Real Madrid have put pesetas before preparation says former coach

Athletic Bilbao's German coach Jupp Heynckes criticised his former club Real Madrid for putting pesetas before preparation this summer, in an interview with the Spanish sports daily Marca on Thursday.

The defending Spanish champions only won one of their last six pre-season games this summer and also lost 1-0 in Valencia on Saturday, their first opening defeat for nine years.

"In my judgement it is a question of preparation," he said. "They have not had time to prepare well because they played an excessive amount of friendly games during the summer for financial reasons," he added.

Heynckes was the Real Madrid coach during the 1997-98 season and led them to the Champions League title before being abruptly sacked by the then president Lorenzo Sanz.

He rejoined Athletic Bilbao, who had an impressive start to their season with a 3-1 win away at local Basque rivals San Sebastian on Sunday, at the start of the summer for his second stint at the club.

"Vicente Del Bosque knows well the truth of what I am saying but he's got a good squad and I'm sure Madrid soon will return to being the usual Madrid."

"They should recover quickly and I've seen some positive things, for example the play of Zidane at the Mestalla," added Heynckes.

Heynckes also made some telling comments about his own club Athletic - one of only three ever-present clubs in Spanish first division along with Real Madrid and Barcelona - who were one of the giants of Spanish soccer until the early 1990s but who have struggled at times over the last decade.

"I'm not completely happy with the euphoria that seemed to grip Bilbao after Sunday's win."

"It is just the start of a long season and I'm not letting the team relax."

"I can see things that still need to change and improve, and I am only halfway to getting the squad playing the way I want them to," reflected the noted disciplinarian.