体坛英语新闻：Real Madrid sack General Director Jorge Valdano

MADRID, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid this Wednesday took the decision to sack General Director Jorge Valdano.

Club President Florentino Perez announced the decision in a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday evening, in a declaration in which he confirmed that the club had decided to do away with the post of General Director, making Valdano's position redundant.

Valdano returned to the club in his post when Florentino Perez was re-elected as Madrid President in 2009, he had acted in a similar role during Perez's first period as club President, resigning in June 2004 following a four year-spell at the club.

He had also played for Real Madrid and coached the club for a season and a half between 1994 and 1996.

This season he has had a difficult relationship with Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, due to his the different footballing philosophies of the pair. Valdano has always defended an attacking style of football and his ideas clashed with Mourinho, who is prepared to sacrifice attractive football in search of results. Valdano had even criticised Mourinho's thoughts on the game before Mourinho was appointed Madrid coach.

Mourinho was also unhappy with what he saw as a lack of support from the Argentinean after he had complained about the work of referee Clos Gomez after Madrid' s win against Sevilla in the first half of this season.

The relationship between Valdano and Mourinho worsened over the season over the failure by the club to sign a striker over the summer and Valdano's reluctance to sign Emmanuel Adebayor, who finally arrived in January.

Mourinho can be seen as having clearly won his conflict with Valdano and sees his power at the club clearly increased given that Perez used his press conference to announce that the coach will now also be the spokesman for sporting affairs at the club.