Real Madrid have strongly denied media reports that claimed the Spanish giants had lost faith in manager Bernd Schuster and that they were hoping to bring Jose Mourinho to the Bernabeu.

Despite leading La Liga at present, Schuster has seen his position come under scrutiny after the Champions League exit at the hands of Roma and Mourinho’s availability has been highlighted by the Spanish media.

Even Marca, a newspaper with close ties to the club’s hierarchy, has invoked the wrath of Real for suggesting that the Portuguese has been lined up to replace Schuster whether Los Merengues win the league title or not.

Mourinho has of course been linked with all manner of clubs since leaving Chelsea in October, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Inter and Milan, but Real have denied in the strongest terms that Schuster’s fate has been sealed in the Spanish capital.

“In relation to what has been published by certain media regarding the continuity of Real Madrid coach, Mr. Bernd Schuster, the Club would like to issue the following statement:

“Said information is absolutely false and unfounded. The club had and has total faith in its coach, Mr. Bernd Schuster, who, accordingly, needs no ratification whatsoever. It is the responsibility of madridismo [Madrid fans] to judge and evaluate the attitude of the press who publish lies of this nature and whose intention it is to alter the existing harmony and to transmit a sense of discord and confrontation which, in no way, resembles reality.”

Real president Ramon Calderon has also given a public statement of backing to Schuster, even if his declaration was slightly less emphatic than that communicated by the club.

“I have confidence in Schuster and I want to continue to have confidence in him,” Calderon told radio station Onda Madrid.