Soccer:Jose Mourinho said he was prepared for an "important challenge" after being unveiled as Real Madrid's new coach today. The former Inter Milan boss has signed a four-year contract with the Spanish giants following his move from European champions.
Mourinho, who becomes the Spanish giants’ ninth coach in six years, replaces Manuel Pellegrini at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I like to give myself a challenge and this is a big one," Mourinho told a news conference at the stadium this afternoon. "I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability as a coach.
"I want to thank the board for hiring me and I promise I will not change. I am Jose Mourinho and I arrive here with all my qualities and my defects."
Mourinho, 47, terminated his contract with Inter last week after two seasons at the club. Real have paid Inter a reported €8 million in compensation.
Mourinho said: “I don’t know if I was born to coach Real Madrid but I was born to be a football coach. I love important challenges.
“I am Jose Mourinho and I don’t change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects. My attraction to Real Madrid is due to its history, its frustrations in recent years and its expectations to win.
“It’s a unique club and I believe that not to coach Real leaves a void in a coach’s career. Luckily, I’ve had a beautiful career and it makes me proud to have come here.
“I am very enthusiastic. I want my players to think that way. The beauty is not so much to train or play at Real, but to win at Real Madrid.”
Real parted company with Pellegrini last week after a disappointing campaign. They lost out to Barcelona in the title race and were knocked of the Champions League by Lyon in the first knockout stage.
“I think a coach needs to be ready to be sacked,” Mourinho said. “But if a coach fears that, he doesn’t work well and has great problems. I am a coach that has a lot of self-esteem and confidence and I don’t think about the possibility of being sacked.
“I think four years of contract is enough to win, to build a strong team for the present and the future. The sacking of Pellegrini doesn’t make me happy. I am never happy when a coach is sacked. But football is like that.”