New Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has met with his team for the first time on Thursday, with players undergoing physicals ahead of their first training session on Friday.
Jose Mourinho Starts Real Madrid Career Amidst Rumors Of Raul, Guti, Lassana Diarra Exits
World Cup commitments, however, have limited the number of players that have returned to Madrid, with all but 10 players still on leave from the club.
Amongst the players missing were Raúl and Guti, the last remnants of the old guard at the Santiago Bernabeu, both of whom have been connected with departures from Real Madrid.
Raúl González, the all time leader in appearances and goals for the club, is being linked with moves to Manchester United and Blackurn in England as well as Schalke in Germany. The Real Madrid captain is also being linked with the New York Red Bullls of Major League Soccer, having spent the summer in New York, with the MLS team having an additional Designated Player spot open after Wednesday’s signing of Thierry Henry.
Like Raúl, midfielder Guti has never played for another club. Also like Raúl, Guti found himself out of the first team for large parts of the 2009-10 season. The Real playmaker has also been linked with Blackburn as well as Russian league power Zenit St. Petersburg.
Likewise, midfielder Lassana Diarra is rumored to be headed for an exit, ended his one-and-a-half year tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid has been linked with possible replacement Sami Khedira of Stuttgart.
See More:
