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Vote of confidence Madrid boss says Del Bosque had 'job for life' at club
Posted: Tuesday May 23, 2000 01:51 PM
PARIS (AP) -- Vicente Del Bosque, Real Madrid's caretaker coach, got a vote of confidece on the eve of Wednesday's Champions League final against Valencia -- given the green light to remain boss at the Bernabeu next season. Del Bosque, who took over as coach when Welshman John Toshack was fired in December, had been appointed until the end of the season. Real Madrid's president, Lorenzo Sanz, said he wanted to make it clear that Del Bosque's future didn't rest on Wednesday's historic all-Spanish clash at the Stade de France. "I don't want anyone to draw the conclusion that the match will decide his future," Sanz told reporters at Real Madrid's training camp in Versailles, west of Paris. "Vicente has done a magnificent job and we haven't talked to any other coaches. The board's decision was unanimous." The Real Madrid supremo didn't say whether Del Bosque would continue at the helm after nextseason, but insisted that the 49-year-old coach had a "job for life" at Real Madrid, and could one day return to his role as head of youth development. The soft-spoken Del Bosque, who played for Real Madrid in the final of the 1981 European Cup final in Paris before a 15-year stint among Real's backroom staff, did not want to elaborate on his future. "The most important thing is Wednesday's match," he said. "I am trustful because of our experiences in the European Champions League this season," Del Bosque said. "When I look at how the players have trained I really believe in the success of this match." Del Bosque said the final -- the first between two teams from the same country in the 45-year history of the competition -- will have special significance. "I don't really believe in national borders or look inward toward Spain. But this will be a fantastic experience for the whole country," he said. Del Bosque said one of his main jobs was to calm his players. "There is always tension. There is no way you can relax or play without nerves," he said. "Because of Madrid's history, the pressure is on us but you must not forget that many players are newcomers to this kind of match." Del Bosque didn't announce the Real Madrid team but said that the only definite absentee is long-term injury victim Jose Maria Gutierrez. That means veteran defender Fernando Hierro could make a surprise appearance after a long absence because of a hamstring injury. Hierro, one of the survivors of Real Madrid's 1998 European Champions league triumph, sustained the injury in March, and ruled himself out of the clash with Valencia after playing 20 minutes of Real's final league match of the season on Friday. Valencia doesn't have injury concerns but will be without suspended left back Amedeo Carboni. Sweden's Joachim Bjorklund is his likely replacement. Fans can expect a repeat of the flamboyant style that saw it overwhelm Lazio and Barcelona at home in the last two rounds. "We have to come out at 1,000 miles an hour and have a 100 percent winning attitude, always seeking the net and never waiting to see what's happening," said Argentine striker Claudio Lopez. "We'll exert a lot of pressure to make sure that Madrid can't play comfortably." Real Madrid, a record seven-time European champion and Spanish titlist on 27 occasions, has by far the greater European pedigree. Valencia last won a European title 20 years ago. Since then it has won just one title, the Spanish Cup last year. But Valencia coach Hector Cuper, who steered modest Majorca to the runner-up spot in last season's European Cup Winners' Cup, is confident that he can go one step further Wednesday. "There is no doubt in my mind that we deserve to be champion," Cuper said. "The way we have played in the Champions League makes me convinced that we can win." Probable lineups: Real Madrid: Iker Casillas; Michel Salgado, Roberto Carlos, Ivan Campo, Ivan Helguera, Aitor Karanka; Fernando Redondo, Steve McManaman; Raul Gonzalez, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Morientes. Valencia: Santiago Canizares; Jocelyn Angloma, Mauricio Pellegrino, Miroslav Djukic, Joachim Bjorklund; Gaizka Mendieta, Gerard Lopez, Francisco Farinos, Kily Gonzalez; Miguel Angulo, Claudio Lopez.
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