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Jose Mourinho believes he is the ideal person to bring long-term stability to Real Madrid, and has played down the significance of their
disappointing opening day draw at Real Mallorca.

Real were held 0-0 on Sunday while arch-rivals Barcelona swept aside Racing Santander 3-0 opening up an immediate two point lead in the Primera Liga standings. The champions only dropped 15 points on their way to the title last season.


“I am a coach not Harry Potter,” Mourinho told sports daily AS in an interview yesterday.


“He is a magician. Magic is fiction and I live for football which is real.

I’ve only been two months in Madrid.


Do you know how many training sessions I have had with everyone together, including the new signings? Not even 10.” Last season’s treble-winning coach with Inter Milan was brought in to replace Manuel Pellegrini, in an attempt to end a run of two trophyless seasons at the Bernabeu and to break Barcelona’s dominance of Primera Liga.


“My profile as a coach is different to those they have had in recent years,” he added. “If things go badly and I have to leave ... I would have one of the best clubs in the world waiting for me.

“This personal stability allows me to say I am the ideal person to be at Real Madrid because I fear nothing.


Real Madrid need stability and I’m here to give it.


“Real are in many ways a conflict of footballing ideas. Coach after coach after coach ... they need stability.” Mourinho signed a four-year contract in May to become their tenth coach since Vicente del Bosque was sacked in 2003.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s World Cup-winning right-back Sergio Ramos said on Tuesday it was too soon to compare his side to their arch-rivals Barcelona with the Catalan team holding a two-point advantage after just one match.


“Of course we would have liked to have started the season collecting three points,” Ramos told reporters as the Spain squad gathered in Madrid to begin preparing for their Euro 2012 qualifier tomorrow against Liechtenstein.


“We must continue improving. It is too soon to compare us to anyone and to debate who is ahead and who is behind,” the 24-year-old added.


The arrival of Mourinho, one of the world’s most successful and expensive coaches, at the Spanish giants in May has fuelled the already intense interest in the annual Primera Liga horse race between Real and Barcelona.