicated to stand your ground having conceded a penalty and being down to ten men. We ran and worked hard to eventually earn a penalty of our own. We faced up to the challenge. We have to be positive: we pulled through with just ten men and the crowd on our side."

"It's obviously complicated for us to win the league title. Our goal today was to win and cut our distance with the leaders short. We drew the game in the end, but it wasn't easy. We played most of the second half with ten men. We will continue to fight to the end."

Sergio Ramos interview after El Clasico

"Our duty is to continue to fight for the league title while no other team has officially won it yet"

Sergio Ramos analysed the 1-1 draw against Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

"It's always nicer when you win. They dominated a bit more after Albiol was sent off. It's true that this point isn't all that satisfying to us, particularly due to our situation in La Liga. We lacked a little luck to win the game."

"Our duty is to continue to fight for the league title while no other team has officially won it yet. We have to continue to put pressure on Barcelona. We have a large squad and every player on it is a quality footballer. Everyone on the team has responded whenever they've been given a chance to play. We were left with ten men on the pitch again. Alves also provoked a penalty. These things happen in football."

"I'd like to highlight the unity of the team and the Bernabeu crowd. If the fans are happy it's because they saw the team responded. The players' attitude was good and they can all hold their heads high."

Real Madrid 1 - 1 Barcelona Highlights Video Photo Gallery

Real Madrid vs Barcelona Before Match Photo Gallery

Photos From Last Training for El Clasico and Santiago Bernabeu

Photos From Last Training for El Clasico