Soccer Extreme : “Cristiano Ronaldo is fine. His has character and brute strength. If he doesn’t have an injury that makes it impossible for him to play, he is able to withstand a lot and he can play through pain. He will play against Valencia.”“I wanted to have Higuain available to play, but it isn’t possible. As I did with Kaka, I will not discuss it any further. I will wait until he can return. He saw a specialist here in Madrid and I accompanied him. He also sought a second opinion outside Madrid. I don’t have Higuain and he cannot play right now.”
“Benzema may or may not play. I can also say that Morata may play or that we won’t have any attackers. Benzema trained well and has played well in recent matches. He started the last two games and has plenty of minutes in his legs. If Real Madrid play to win and lose, looking to the academy and counting on Morata is an interesting choice. If the goal is to win things immediately and not to wait to develop players, Morata has a long way to go.”
“I wasn’t upset with anyone in particular in Barcelona. I took Ozil out because I thought it was best for the team. Marcelo had already been booked and I wanted to protect him because I don’t have another left-back. There was no ulterior motive for taking out Ozil. It was just a matter of the game. Both will play tomorrow. I did not target Ozil.”
“I spoke to my men in Barcelona for about three or four minutes and that was it. It all ended there. It is easy to turn the page because the team that played well won and deserved to, and the team that played poorly lost and deserved to. If I score four or five goals on a team why can’t they score five on me? If I win the Champions League and retire, that’s that. But if I want to continue coaching, you know how football goes.”
“My grandmother died many years ago, but I always remember what she told me. You must be happy when people are jealous of you, and that is what happens with me a lot. It is only normal and it makes me happy. I don’t care if there is a rule for Mourinho and another for every other coach. The fine I was given by UEFA is historic, and according to my grandmother it is a medal. I cannot touch the ball but others can. I cannot leave the coaching ares but other can… But it’s okay.”
Real Madrid player Mesut Ozil
“This team has a ton of potential. We have a great chance to win the league. We are only two points of the lead. The best we can do is beat Valencia, which will allow us to see things from a different perspective.”
“I want to score or provide an assist to help the team in every game. That is my objective. I will be satisfied if I am able to help lead the team to victory.”
“It is easy to pla alongside Khedira because he is an extraordinary footballer and we are good friends. I am satisfied with the way I am playing, but both Sami and I are young and we must continue improving. My goal is to perform as best I can. The team supports me in every match and the coach has faith in me, which allows me to play more freely and exploit my potential.”
“Valencia has a ton of talent. They are strong as a team, they are at the top of the table and they have played good matches this season. Their attack is their most dangerous line, but we are focused on our game and we will win if we put what the coach has asked of us into practice.”
“We are two teams with offensive gameplans and with lethal players in the box, and we both like to put on a show. We want our fans to have fun, but what really counts are the three points at stake. We never want to concede goals and always try to defend as best we can. That is the foundation for winning because we know we have a lot of talent in attack and that we can score at any moment.”
“Fans support is crucial. I am very grateful for the support they have shown me. They welcomed me with open arms, as did the team. Our fans support us unconditionally and will continue doing so. The Bernabeu atmosphere is incredible and it is always nice to play there.”
The match will take place at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain on Saturday, December 4, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 21:00 GMT (UK time), 22:00 CET (Central Europe), and 16:00 EST (USA Eastern).
Real Madrid v Valencia TV Listings
It will be televised on GolTV in the United States, GolTV in Canada, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Sky Sport in Italy, La Sexta in Spain, Al Jazeera Sport in the Middle East, Sport TV2 in Portugal, and on Sport 1.1 in the Netherlands.(yahoo)