Source: Daily_Mail
Real Madrid target Jose Mourinho sets sights on Spanish, Italian and English league 'Grand Slam'
Glory: Jose Mourinho lifts the Premier League trophy as Chelsea boss with John Terry and Frank Lampard[LNB]Jose Mourinho has his sights firmly set on winning the "Grand Slam" of Spanish, Italian and English leagues as he appears ever closer to taking over as coach of Real Madrid. [LNB] Although there is nothing yet confirmed, with Mourinho still officially the coach of Inter Milan and Manuel Pellegrini remaining in the hotseat at Madrid, it now seems only a matter of time before the Portuguese is unveiled by the Spanish giants. [LNB]Madrid have long been linked with Mourinho and, having ended this season empty-handed after investing around £215million in the team last summer, they will be desperate for an improved showing next term. Enter the 'Special One'. [LNB] Mourinho has enjoyed tremendous success at Porto, Chelsea and most recently Inter, who, while Madrid were going trophy-less this season, he led to an unprecedented treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles. [LNB]The 47-year-old admitted after Saturday's Champions League final win over Bayern Munich at Madrid's Bernabeu stadium that he was likely to leave the Nerazzurri, and now he seems certain to switch his attention to fulfilling his goal of conquering the Spanish league as well as Italy and England. [LNB] Speaking in an interview in today's edition of Spanish daily Marca which was billed as Mourinho's first as the new coach of Real Madrid, the Portuguese said: 'No player or coach has won the three important leagues and I want to be the first to do it.[LNB]'Ancelotti, Capello, Van Nistelrooy, Beckham and others have won two, but not three. I would like to be the first to win the Grand Slam of the Spanish, Italian and English leagues.'[LNB]Triumph: Mourinho enjoys Inter's 2009 Serie A win[LNB]Mourinho is also confident he can help Madrid fulfil their own burning ambition, which is to win a record 10th European Cup. Madrid had placed great stock in going all the way in this season's Champions League and winning the trophy on home soil, but for the sixth campaign running they were knocked out at the last 16 stage. [LNB] When asked if he felt he was able to make Madrid champions of Europe, Mourinho, who on Saturday became only the third coach to conquer Europe with two different clubs, said: 'Yes, of course. [LNB]'At Chelsea I felt I was capable of winning the European Cup. I won a couple of leagues and several cups, but not the European Cup. At Inter I felt capable of winning the Scudetto and cups and we also won the Champions League. You can never say what you are going to do.'[LNB]Mourinho preferred not to talk about what he felt was missing from the Madrid's squad or prospective signings, saying only when asked about reported summer targets Daniele De Rossi (Roma) and Maicon (Inter): 'I like all the good players, but now is not the moment to bring up the business of future signings.'[LNB]However, Mourinho did comment on two of Madrid's big summer signings from last year, Kaka and Karim Benzema. [LNB]Brazil star Kaka, 28, was brought in from AC Milan for a fee of £56m while 22-year-old Frenchman Benzema cost around £30m when he moved from Lyon, however neither player set the world alight in their first campaign in La Liga. Mourinho is confident both will come good, though. [LNB] Last act: Inter's Champions League win looks to be Mourinho's swan song[LNB]'They are two top players,' he said. 'But to analyse this situation properly you need to be inside and I'm not. It's difficult to analyse from outside, I've not seen enough games of Real Madrid to make an opinion. [LNB]'In the case of these two players, I don't think one not-so-great season is a drama. It's not an impossible situation to change. I don't think for them it will be a problem returning to the top.'[LNB]Regarding the plans of Florentino Perez, who returned to the Madrid presidency last summer promising a "spectacular project" to get the Spanish giants back to the top of the tree in Spain and Europe, Mourinho seems impressed. [LNB]However, he pointed out that it is the coach and the players who are the only ones who can win silverware. [LNB] Second best: Real Madrid failed to grab a single trophy this season[LNB]'It's an ambitious project. As president he has put in place the necessary means in the sporting structure; he has a fantastic training ground, has invested money to build a team and has given confidence to the professionals until the end. [LNB]'(But) the president isn't the one who wins, he isn't the one who plays, nor who decides what happens on the bench. [LNB]'From there the responsibility is with the professionals: the coach, the technical staff, and the players. [LNB]'Nowadays the coach doesn't arrive at nine and leave at 11. I think that the coach is a very important person in the whole structure as he must lead all the other departments that surround the first team. [LNB] 'I arrived at Appiano Gentile (Inter's training ground) at 0730 and I left at 1700 or later. Some days I've even slept there when we've had little time to analyse our opponents in preparation for a game.'[LNB] EXCLUSIVE: Cole is Jose's top Real target as ex-Chelsea boss plots £25m bidThe 'super six' on Mourinho's shopping list for Real Madrid revolution Bayern 0 Inter 2: Jose is a Real genius and Madrid will get his Midas touch Inter Milan president Moratti claims Real-bound Mourinho is 'unforgettable' [LNB]
