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'Jose Mourinho to quit as Real Madrid manager in June'
Jose Mourinho heads into El Clasico with Barcelona facing mounting criticism from both Real MadridÔÇÖs supporters and players, and amid claims his spell as Real Madrid manager will not last beyond the summer.
MourinhoÔÇÖs team are five points clear of Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league, but his position has been undermined by publication of a training-ground argument between the manager and two of his senior players, defender Sergio Ramos and goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
The exchange was carried in full by Madrid-based newspaper Marca, which usually serves a cheerleader for the club. Mourinho has not questioned the accuracy of the report, which portrayed him as tetchy and even paranoid.
Towards the end of SundayÔÇÖs 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, some Madrid fans chanted MourinhoÔÇÖs name, as if to indicate their continued support for him despite the report. However, a larger section of the Bernab?®u crowd responded by whistling, sending a clear signal that they are unhappy with the former Chelsea manager.
After the game, a leading Spanish journalist, Siro L??pez of AS, told television viewers Mourinho had decided to leave Madrid at the end of the season. L??pez said his source was one of MourinhoÔÇÖs closest allies.
The training-ground exchange occurred after MadridÔÇÖs 2-1 defeat at home by Barcelona in the Spanish Cup, after which Mourinho was widely criticised for his sideÔÇÖs negative tactics. They go to the Nou Camp needing to win the second leg.
Mourinho claimed Ramos had given a disloyal interview to journalists immediately after the first leg. ÔÇ£You [guys] killed me [with your quotes] in the mixed zone,ÔÇØ Mourinho is reported to have said.
According to Marca, Mourinho then claimed that the media gives Spanish internationals such as Ramos and Casillas preferential treatment, while Mourinho has to defend his team from the sternest criticism.
ÔÇ£As you Spanish are world champions, your friends in the press protect you ... like the goalkeeper,ÔÇØ he said. Casillas overheard and shouted: ÔÇ£Boss, here we say things to our faces.ÔÇØ
Mourinho then became embroiled in an exchange with Ramos over the failure to mark Carlos Puyol for one of BarcelonaÔÇÖs goals.
Ramos had the final word with a devastating reference to MourinhoÔÇÖs modest playing career.
ÔÇ£Depending on the match situation, sometimes itÔÇÖs necessary to change the marking,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£And as you have never been a [professional] player, you wouldnÔÇÖt know that this is sometimes necessary.ÔÇØ
Ramos, though, denied that the exchange revealed divisions within the squad. ÔÇ£Whoever says the changing room is divided or that some kind of fracture exists is lying,ÔÇØ he tweeted yesterday. ÔÇ£This is a great group that is well united, regardless what is said.ÔÇØ
Mourinho has also been criticised for the behaviour of Portuguese defender Pepe, who provoked outrage in Spain by feigning injury during the game against Barcelona before appearing to stamp on Lionel Messi's hand without sanction. The Spanish ruling body said yesterday that it will take no action against Pepe after studying the incident. The player insisted it was accidental.
Publicly, Mourinho insisted that he would win over the fans who barracked him.
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm not bothered by the whistles at me,ÔÇÖ he said after the win over Bilbao. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs not a problem.
ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs the first time itÔÇÖs ever happened to me. ThereÔÇÖs a first time for practically everything.
ÔÇ£[Zinedine] Zidane was whistled at here. Ronaldo has been *whistled at here. Cristiano [Ronaldo], who is the latest Golden Boot winner, has also been whistled at. Why canÔÇÖt I?
ÔÇ£Zidane responded with his football, the same as Ronaldo and Cristiano.
ÔÇ£I work hard to be able to respond like they did some day, but there may come a day when the fans are sad.ÔÇØ
What was said in the Bernebeiu dressing room
JOSE MOURINHO: You [plural] killed me in the mixed zone.
SERGIO RAMOS: No, mister, you only read what it says in the papers, not everything we said.
JM: Sure, because you Spaniards have been world champions and your friends in the media protect you and because the goalkeeper...
IKER CASILLAS: Eh, Se??or, round here you say things to our faces.
JM: Where were you on the first goal [against Barcelona], Sergio?
SR: Marking Piqu?®.
JM: Well, you should have been marking Puyol.
SR: Yes, but they were blocking us off with Piqu?® and we decided to change the marking.
JM: What? So now youÔÇÖre playing at being coach?
SR: No, but depending on the situation in the game, sometimes you have to change the marking. Because youÔÇÖve never been a player, you donÔÇÖt know that sometimes happens.
Source: Marca
