By DAN KARELL
Come June 2, 2013, Jose Mourinho’s time in charge of Real Madrid will be over.
The club’s President, Florentino Perez, announced at a press conference on Monday that Real Madrid and Mourinho had agreed to part ways by mutual consent, ending a three year stay in the Spanish capital.
“Real Madrid’s relationship with coach Mourinho will terminate at the end of this season,” Perez said at the press event to Spanish publication Diario AS. “Mourinho is one of Real Madrid’s longest-serving coaches. To be in the post for three years, isn’t easy for anyone. Now we are to start a new era.”
Perez added that the lack of trophies this season and not winning La Liga prompted the change. In Mourinho’s three seasons at the helm, he only managed to win the league title and Copa Del Rey once, as well as taking the Spanish SuperCup at the start of this season.
While Mourinho is rumored for a move back to England with Chelsea, Perez said that Real Madrid had yet to sign a contract or agreement for a new manager, though all signs are pointing to Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti.
ATLETICO MADRID WILL ALLOW FALCAO TO GO
Another often heard rumor of a departure from the Spanish capital was confirmed today, as Atletico Madrid announced that their star forward Radamel Falcao Garcia would be leaving the Vicente Calderon at the end of the season.
Speaking at a press conference on a mid-week trip to Singapore, club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin said that after Falcao promised the club he’d help them qualify for the Champions League for next season, the club would fulfill their end of the deal, and let him go to another club.
Since acquiring the 27-year-old Colombian attacker from FC Porto in August 2011, Atletico Madrid has gone on to win the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and just this past Friday win the Copa Del Rey. Falcao himself has proved to be one of the most lethal strikers on the continent, scoring 52 goals in 67 La Liga matches, and 70 goals in all competitions.
Falcao has most recently been linked with moves to newly promoted French side AS Monaco and English Premier League club Manchester City.
SPURS TO OFFER BALE LUCRATIVE CONTRACT TO STAY
Despite missing out on the Champions League for the second season in a row, Tottenham will do whatever it takes to keep star midfielder Gareth Bale at the club.
Spurs are set to offer the Welshman a new contract with wages soaring over $228,000 per week, according to reports out of England. Bale is already the highest paid player in the dressing room, but after winning numerous Player of the Year awards, the club have agreed to give him a massive raise.
Owner Daniel Levy has publicly stated previously that he has no desire to sell Bale this summer, but should the 23-year-old not sign a new contract this summer, the chances he continues at White Hart Lane past 2014 become slimmer.
Bale showed off his skills this season, scoring 21 goals in 33 league matches this season, many of them coming from outside of the box or from originating a run outside of the box and finishing past the keeper.
TERRY MISSES OUT ON CHELSEA U.S. TOUR
The same ankle injury that kept the John Terry out of Chelsea’s last two matches will keep him out of their next two as well.
As the team takes off for their post-season U.S. Tour, they’ll be traveling without their captain, as Terry’s ankle injury has kept him out of the 23-man squad that will play two friendly matches against Manchester City, one in St. Louis and the other in New York.
Frank Lampard will captain Chelsea in Terry’s place, and Eden Hazard has been added to the squad despite also missing the last two matches with a hamstring injury. According to reports out of England, Hazard will stay in America after the tour finishes up this Friday to meet up with the Belgian National Team, ahead of their match against the U.S. on May 29.
RODWELL CALLED INTO ENGLAND SQUAD
On the back of a two-goal match in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Norwich, Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell has accepted a call from England manager Roy Hodgson to join the squad.
Rodwell has endured an injury-plagued campaign, seeing the field just 11 times in the 38 match Premier League season, but now healthy, is being called in to replace his England Under-21 teammate Tom Cleverly, who limped off with an injury during Manchester United’s 5-5 draw with West Bromwich Albion.
The 21-year-old City player, who has made just two appearances for the Three Lions, will now join the squad for a match at Wembley Stadium against the Republic of Ireland, and then a match at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against the World Cup hosts.
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What do you make of this news? Do you agree with the decision to get rid of Mourinho? Do you see Mourinho moving back to Chelsea? Where do you see Falcao heading? Do you believe Bale will sign the new deal?
Share your thoughts below.