In an interview recorded for Sky Sports Revista de la Liga, Real Madrid’s veteran full back Michel Salgado calls upon his wealth of experience in the game to insist that the Spanish title race is anything but over.

With FC Barcelona on stunning form and currently enjoying a 12 point lead over their bitter rivals from the Spanish capital, Salgado insists there is still a long way to go and that ,under new coach Juande Ramos, it is only a matter of time before a leaner, meaner, Real Madrid starts firing on all cylinders. Michel Salgado is a man you do not argue with…Barcelona, Liverpool - you have been warned!

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Guillem Balague:    Michel…It has been a season of ups and downs so far at Real Madrid, and it is always strange when there are as many changes as there has been…

Michel Salgado:    Yes that’s right. We started the season with Schuster as coach and after having won the league. Things did not go as we wanted them to at the beginning of the season, despite the fact that we won the Supercup with a great game against Valencia. But when La Liga got underway we had a series of problems on the pitch that we were unable to rectify; which in turn led to a change in coach.

We are now in a phase of development where the focus is on improving the physical condition of the squad. I think that in the first month the impact of that physical work meant that to begin with we were sluggish at times, but now the benefits are starting to show and I think that February is going to be a key month for us as we are in great shape.

Guillem:     Would it be fair to say that on the pitch and in training things are returning to normal here at Real Madrid? Juande Ramos was the first out onto the training pitch this morning and he put the cones down himself. You don’t see that too often anymore and he talks to you all. There seems to be more communication now.

Salgado:    Yes I think you have got it right there when you say “back to normal”. I think that the kind of training we have now is much more in tune with the Spanish style. We have stopped doing the pre training session in the gym but look, my job is not to discuss the merits of different coaches and especially not when we won the League under the old methods. Now we have a new dynamic based on working on the pitch and like you say we talk things through tactically and communicate more.

As I said earlier the physical side of things takes time but what you will see is a Real Madrid that puts pressure on our opponents, and that plays in their half of the pitch. What that style of play requires is a high level of fitness and physical strength. And over the last four weeks we have been working hard towards this. This last week has been very intense and hopefully we will see the results on Sunday.  

Guillem:    It would be a shame if you put in all this work and then Juande leaves after six months.  Would you not prefer it to be a long term project rather than a short term one?

Salgado:    Yes I agree with you. I think that in life in general as well as in football I believe in having projects. If you believe in someone for a project you have to give them time.

But I have been at Real Madrid for ten years now and there is something I have learnt here and it is this: At Real Madrid there is no time for anything, and there are no such things as long term projects.  There will not be a long term project with this manager or the next. I am totally clear on this and have always said that as a player, coach or president here you have to achieve things now not later.

 It is for this reason that Juande’s job is a precarious one but in this case it has been positive for us and for him because he has got six months to show everyone that he can continue in Madrid. I think he is as keen as anyone that things work and I hope that we can help  him achieve a long term role here, above all because that would mean winning a title.

 Guillem:    I know that you have won two league titles on the bounce but what better time to have a year of transition when Barcelona are on top form.

Salgado:    Yes, but if you remember the season that Capello was in charge, Barcelona were having a great season and I remember the 3-3 draw in the Camp Nou. We had been knocked out of the Champions League and everyone was talking about how many goals they were going to put past us and when the League would be out of reach.It’s worth pointing out that was in March not January.

We scored the equaliser in the last minute and deserved the draw. From that point on we went and won the league so, to be honest, I am not that worried about things at the moment. We are effectively three games behind because we still have to play them here in Madrid so you are talking about four rounds.

We still have more than half a season left, but it’s not like I’m sitting here doing the maths. Now is the time to let our hard work and football do the talking and that is what we are doing. As I said, January is key:  we have to win games when there are still things to work on and we are improving physically. We are going to have tough moments in games when our energy is low but then, in February, we are going to really take off.

Guillem:     It seems as though, every time we talk, we come to the same conclusion: that one day you would like to go to play in England, but it is never the right time...

Salgado:   Yes, and I am not sure if that moment has passed me by. That is the question. For me the English league is a great league to be part of as a player. In terms of the level of football and atmosphere it is fantastic. There is a great football culture there and I like the way the players are treated in England. I think that there is a whole list of things that make it an attractive league to any player. 

 
Guillem:    And the Spanish players in England bring something different to the table don’t they.

Salgado:    Yes of course. There was a time when it was very difficult to make the move between the two leagues so there were not many players who went in that direction. But what has happened is that the players have become away of the fact that there are other leagues that are strong, and let’s not forget that the Spanish League is very strong, but there are other competitive league that players can succeed in and enjoy being part of. It is clear that the English league is a great one and that as a player you can achieve important things there.