Luxemburgo: Why I Was Sacked As Real Madrid Manager

Former Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo says he was sacked after actually winning a game.

Luxemburgo has recalled being dumped by Real president Florentino Perez.

He said, “We beat Getafe and Beckham was sent off in the first half. We were winning 1-0 and in the 90th minute, I took off Ronaldo. With one less player, the normal thing is to close to win. The fans took out their handkerchiefs and started to protest.

“I left the field, I entered the tunnel, I came to a corridor. Florentino Pérez came down from the rostrum of honor and found me there. He told me ‘sir, what happened?’ I replied that nothing happened. ‘Why did you change Ronaldo?’ ‘Geez, president, we are winning the match’. I’m not worried about the fans, I’m worried about Barcelona. I want to reach them.”

An argument that did not convince Pérez: “At Real Madrid we have to think about the game and think about the fans. They pay, we have full capacity for all the games, they pay to see the show.

“President, let me tell you something: I’m not enjoying this very much, no. I didn’t ask to come, you went to Brazil to hire me.

“I came here because you went to Brazil and you hired me, so I’m going to do what I think I have to do. The next day I was fired.”