TNT Sports
Luxemburgo 'disillusioned'
By
Published 08/12/2005 at 20:55 GMT
Sacked Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has criticised the Primera Liga club for failing to support him through a difficult period. The 53-year old Brazilian said he was disillusioned by how Real functions and was expecting more respect in good time
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
"When I arrived here I thought we were taking on a project together," Brazilian Luxemburgo read from a written statement on Thursday.
"I thought that in Europe they had more respect for projects, that did not depend on one result."
Luxemburgo, sacked last Sunday after 11 months at the helm, said the seeds of his downfall were sown in Real's 3-0 home defeat to champions Barcelona last month.
Although the result was bad enough it was the manner in which Barca romped to victory in the Bernabeu that proved particularly damaging.
"I never thought that losing a 'clasico' against Barca would create such instability in a club as big as Real, and put the coach's job in such danger," he said.
"Although I am disillusioned by this turn of events it has shown me how this club works."
Luxemburgo, who has been replaced on a caretaker basis by youth team coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, felt that if the club had shown more patience he would have been successful.
"I had expected to have good times and bad times as happens with other clubs who go on to win titles," Luxemburgo continued.
"We were in a bad situation but I knew that within three weeks we would have had all our players back in training. I was surprised when the club did not seem to understand this.
"I have always said I thought we would win the league because I knew the team would develop and grow. I was sure we would win at least one of the titles we were aiming for.
"I never thought it would all be cut short like this."
Luxemburgo, the fifth coach Real have had in two and a half years without a major trophy, left the club in fourth place in the Primera Liga six points short of leaders Barcelona.
They have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and are in the last 16 of the King's Cup.
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