Camacho admits missing Vieira a real loss
Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho admits that the club’s failure to sign Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira is a blow to their hopes for next season.
However, the former Spain coach insists that he is happy to see the arrival of England striker Michael Owen, believing it will add to the competition in an already well-populated attack.
“Vieira would have given us different power in the middle of the park. He is a sensational winner of the ball, especially in the air from goal kicks and he also has great strength,” Camacho told Spanish sports daily Diario AS.
“Maybe Madrid will not now be as good as our opponents in that aspect and that is where we will have to improve.”
Camacho indicated that despite the failure of Madrid’s attempts to land Vieira, he would still be looking to club president Florentino Perez to bring new faces into the club before the start of the season.
“Now we will have to resolve it with different options, because the squad we have is still too small – there were only 18 players in Krakow (last week for the Champions League),” he said.
Perez’s immediate response to the breakdown of the Vieira deal was to sign Owen from Liverpool.
The 24-year-old will have to fight for a place in an attack already containing proven international players Ronaldo, Raul and Fernando Morientes.
That move was rumoured to have annoyed Camacho, but the Madrid coach stressed that stories saying he was angry at the arrival of Owen were way off the mark.
“Nobody should make mistakes about my wishes: Owen will make Madrid more complete and any players of that quality are welcome here,” he said.
“Owen will mean there is more competition to win a place and keep the other strikers on their toes.
“Maybe some days they will not be called into the squad. For example Ronaldo travels so much we don’t know how he is always going to be; playing on Saturdays and Wednesdays is tiring and we need players to be in top shape.”
Camacho is also optimistic that David Beckham would enjoy a happier time than last season, where he started brightly before his form faded as first Madrid and then England failed to win anything.
“I am certain he will be better: he has gone through adapting to the country, the customs and a new dressing room,” Camacho added.
“He is integrated now and it is normal for him to do so bit by bit, but now he understands me when I say something to him in Spanish and the only thing that can annoy him are the paparazzi.”
