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'When things go wrong, it's the foreigners who pay' - Carlos Secretario backs Pepe claims
Dec 28, 2012 12:00:00 PM
The former Blancos defender agrees that his compatriots are often unfairly maligned in La Liga, although the president of the Spanish National Sports Council has disagreed
| Bet: | Returns: | Real Sociedad £27.00 | Draw £38.00 | Real Madrid £25.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Real Sociedad £25.00 | Draw £35.00 | Real Madrid £26.20 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Real Sociedad £26.00 | Draw £34.00 | Real Madrid £26.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Real Sociedad £26.00 | Draw £36.00 | Real Madrid £25.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Real Sociedad £25.00 | Draw £35.00 | Real Madrid £26.20 |
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The Blancos defender suggested recently that he has often felt under pressure when playing in La Liga as a result of his nationality, and the former right-back has added his support to the comments.
Secretario told Antena 1:"For the short time I was at Real Madrid I know that when things go well, everyone is well treated, but when they go wrong, as a rule, it's the foreigners who pay."
The former Porto player also pointed to the treatment of compatriot Jose Mourinho, who has consistently drawn criticism from some quarters since taking charge at Santiago Bernabeu in 2010.
"The Spanish are very nationalistic. They demand a lot from the coach simply because he is Portuguese. And Mourinho, by his nature, is widely disliked," Secretario added.
However, Miguel Cardenal, president of the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) insists that Portuguese players and coaches are widely respected within the country due to their impact upon the Spanish game.
"You have to convince him that he [Pepe] is not right, that we have great affection here for the people of Portugal, and that the Portuguese have contributed hugely to our football ... [There are] wonderful Portuguese players, coaches, who have given much to the Spanish game," Cardenal told Radio Marca.
"You have to find out what Pepe did to feel this way, to let him see the opposite: that he is loved here, that the fans of his team have backed him even during difficult times."
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Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
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Klopp, of course, is the new darling of the football media. It’s pretty damn impossible not to love a man who speaks so passionately - and amusingly - about the game. This week alone he admitted that so distraught was he by the news of Gotze’s imminent departure for Bayern, whom he views as the villain in a James Bond movie, that he had to cancel plans with his wife to attend a movie premiere because he didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. Seriously, how could any real football fan not be a 'Klopptomist'?!
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We’re still awaiting the confirmed line-ups but if you’re looking for the likely starting 11s, let me point you in the direction of our match preview. Also, if you want an excellent and entertaining analysis of tonight’s fascinating final, well, how does a James Richardson-hosted debate involving Jonathan Wilson and Paulo Sousa tickle your fancy? The prince of puns, a true titan of tactical thinking and a two-time Champions League winner - a veritable dream team, I think you'll agree.
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The injury-enforced absence of Dortmund’s Bayern-bound playmaker, Gotze, is of course the principal talking point in terms of team news. The 20-year-old’s unavailability is clearly a hammer blow for die Schwarzgelben, but, as team-mate Kevin Grosskreutz pointed out this week, Dortmund destroyed Bayern in last year’s DFB Pokal final without Gotze.
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But what do the fans think? Well, yesterday Goal’s roving reporter Kris Voakes went along to the Uefa Champions Festival, which is being staged at the Olympic Park in Stretford, and he spoke with supporters from both sides.
Johannes, Munich, told Goal: "We haven't lost to Dortmund this season, and though we lost two finals [in 2010 and 2012], we are hoping the third time is a charm.
"Last year the English stole our trophy," interrupted his friend Benjamin, "but we are going to take in back to Munich where it belongs."
But Dortmund fan Nicolas says the loss of Mario Gotze to injury is not too much of a concern for Jurgen Klopp's side: “We have Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski, and yes, we will be fine without Gotze. We will win 2-0.”
Johannes, Munich, told Goal: "We haven't lost to Dortmund this season, and though we lost two finals [in 2010 and 2012], we are hoping the third time is a charm.
"Last year the English stole our trophy," interrupted his friend Benjamin, "but we are going to take in back to Munich where it belongs."
But Dortmund fan Nicolas says the loss of Mario Gotze to injury is not too much of a concern for Jurgen Klopp's side: “We have Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski, and yes, we will be fine without Gotze. We will win 2-0.”
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However, Dortmund simply cannot be discounted. They relish the role of underdogs and are not in the least bit afraid of their illustrious rivals, having now gone six Bundesliga games without defeat against die Roten. The last time these two met in a final, in last season’s DFB Pokal, Dortmund ran out 5-2 winners. As coach Jurgen Klopp pointed out this week: “We’re not the best team in the world, but we can beat the best team in the world."
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