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The former Porto coach is prepared to let go of the Croatian playmaker and insists that he is a better manager for his ill-fated experience with Chelsea last season
New Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has stated that Luka Modric can leave the club if they reach an agreeable price with one of the teams trying to sign him.The midfielder was the subject of bids from Chelsea last summer, which chairman Daniel Levy rejected, but is edging towards a move to Real Madrid before the start of the 2012-13 season.
"The interest we have from various different clubs shows the importance of the player and what he's done for Tottenham," Villas-Boas told BBC Sport.
"It's fair to say that the club respects Luka's ambitions and his willingness to move on and he respects the fact that he's an important player for the club and can help us move forward.
| FRIEDEL COULD RETIRE IN 2013 |
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| Tottenham goalkeeper suggests that 2012-13 could be his last season |
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The Portuguese coach also stated his belief that his experience at Chelsea has made him a better coach as he prepares to seek titles with his new side.
"The experience was extremely gratifying, not professionally in terms of success, but it made me a better coach now than I was at Chelsea," he explained to the club's official website.
"I think as you go past different clubs and experiences you always get something out of them, it moulds you into the professional you are now. In that sense, I think I'm a much better professional now than I was before. In the end, you can never use the fact that things went wrong before to prove a point.
"I think my career has been steadily going up and I see this as a step forward. Based on that I want to commit myself to the fact that I was given this opportunity at such an important club and make sure I repay the confidence that was given to me to lead this club forward."
The 34-year-old, having signed a three-year deal, is confident that the north Londoners have the right foundations to push on and challenge for silverware, with glory not far away.
"I've been well-received by the staff and it's the right setup and environment for us to go through what we want to achieve this season," Villas-Boas continued.
| LOIC OVER THERE | |
| 2/1 | Loic Remy is 2/1 with William Hill to be at Tottenham on the first day of the 2012-13 season |
"That is important as we build up solidly. We want to mix titles, winning ambitions and winning habits into Tottenham and make sure we bridge that difference and finally get it on the coming years. We know we are able to win titles for the club; we are very near in terms of winning trophies.
"We go into four competitions next season and we go into them with the maximum ambition of trying to win them.
"I think taking this step is something very decisive, shows straight away our commitment towards winning titles and creates the right winning mentality towards the future to take the club forward."
| "My career has been steadily going up and I see this as a step forward ... [I'm] a better coach now than I was at Chelsea" - Andre Villas-Boas
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Villas-Boas will now lead the team on a pre-season tour of USA before his first Premier League game as Spurs boss against Newcastle on August 18.
He added: "This group of players has worked really well in the first two days. I've great first impressions because you can see the commitment is there and that’s what we want to bring into the season.
"They have been excellent professionals in the way they have put in the effort for us and the level of intensity has been very, very high.
"As we go to America, the players will arrive, we will continue to work with them try to achieve provide optimum fitness levels and optimum performance levels so we are ready for Newcastle."
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But Bayern deserve this. They've paid their dues and nobody can dispute that they are the best team in Europe. Bayern, we salute you. Over to everyone else now to try to come up with a way to beat this most wonderfully balanced of sides! But, until next season, good night - and good luck.
"First and foremost, congratulations to Bayern Munich because they won so it's not important to speak about what happened in the game," he told ITV1. "After the game you have to respect the result and that's what we do now.
"I didn't see (Robben's) goal. It was a free-kick and we were not in the right formation at that moment. It was late in the game and it has been a really hard season for us. But Bayern Munich had to fight too. We deserved to be in the final and we showed this tonight."
Robben humbly received his accolade before commenting: "I think it’s such a shame a world-class trainer is leaving the game." Quite.
"I told their players: I know your disappointment after losing a final. I lost a final to Liverpool, too.
"During the first half we had trouble to get into the game. At half-time a adjusted our play. I think both teams felt pressure. If you see that you have a 25-point-lead in the league, it is normal you are the favourite. But after 30 minutes we freed ourselves.
"Over the past year, we improved and improved. We improved and modified so many details. I was stricter and I have to say that the players followed me and there is harmony in the dressing room."
The big news is, though, that he seems to have a job lined up for himself, which restores one's faith in our fickle game, given the man is now a two-time Champions League winner!
"The decision on what I will do after the DFB Pokal match (against Stuttgart next saturday) was already taken last June? Retire? No, you will learn that after the DFB Pokal final."
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