Mourinho praise for Redknapp

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp deserves high praise for his rebuilding job at White Hart Lane, according to UEFA Champions League rival Jose Mourinho.

Real Madrid, managed by former Chelsea boss Mourinho, were on Friday drawn against Spurs in the quarter-finals of Europe.

The Portuguese will have been pleased to avoid ex-club Inter Milan and Chelsea, and he is looking forward to a reunion with Redknapp in April.

Since taking over Tottenham in 2008, Redknapp has guided the North London club away from the foot of the Premier League and into their glittering Champions League adventure, much to the delight of Mourinho.

He told Sky Sports News Radio: “I left England in 2007/8 and Spurs were not in the Uefa Cup, they were not even finishing in the first six of the Premier League.

Amazing

“Martin Jol started the good work and Harry has continued it in amazing ways. I’m so happy for that. He’s a friend, one of the few really good friends I made in England.”

Mourinho also said: “”I’m very happy to play them, not because I think it’s going to be easy – because I don’t think it will be – but because I get to go back to London, to an English stadium and I get to see Harry and I can congratulate him for the great job he’s done.”

The match pits nine-time European champions Madrid against a Spurs side who are playing in the competition for the first time, but who have impressed hugely so far.

In the group stages, Spurs finished top of Group A, beating defending European champions Inter Milan at White Hart Lane in the process, and then in the last 16 they knocked out Inter’s city rivals, AC Milan.

Mourinho said: “What they’ve done is brilliant. They beat Inter, then they played the team who have won the European Cup the second highest number of times, AC Milan, and now they play Real Madrid, the champion of champions, who have won nine European Cups.

Mentality

“It will be difficult. I know the mentality of the English teams, the way they play at home, and the character they have of playing with all their heart in every minute of every game. They have beaten Inter, knocked out Milan and are having a very good Premier League season.”

Before Real get back into European action they face a local derby with Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.

Real, who have not lost to their Spanish capital neighbours since 1999, could find themselves eight points adrift of Primera Liga leaders Barcelona at kick-off, if the Catalan club defeat Getafe earlier in the evening.

Question marks surround the fitness of Real’s top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, who played three-quarters of Wednesday’s Champions League win over Lyon after returning from a hamstring strain, and Mourinho will not name his squad for the game until Saturday.

Mourinho said of the £80million man: “It would be better if the derby was on Sunday. It’s normal that after so much time without training and then playing 70 minutes against Lyon he’s not in the best condition. If he plays it will be with a risk.”