Oezil denies Mourinho rift

Real Madrid star Mesut Oezil says there are no problems between him and head coach Jose Mourinho.

Real Madrid star Mesut Oezil says there are no problems between him and head coach Jose Mourinho.

The Germany international, who has scored five times in all competitions for Real so far this campaign, expressed optimism for what his side can achieve this year in the wake of back-to-back wins over Barcelona.

“We are a team, and if you look at how successful we play, you cannot doubt that everything is alright within our squad,” the 24-year-old told Welt am Sonntag.

“If we weren’t a unit, we wouldn’t be able to beat Barcelona. We treat each other respectfully; we’re like a small family.

“I get along very well with Jose Mourinho. He supports me wherever he can and for me, he’s one of the best coaches, if not the best coach in the world.”

Real sealed victory in their Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday with a 3-1 win at Camp Nou before beating Barca once more on Saturday, this time 2-1 in La Liga, and Oezil suggested that the team are in a good position to build on that success.

“If you play for Real Madrid, winning titles is an obligation,” the former Werder Bremen star continued.

“That’s why we’re looking forward to the Copa del Rey final and are determined to proceed to the next round in the Champions League as well.

“Our goal is to win both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

“Real Madrid against Bayern Munich would be a cool (Champions League) final, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Real sit third in La Liga with 55 points from 26 fixtures, still 13 points behind Barcelona, and travel to face Manchester United for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday with the score at 1-1.