Luxemburgo appointed at Madrid

Real Madrid CF unveiled Vanderlei Luxemburgo as their new coach at a press conference at the Santiago Bernabéu this afternoon.

'Huge pleasure'
The former Brazil coach, who declared that the post was "A dream for any trainer," takes over from Mariano García Remón, who had been in charge since José Antonio Camacho stepped down in September. "I am very happy to be here," said Luxemburgo at a press conference to announce his appointment. "It is a huge pleasure to become coach of a club such as Madrid but also a huge responsibility. This is the first time that a Brazilian coach like me has made the switch to a European club.

Professional approach
"There are four important factors to consider when taking on a job like this to ensure that the team functions: discipline, a sense of union, hard work and professionalism," Luxemburgo continued. "I am not a tough-talking coach, I am a professional."

Wealth of experience
The 52-year-old has held positions with a host of clubs in his homeland, having won the Brazilian league title five times, and recently completed his second spell with Santos FC, where he led the club to another league championship. In addition, Luxembourgo was in charge of Brazil's national team between 1998 and 2000 and guided the side to the Copa América in 1999.

Sacchi role
Madrid, who confirmed García Remón will remain at the club in a different role, will be hoping that the Brazilian can inject a new lease of life in the team who are currently trailing FC Barcelona by 13 points in the Primera División and have a crucial meeting with Juventus FC in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in February. The Spanish side recently appointed former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi as director of football.

'Best choice'
"From the various options we were studying, Vanderlei was the best choice to help us come out of the current situation," said Madrid's director of sport Emilio Butragueño, who revealed that Luxemburgo was a unanimous choice by the club's board of directors. "We knew that measures needed to be taken to turn our situation around and things have taken on a new dimension since Sacchi's arrival."