体坛英语新闻：Real Madrid sacks coach Pellegrini and will contract Jose Mourinho

MADRID, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid President Florentino Perez announced that the club sacked coach Manuel Pellegrini and would appoint Jose Mourinho as his successor.

The decision was announced following a Directors meeting this Wednesday evening, ten days after the end of the season in which the club again failed to win any trophies.

Perez thanked Pellegrini for his work and confirmed that Mourinho would be named as his successor once 'contractual questions' were solved with Mourinho's current club - Inter Milan.

"It is not a quesiton of if it happens, but when it happens," said Perez.

Inter Milan's manager Jose Mourinho celebrates after their Champions League final soccer match victory against Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid May 22, 2010.

Mourinho will join Real Madrid a matter of days after leading Inter Milan to the Champions League, by beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

"The change of coach is always difficult, but we believe it is the moment to make a new impulse at this project," said Perez.

"We made a big effort a year ago and we have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go. Our aim and the aim of our supporters is to be leaders in Spain and in Europe,"

"We have reflected on what happened this season and we have the chance to contract one of the best coaches in the world to give a new impulse. Mourinho is one of the best coaches there is and we could not let the chance to sign him pass us by. I think we will be able to present him in very little time," he added.

The declarations merely served to confirm, what had been expected since the end of the season.