Camacho takes responsibility for heavy Real defeat

Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho said he was to blame after his team started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

"I take responsibility for this because I was obviously not able to make sure my players approached this game with the right attitude," said Camacho.

He was hired by Real to help them bounce back from a disappointing season featuring a quarter-final exit from the Champions League.

Real, who beat Leverkusen 2-1 in the 2002 final in Glasgow, were never in contention on Wednesday and looked ordinary despite the presence on the pitch of all their top players.

"We were outplayed for 60 minutes," said Camacho, whose men started the Spanish league season with two unconvincing 1-0 wins.

"Only in the last 30 minutes did we manage to put them under pressure. Leverkusen played with plenty of enthusiasm. They were clearly the better team."

The defeat was not the only bad news for Camacho, who had to substitute playmaker Zinedine Zidane at halftime because of a dislocated shoulder that could leave the inspirational French midfielder sidelined for three weeks.

Leverkusen, who have never won a German title and had warmed up for the game with a 2-0 defeat at promoted Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday, delighted their fans with a stylish performance.

"I hope my players are now convinced that they can play good football," said coach Klaus Augenthaler.

Leverkusen captain Carsten Ramelow said facing such prestigious opponents had helped Leverkusen raise their game.

"Just the name Real Madrid was a motivation," said Ramelow, who played in the 2002 final. "Our victory is well deserved and so is the winning margin," he added.

Germany midfielder Bernd Schneider, who has been given a new role as right-back by Augenthaler, promised Leverkusen would not get carried away.

"We are not the new Galacticos," he said. "If we were we would have beaten Mainz."