MET WITH HIM AT THE BERNABÉU AFTER TUESDAY'S GAME

Just minutes after Borussia had snatched the Champions League final from the jaws of a sweating, panting Real Madrid in a heart-stopping second leg at the Bernabéu, the president Florentino Perez took Robert Lewandowski by the arm and led him to one of the offices in the stadium.

One of the unwritten laws of football the world over is: if you hurt me, score against me, and especially score goals that knock me out, next season you'll work for me. That's exactly what is happening to Borussia Dortmund striker, Robert Lewandowski, who has done all three.

Just minutes after Borussia had snatched the Champions League final from the jaws of a sweating, panting Real Madrid in a heart-stopping second leg at the Bernabéu, Florentino Perez approached Lewandowski. The president took him by the arm and led him to one of the offices in the stadium, relatively close to the changing rooms tunnel.

The Borussia striker and the almighty president of Real Madrid talked for about 10 minutes. The Polish star –a hero in Dortmund after scoring four goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinal – was shocked at Florentino’s initiative. His claim to fame now is that he has had a meeting very few players in the world have had. Zidane and Kaká are among the privileged few.

The President got straight to the point and told him he wanted to sign him and Lewandowski didn’t dismiss the idea outright, in spite of having an agreement with Bayern. The truth of the matter is that there are few players in the world who would dare to deny Florentino Pérez this pleasure. In fact, the Borussia striker was totally gobsmacked by the scene he lived at the Bernabéu on Tuesday.

A PORTRAIT OF ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

Robert Lewandowski was always meant to be an elite athlete. It’s in his genes. His father, Krzysztof, was a judo champion at national level. He also took his first steps as a footballer and even played for Hutnik Warsaw in the Polish second division. His mother, Iwona, was a volleyball player for AZS Warsaw. When she retired she became a coach and guided Lewandowski’s sister Milena in the early days of her sporting career. Now she is an international player on the Polish under 21 volleyball team.

Although he was thin and his "growth spurt" was a long-time coming, Lewandowski shone at cross-country, just like another of the Whites' targets, Gareth Bale.

However, what Robert really enjoyed was running ... after a ball. His passion for football was such that, so they say, his father asked the priest to speed the mass ceremony up at his First Communion, so he could play a match.

His mother, Iwona, has been crucial in his career because his father, Krzysztof, died when he was just 15 years old. Rumour has it that it was Jan Urban who cut short his career at the Polish giant, claiming "He doesn’t fit in with our philosophy".

His relationship with sport doesn’t end there either. His girlfriend, Anna Stachurska, whom he plans to marry next summer, won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Karate Championships. The paparazzi follow them everywhere. "We're not the Polish version of the Beckhams" he protests.

However, Lewandowski admits that he practices certain movements with Ana that help improve his acrobatic skills. No wonder Nuri Sahin nicknamed him 'The Body'.

EXPECTS PORTUGUESE STAR TO SIGN NEW DEAL

Real Madrid legend Raúl expects Cristiano Ronaldo to sign a new contract at the club and stay there for many years to come. "He is at Real Madrid now and I think his future is there too. But it's up to him", he told French weekly 'Le 10 Sport'.

The veteran forward went on to laud the Portuguese, with whom he shared a dressing room for a year at Real. "Cristiano is a top player and a top professional. I spent a year alongside him and I'm full of admiration for him".

Raúl also had words of praise for Karim Benzema. "He struggled to adapt a bit at the beginning, but he is an extremely classy player. It's all about him knuckling down on a day-to-day basis", he stated.

SHOULD MAKE SQUAD FOR 17TH MAY

Marcelo is pulling out all the stops in his attempt to recover in time for Friday 17th May, when Real Madrid and Atlético will lock horns in their Spanish Cup final showdown at the Santiago Bernabéu.

However speedy his recovery, the Brazilian looks unlikely to start. Mourinho has been delighted with Coentrao's recent performances on the left side of defence, meaning, barring any injuries, the Portuguese's name can already be pencilled in on the team sheet. Nevertheless, Marcelo is refusing to be discouraged by this situation.

The flamboyant full-back is doing everything in his power to feature in the cup final. The Brazilian is desperate to get back into the swing of things with a view to getting the nod to represent his country at the upcoming Confederations Cup.

A return to action wouldn't come a moment too soon for Marcelo, who was clearly on the edge throughout the midweek clash with Borussia Dortmund. The full-back watched the encounter, plain-clothed, from the players' tunnel until the last few minutes, when he ventured onto the pitch in protest at a handful of decisions made by referee Howard Webb.

On a different note, the club has now discovered the extent of the right hamstring injury Sergio Ramos picked up against the German outfit, which will keep him out for around 10 days. This means the Andalusian defender ought to be a shoo-in for the final, which is the last trophy Real Madrid can get its hands on this season. What's more, he should skipper the side, as Diego López will be in goal in place of Iker Casillas.

The news is less positive for Álvaro Arbeloa, who is continuing to be plagued by back problems. The full-back has even undergone injections in a bid to shake off his injury ordeal.

TARGETING "AT LEAST ONE GOOD SEASON AT REAL MADRID"

In an interview with ESPN, Kaká spoke about his past and present and made it clear that he would welcome Carlo Ancelotti's arrival at Real Madrid with open arms. "The best years of my career came under him", the Brazilian stated.

Should the PSG coach decide to trade Paris for Madrid, this could boost the Brazilian's hopes of seeing out his 'Los Blancos' contract. "My priority is to stay at Real Madrid for the next two years. I'd love the chance to play more often. That's my first choice – if it's not to be, then I'll start looking for alternatives", he told ESPN.

During the interview, Kaká shed some light on his struggles in Madrid. "I want to have at least one good season at Real Madrid: that's the challenge I've set myself. I don't know if you know what it's like to be frustrated in your job, but that's the sort of feeling I have here. I'm waiting until the end of the season to find out if I'm staying, on what terms and if I'm going to get more playing time", he acknowledged.

The ex-Milan ace admitted that things are up in the air in the Spanish capital. "It's difficult to say what's going to happen, which players are going to stay, whether Mou is carrying on, what the plan is going to be...", he claimed.

If one thing's for sure, however, it's that the Brazilian isn't planning on leaving Europe any time soon: "Going back to Brazil isn't my priority – I want to stay in Europe for a while longer. After that, then maybe I'll consider going back".

MADRID MANAGER DEFENDS HIS EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENTS

José Mourinho made a press conference appearance to defend Madrid's achievements: "In 21 years, 18 managers and five semi-finals. And the bad guy is Mou". He also stressed: "I haven't decided whether I'm going or staying. My wife and children will be the first to know my decision." He once again referred to his possible departure during the press conference: "I can confirm that I have five more games to play and a Copa del Rey final. I will talk to the president about my future at the end of the season. And, as we are friends, we'll sit down and speak calmly".

"I'm working with professionalism, and I still have the same honour and pleasure to work for this club as I did a month or two ago", he added. Mourinho believes he will be fine when he leaves Madrid: "I don't feel pressurised by the press. It's not a problem for me. I put pressure on myself. There are no negative words from the clubs I have left, quite the opposite. The day I leave here won't be any different".

"You won't be able to delete my Liga win from the records", he said before providing a reminder that "we won the Copa del Rey after 20 years". He also talked about Barça: "For me, it's a point of pride to have been the Real Madrid coach that has broken Barcelona's dominance in Spain".

He also seemed to have a message for Casillas, without naming names: "Problems arise when one person thinks he's better than the rest. I haven't had any problems with those players who see themselves as equals".

HE DEFENDED HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AT MADRID

Mourinho pulled out another of his little notes to remember the list of 18 managers who have managed to reach five Champions League semi-finals: "Toshack, Di Stéfano, Arsenio, Floro, Capello... And Mou's the bad guy with three". "There have been 18 managers in 21 years and in total they've managed five semi-finals in 21 years. And the bad guy is Mou, with three," he said in his assessment of the three semi-finals which he has reached over the last three seasons.

"I've won so very, very much that the expectations are always higher than what you achieve. I'm going to pull out one of my famous notes: the record-breaking league title is mine, and you're going to want to erase that but you can't. We won the cup after going 20 years without winning the cup. You can't erase that either. The Super Cup is tiny compared to the three Champions League semi-finals, which don't boost my ego or leave me satisfied. It can't be easy to achieve. It can't be easy because out of Toshack, Di Stéfano, Antic, Arsenio, Capello, Floro, Valdano, Heynckes, Hiddink, Camacho, López Caro, García Remón, Del Bosque, Queiroz, Luxemburgo, Juande, Schuster and Pellegrini; the bad guy is Mou, with three."