Bilbao will pay for Madrid's Cup defeat: Queiroz
Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz has warned Athletic Bilbao that they will pay the price on Saturday for his side's surprise defeat in the Spanish Cup final this week.
Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz has warned Athletic Bilbao that they will pay the price on Saturday for his side's surprise defeat in the Spanish Cup final this week.
A winning goal in extra time from Real Zaragoza's Argentinian midfielder Luciano Galletti ended Real's bid for the treble of Cup, league and Champions League honours.
Queiroz is feeling the pressure from a club who must match the millions of euros spent on bringing in players such as England captain David Beckham with winning trophies.
Madrid cannot afford to lose their four-point lead at the top over Valencia, so Queiroz was talking tough on Thursday, the day after his plans for a treble were ruined in Barcelona by Zaragoza's 3-2 victory.
"Someone has to pay for what happened to us against Zaragoza and in Bilbao we have to show that it was just an accident," the Portuguese coach said.
"We have to concentrate and think about the responsibility we have on Saturday. I don't think a team like Madrid loses two matches in a row."
"I take all the responsibility for what happened."
Ronaldo watched the Cup final defeat from the stands and the torn muscle in his thigh will keep him out of action until the end of the month, so Real must hope Raul rediscovers the scoring touch that has deserted him recently.
Bilbao are fighting for a place in the UEFA Cup next season so they will not just roll over and let 'los galacticos' take revenge.
Valencia will already know how their bitter rivals fared by the time they host Real Mallorca on Sunday as they seek to keep up the pressure on Madrid.
Led by Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, Barcelona are motoring towards a place in the Champions League after moving into third place with last weekend's victory over bottom club Murcia. They face last season's league runners-up Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp looking for a ninth consecutive victory.
The success-starved Catalans are rumoured to be lining up French international striker David Trezeguet for next season.
The player's father said in French sports paper L'Equipe on Thursday that Barcelona have been chasing Trezeguet for a year and the striker is unsettled at Juventus.