Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ramos Focused On Liverpool, Not Future

Juande Ramos would not be drawn on speculation that his long-term future at Real Madrid could depend on the outcome of their Champions League last 16 showdown with Liverpool.

Since replacing Bernd Schuster in the Bernabeu hotseat in December, Ramos' team has won 10 of his first 11 games, helping the Spanish giants trim Barcelona's lead at the Primera Liga summit back from 12 points to seven.

Ramos was only handed an initial six-month contract when he took over the reins and it remains to be seen what the former Tottenham and Sevilla coach must do to earn an extended tenure, especially with presidential elections scheduled at Madrid for this summer.

With Barca still clear at the top of La Liga and Real no longer in the Copa Del Rey, Ramos insists he is not thinking about what the tie will mean for his own career, only on helping Madrid get beyond the last 16 stage for the first time since 2004.

"The only thing I'm interested in is getting through the tie because that's the only important thing for Real Madrid," he said.

"My personal situation is not important, I'm only thinking of getting through."

Ramos also preferred not to compare his trajectory with that of Harry Redknapp, his successor at Spurs. In the same period of time that Ramos has been at the Bernabeu, Redknapp has managed only two wins in 10 Barclays Premier League matches.

Ramos said: "I don't have to prove my reputation as a coach, I've been a coach for many years and everybody knows about me.

"I'm proud of our good run because it's been very good for Real Madrid. I don't have anything to say about Tottenham."

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