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Real relieved at absent Becks
01/08/2007 10:50 - (SA)
Germany - Real Madrid's new coach Bernd Schuster expressed relief on Tuesday the Spanish giants have lost their star players - Los Galacticos - and can concentrate on being a European force again.
The 47-year-old German took over as Real Madrid coach in July and has been busy making changes behind the scenes now Real have waved goodbye to star players England's David Beckham, France's Zinedine Zidane and Brazil's Ronaldo.
Despite a side boasting some of Europe's best footballers, Real went three seasons without winning the Spanish title before Schuster's predecessor Italian Fabio Capello guided them to top spot last season - though he was sacked shortly afterwards.
The German is keen to build on that and has been making some no-nonsense changes behind the scenes: checking the players diets and insisting senior players room with younger players while away.
"Defeat is not something often seen at Real," Schuster told German magazine Sports-Bild.
"The club is swarming with world-class players. Nevertheless the Galacticos like David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo have gone - thank God.
"I have felt in conversations with key people that the side's high-profile reputation hindered them, so I am glad a sense of normality has returned, as well it should be."
But Schuster's home-coming was spoiled on Tuesday night as he lost his first game back in Germany when a weakened Real Madrid side were beaten 3-0 by Bundesliga side Hanover 96.
Having led 1-0 at the break in front of a 45,683-strong crowd thanks to Hungarian Szabolcs Huszti's goal on the half-hour mark, Hanover wrapped up the comfortable win with second-half goals by Icelandic striker Gunnar Heidar Thorvaldsson and a Benny Lauth strike with eight minutes remaining.
It was a weakened Real side with strikers Ruud van Nistelrooy and Brazilian Robinho - who was impressive in the Copa America - nowhere to be seen.
Hanover open their Bundesliga campaign against Hamburg on August 11.
- AFP
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