The World Cup is over but the domestic football leagues are about to start. There’s been movement with some of the game’s brightest stars switching kits. And we suffering local football fans will get the skinny from CNN’s World Sport team of Terry Baddoo, Kate Giles, and Patrick Snell will break down the hopes, dreams, and surprises to expect from each of the major leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France in a one-hour program titled “The Contenders.”
Baddoo sat down with Manchester United legend Alex Ferguson, as well as evergreen legends, Ryan Giggs and Edwin Van der Sar.
Giles spends two days with exclusive access to German club Schalke's new signing Raul and quizzes manager Felix Magath while Patrick Snell visits Real Madrid's camp during a pre-season tour of the USA to interview new manager Jose Mourinho and the World Cup winning captain, Iker Casillas. Over the course of one hour, we provide an insight into the Manchester City revolution posing questions to manager Roberto Mancini, club captain Kolo Toure and his brother, a new signing from Barcelona, Yaya Toure. With these names coupled with expert analysis – there is everything a fan needs to ready themselves for the upcoming season of football.
The Contenders will air today Saturday 8/14/10: 8pm with a replay on Sunday 8/15/10 at 3am on CNN.
Iker Casillas Transcript highlights:
On winning the World Cup
What it means is so significant. We succeeded in realizing a dream we all had since we were young kids. All footballers have a dream to win the world cup for their country and I as a youngster was no different. Look at who we were up against. Maradonna's Argentina , Germany , Italy , France and Brazil . We had to succeed against all of them! Did we ever really think we would do it given all the bad luck we'd had in the past? But look in the end, we were successful!
On Real Madrid
I believe in this club Real- I'm lucky to be Madrid born and bred. To live in the city, to play for the club, this is home for me. It would be hard to ever consider leaving this club. It has helped shape me, it's developed me as a person on so many levels since I was so young….."
On new coach Jose Mourinho
With his work, he's serious. He's very disciplined. He's always available to us his players. He talks with us. That's a positive thing. At this point of course, we're still getting to know each other. We'll see how things develop over the coming months but so far so good
On Cristiano Ronaldo
He's Ronaldo- and quite simply everyone knows him. He's a big big player. He's a very important player for us. Capable of hurting opponents at all times. With the help of his team- mates and all of us in fact, we all just want to pull together to have the best possible season
Jose Mourinho Transcript highlights:
On Madrid winning the Spanish league
I hope so. I hope so. I did it with Porto, I did it with Inter, with Chelsea we didn't win the Champions League but we won two consecutive Premierships so, why not to do it with Real? It's a big club, it's a club with lots of good players. In this moment they have the motivation because they win nothing in the last years, but of course it's not easy, because we have real opponent, and we have to be the team.
On Barcelona
Everybody speaks about our second game in Barcelona where we had a very defensive approach. But they do it and they forget in the first match in the Champions League with Inter we smashed them, we scored three goals and we could have scored four or five, so I think the problem with Barcelona is more psychological than other things. Lots of teams, they are afraid of them, they are afraid to attack them. We did it. We won it, and after that in the 2nd leg, it's a semifinal, it's a Champions League semifinal - it's not the moment to play the beautiful game, it's the moment to make history.
On Cristiano Ronaldo
He's fantastic, and the way he works, speaks for itself. He's not the kind of big status, and sleeping a little bit on the shadow of the status, no. He's a boy that works very very hard every day, lots of ambition, he wants to improve all the time. So with the potential he has, I just hope he keeps going. Because I cannot demand more than he's giving
On being called ‘The Special One’
"I am the special one because in England they used to call me that nickname which is not a problem, but you know - I won lots of things, I won 17 titles in the past 10 years, and I'm one of the three coaches that won two Champions Leagues with two different teams, so, I'm one of the good ones, but to say I'm the Special One, I prefer not to say that, I just say 'I have a nice system.'
Thanks to CNN International for this!!! Much appreciated.
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