Mourinho in talks with Real

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho sought on Saturday to deal with speculation of a rift in the Bernabeu dressing room by revealing he had a heart-to-heart chat with the squad ahead of Sunday's meeting with Espanyol.

Madrid's stumbling start to the season saw it lose 2-1 to Celta Vigo in the first leg of the King's Cup tie and a verbal swipe at the players suggesting some did not give their all was picked up by the Spanish media as a sign he may be losing control.

"I have spoken to them all and it is an internal matter," Mourinho said. "We are not in a position, though, to make too many changes. Making changes doesn't necessarily mean we will get better results and if it did then I wouldn't think twice about it. Generally, I don't think it is a good idea and it is better to maintain consistency."

The cup defeat was the latest setback for Madrid, whose chances of retaining the league title are slim with Barcelona eleven points clear - but club president Florentino Perez publicly backed the coach.

"I have already spoken with the president about the situation and I would like to thank him," Perez said.

(China Daily 12/17/2012 page24)