Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1009910
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 AUGUST 2018 20 FOOTBALL SPORTS REAL Madrid's Gareth Bale has the qualities to fill the void left by his fellow forward Cris- tiano Ronaldo's move to Ju- ventus, the Spanish side's new manager Julen Lopetegui has said. Bale struggled to hold on to his place in the starting XI under previous manager Zin- edine Zidane and said after his match-winning display in last season's Champions League final against Liverpool that he craved regular first team ac- tion. Speaking ahead of his team's pre-season encounter against Manchester United in Miami yesterday, Lopetegui said the 29-year-old Welshman's im- mediate future was with the Spanish giants. "Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the main players in the recent history of Real Madrid. He ex- pressed a desire to leave and we allowed him to. Gareth Bale is a magnificent player, with so many qualities. He can help fill the void," Lopetegui said. Ronaldo joined Italian cham- pions Juventus on a four-year contract for 100 million euros ($117.37 million) earlier this month, signalling the end of nine years in Madrid. Lopetegui was keen to stress that the Portuguese's depar- ture represented a "fantastic opportunity" for Bale, who has been linked by Spanish media with a move away from the club, to stay and show his tal- ent. "I don't walk to talk about hypothetical situations," Lo- petegui said, dismissing re- ports of Bale's possible return to the Premier League with United and his former team Tottenham Hotspur possible destinations. "If this is the squad I have at start of season I'll be a happy man... he (Bale) is with the team. He's happy and aligned with our goals. It is the start of an exciting path for us." Real begin their season with a UEFA Super Cup clash against Europa League winners and city rivals Atletico Madrid on Aug. 15. They face Getafe in their opening La Liga match four days later. Bale can fill Ronaldo void, says Real coach Lopetegui Man United hopeful of making one more signing, says Mourinho MANCHESTER United man- ager Jose Mourinho says he is confident that the club will sign at least one more player before the Premier League's transfer window closes on Aug. 9 The Portuguese boss ex- pressed his hopes of signing two new recruits after United's 4-1 defeat by Liverpool in the pre-season International Cham- pions Cup last weekend in the United States but now says one addition seems more probable. "I am confident I will get one, but I think two I am not going to get which is not a drama," Mourinho told beIN SPORTS. "In every pre-season it happens the same with every club which is the manager wants more. "It's our nature, you always want more for your team but then club decisions are different and normally you don't get what you want which happened dur- ing all my career. "So if I get one player until the end of the market, that's fine." United have struggled to impress in pre-season with a patchy squad that has been de- pleted through injuries and key players resting after the World Cup in Russia. Their sole pre- season win came against AC Milan last week. The club's inconsistent perfor- mances has led Mourinho to ex- press his frustration on multiple occasions throughout the US tour, including criticising indi- vidual players and United's lack of transfer activity. Goalkeeper Lee Grant, how- ever, has dismissed the notion that Mourinho is unhappy with the squad. "From what we're getting from the inside it (the atmosphere around the camp) has been nothing but positive," Grant told Sky Sports. "The messages we are getting from the man- ager are positive ones and that is important for us going forward. "His attitude and demeanour around the place is great and that is helpful for us especially when we are under-manned and we are working our hard- est." United play Champions League holders Real Madrid and German champions Bay- ern Munich in their next two friendlies before hosting Leices- ter City in the opening league fixture on Aug. 10.