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Explaining Madrid's 'crisis' Posted: Tuesday November 05, 2002 4:10 PMUpdated: Thursday November 07, 2002 12:56 PM
Dear Readers and World Sport viewers, It has taken longer than usual for me to reply to some of your questions and concerns, and for that I apologize. Here now are some of my views on some of the messages you sent me.
Pedro, I've been reading your take on the so-called
galactic capacities of Real Madrid with the signing of
Ronaldo, and your blind belief in Del Bosque's ability
to manage egos in the locker room. How do you explain
the "tolerable" crisis that Madrid is facing following
the loss against AC Roma?
Herman, to me there is one clear explanation why Real Madrid are struggling: Fatigue. So early in the season? Yes. Most of their players didn't get much of a break over the summer because of the World Cup and already they are playing too many matches. League, Cup, Champions League and Euro 2004 qualifiers. There is no break, and both the mind and body get tired. I believe in the new year they will get their act together, just like other big teams that are struggling right now, such as Bayern and Manchester United.
Hi Pedro! Which club do you do you think will win the
Portuguese league?
Paulo, vai ser o Porto. FC Porto have the best manager (Jose Mourinho) and the best player (Deco) in Portugal, and I think they will hold on to win. I do expect the race to be pretty close though, because every year the Portuguese league is getting more and more competitive. Benfica will make a run, but they are still too disjointed to win. They will probably be third behind Sporting, who still have a very strong team with a lot of talented youngsters (Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Martins). Guimaraes will finish fourth.
Do you think that Barca will change van Gaal or
off-load Riquelme or maybe buy Morientes from Real?
Can they maybe win the Champions League?
Well, waseemo, the Juan Roman Riquelme situation in Barcelona is quite curious. There is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the top 50 players in the world right now, but will he fit in Van Gaal's system? The last I heard, Barca were trying to use him as a way to get Gaizka Mendieta permanently. A possible deal would involve sending the Argentine to Lazio to pay for the Basque midfielder. We'll see... About Fernando Morientes, I think he will leave Real, but probably not to Barcelona. Champions League? Maybe quarterfinals, but my favorites are still Real Madrid, Manchester United and AC Milan.
I have heard rumors that Manchester United is looking
for a new
striker. Is there any chance that they would look at
any Americans (Landon Donovan),
since they would probably be cheaper?
Man Utd were looking for a striker, but since Diego Forlan has finally started to play like he did in Argentina, they have put those plans on hold. Landon Donovan is not an option, though. I think if Sir Alex Ferguson delves into the transfer market, he will get someone with a bit more international experience.
Do you think that Arsenal may take the Premiership title this season?
No, I don't. My pick at the beginning of the season was Liverpool and I am staying with that. Arsenal have an incredibly talented team, but they lack a couple of role players. Gilberto Silva has fit in well, but I get the feeling that there are too many stars and not enough "water carriers." That is a problem that Inter Milan has had for many years, and maybe Real Madrid has now. The Gunners will finish third in the Premiership, behind Liverpool and Man Utd. That is my pick, anyway.
Hi Mr. Pinto, Great show. I've been a Milan supporter since knee height and I've
seen them succeed and tumble. Do you think they can
keep up this performance and results
or do you think it will pass and fall back into the
disappointing form of Italian teams the last two
years? And as for the Italian national team,
my dad feels this could happen. How do you see this
ending?
Gregorio, I think AC Milan are returning to their glory days because manager Carlo Ancelotti is allowing his stars to play in a relaxed system. I think they can win the Champions League, although I believe Inter will take the Serie A. The Nerazzuri have been through too much, and president Massimo Moratti will not allow failure this year. AC will probably be third behind Juventus, who continue to live off the superb Del Piero. As far as the Italian national team, I have always said Giovanni Trapattoni should already have left. It seems players are not that motivated by his presence and his tactics are outdated.
I think AEK Athens has just shown all of Europe what
an amazing club
they are, and how they dethroned Real Madrid in the
Champion's League by
playing with more heart and skill. I think AEK is the
answer of which
team is capable of stopping Real Madrid, because they
did exactly that
these last weeks.
You are absolutely right, John. It has been teams like AEK Athens, Racing Santander and Villarreal who have caused Real Madrid problems. Teams who know they are underdogs and will work their tails off to earn respect. I watched AEK Athens a lot last season, and thought they were good. I admit I didn't think they could hang with Real, but they did much more than just hang in there... they stretched the defending champions to the limit.
Do you agree with the statements of Figo about the
Portuguese National Team? Who is the best Portuguese
team? Who is the best player of Portuguese Super Liga?
Tudo bem, Andre? I agree 150 percent with what Figo said about the national team. I think he should have said something earlier, actually. For too long, politics have been more important than results in our football federation, and something needs to be done to stop it. We need the most respected players to do something about it. I really hope a manager is named soon to the national team, or we will be in trouble for Euro 2004. About the best player in the Super Liga? I think it is probably Deco, with Simao second and Joao Pinto third. Deco can control the tempo of the game with his skill and vision, and that is priceless in today's game. Pedro Pinto is an anchor for World Sport, the international sports show that airs on CNN International.
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