2008-05-04 23:23:02 -
MADRID, Spain (AP) - Winning the Spanish league title was coach Bernd Schuster's second major accomplishment this season.
The former Madrid player, who won his first major trophy Sunday when Madrid rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Osasuna 2-1, has also managed to keep his job for a second straight season _ something his
six predecessors couldn't do.
Madrid president Ramon Calderon recently said Schuster would remain as coach next season _ unlike Carlos Queiroz, Jose Antonio Camacho, Mariano Garcia Remon, Wanderley Luxemburgo, Jose Lopez Caro and Fabio Capello, all of whom have come and gone since 2003.
«Building a team can take up to four years because there are huge demands,» said Schuster, Madrid's 21st coach in 22 years. «The coach should be given the necessary time to win titles and keep working, forming and improving a team.
The 48-year-old German refuses to take credit for the team's second straight title and a record 31st overall.
«I'm not interested in personal stuff and what the title means to me,» Schuster said. «There are always difficult moments and more so at a club like this. From the start, I believed the team was capable of achieving what it has done.
A visionary midfielder whose skills graced the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium from 1988-90 and helped Madrid win two league titles, Schuster returned last July from Getafe, which he led to two ninth-place finishes and earned the club a European debut.
The coach, usually called «Bernardo» by Spaniards, had never previously been in charge at a top European team since starting in soccer management with German team Fortuna Cologne.
Schuster's arrival coincided with the departure of David Beckham, the last of the «Galacticos» _ the glamorous players incorporated when former president Florentino Perez was running the team.
In came a host of new players at a ¤118 million (US$182 million) outlay _ defenders Christoph Metzelder, Gabriel Heinze and Pepe, midfielders Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder, and forwards Javier Saviola and Arjen Robben.
Calderon heaped pressure onto Schuster's shoulders by stating at the German's unveiling that he would lead the team into a new era of beautiful soccer.
However, Madrid's success this season has largely resulted from the same pragmatic style adopted by Capello last season, with defensive solidity the order of the day.
Schuster, who is not very media-friendly, has largely succeeded in suppressing his prickly character, which often came to the fore during his career as a player.
However, he drew criticism for his decision to walk out of a post-match news conference at Recreativo Huelva in March after fielding just two questions.
But expectations in Madrid never relent and Schuster is already expected to lead the team to a third straight title and a record 10th European Cup.
