Mourinho given four year Real deal

The top of his head slowly became visible as frantic photographers dispersed, after clambering on Jose Mourinho like ants on a special sugar cube.

Jorge Valdano, Real Madrid's general manager unveiled the latest Galactico, this one unlike all that came before him, despite forcing his way out of a successful club to arrive in the Spanish capital on the promise of enormous wealth.

Maybe in Real, Mourinho has met his match. The Portuguese displayed an unfamiliar trait in his first press conference: Humility. Introducing himself as a simple foreign coach is not fluent in the native tongue of his new home:

"My Spanish isn't the best," we were told by the the interpreter on Real Madrid TV. "I've studied Italian but will need about a month before I can answer all your questions in Spanish" he barely hesitated as the Castilian rolled off his tongue.

Mourinho was clearly trying to force the issue. Like an ordinary manager desperately trying to take the tag of favourites from his team going into a tricky encounter: "I'm just the coach, I coach the the team, though it is a big team."

But the two time European Cup winner could not help but betray himself, barely disguising a reluctant "no" when asked if he was the best coach in the world.

He said of Manuel Pellegrini, the man he deposed at the helm of the worlds biggest club: "A coach cannot work well if he is afraid of being sacked" before making a claim for the most glaringly obvious statement on the 21st century:

"I have a lot of self-esteem, I have a four year contract, and that is more than enough to win."

So with Mourniho failing to disguise his sense of self-worth, any chance of a clash of ego with the worlds most expensive player? During a spat in 2007 Cristiano Ronaldo was criticised by his countryman for "not showing maturity and respect" towards him and the special one called for his number nine to fall into line if he wants to be a winner with Real Madrid.

""I understand he is an incredibly important player, not only for Real but also for the world of football, but always with me the important thing is the team, not the individuals."

"Cristiano is a winner. So if he likes to win it is not too difficult to convince him that the most important thing is not the coach, or the players, its the club."

Since Inter Milan's Champions League triumph their coach's exit has been no secret, and nor were his transfer targets for Los Blanco''s. Madrid are expected to move for Ashley Cole, Maicon, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard at Mourinho's behest.

Expected to make room for Gerrard and the former lieutenants are Kaka and Gonazalo Higuain, players with immense attacking flair who would be jewels in the crown of any other club.

But for now all transfer talk is just speculation: "Its time to take time to analyse my new club" said Mourinho, and few, if any players at Santiago Bernebeu will escape that analysis and scrutiny, Mercenaries will be shown the door with room left only for the hungry, driven and mentally robust: "For my players to have a winning attitude, that is my motivation." players in his own image.