Football
Reuters 18y

Soccer-Perez admits Real have lost their way

MADRID, Dec 21 - Real Madrid president Florentino
Perez has admitted that the club has lost it way in terms of its
sporting fortunes but remains confident that the situation will
improve next year.

"From May last year something has happened to us," Perez
said at the club's press lunch. "We have lost a bit of direction
on the sporting front and we are going to work hard to find it
once again.

"I hope that next year we will be praised for having a team
that has rediscovered its direction, is in better physical shape
and better positioned on the pitch."

Perez, who has been in charge of Real since 2000, said that
he was prepared to accept criticism of the way the club had been
run.

"I am grateful for the criticism because it will help us
progress and improve, but I will fight against anyone who
attacks the club itself."

Real have not won a major trophy since June 2003 when they
discarded coach Vicente del Bosque a day after they wrapped up
the league title.

The club has had five other coaches since then, with the
latest change taking place earlier this month when Brazilian
coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo was sacked and replaced by former
reserve team boss Juan Ramon Lopez Caro.

Perez said that although the team was clearly having
problems on the pitch, the independence and economic future of
the club had been guaranteed by his administration.

"I'm very satisfied with the work we have done in recent
years," he said. "There is now great institutional stability at
the club and thanks to the economic and sporting policies that
we have adopted our independence is guaranteed.

"We are confident we will keep improving in all departments.
I am as enthusiastic as I was in 2000 and hope that the trophies
and spectacle will soon return."

Real, who are in third place in the Primera Liga 11 points
behind leaders Barcelona, play their final league match of the
year against Racing Santander on Wednesday night.

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