Spanish side Real Madrid and English Uefa Cup winners Manchester United trained in Macedonia on Monday ahead of their Uefa Super Cup final.
Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho can collect the one European trophy he lacks when the Red Devils face Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday in his first competitive meeting with the Spanish giants since an acrimonious split in 2013.
Mourinho, whose team won the Europa League last season to salvage an otherwise disappointing first campaign under the Portuguese, led Real to the Liga title with a record 100 points and won a King’s Cup in an eventful stay between 2010 and 2013.
His achievements at the Santiago Bernabeu were overshadowed, however, by his falling out with key dressing room figures such as Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas as well as confrontations with referees and opponents plus a failure to win the Champions League, as Real lost in the semi finals each year.
Mourinho’s legacy has been upstaged by the Spanish club’s three Champions League triumphs in the four years since his departure, although in a recent interview the Portuguese claimed he had “to beg” Real’s board to let him leave for Chelsea.
Zinedine Zidane’s side beat Sevilla 3-2 in extra-time last year to win the showcase match and the French coach is targeting a fourth European trophy in less than two years in charge of Real, which would match Mourinho’s tally of continental titles.
United, meanwhile, will be missing central defenders Eric Bailly and Phil Jones due to suspension, opening up a place in the starting lineup for new recruit Victor Lindelof.
Real’s Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo was back in training following his Confederations Cup exploits with Portugal and is in the squad to face his former club.
