Jose Mourinho warns you can’t buy history

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is ready to embrace Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules and has warned the new breed of cash-rich clubs that difficult times may lie ahead.

European football’s governing body, led by president Michel Platini, has finally approved the application of a system of financial measures designed to restore stability to football across the continent.

And Mourinho insists that it is Real’s heritage, and that of other European giants, that will protect his club from any negative repercussions when the new regulations are applied.

The Portuguese said: “Madrid, Barca and Bayern are all clubs that have a unique history. You can’t buy that with money. The titles, the European Cups, the history, the fanbase, you can’t achieve these things just by spending money.

“And all the best players want to be at these clubs, at these three clubs and a few others that have hundreds of trophies between them.”

“It’s still an important factor for the players. Then you have to bear in mind that Financial Fair Play is coming in soon, and Platini says he wants it followed to the letter.

“They are going to impose restrictions on clubs that aren’t well structured and make life difficult for them, even if they have piles of money.

“I know my club Madrid well and the infrastructure is in place to cope (with the new rules).

“Real Madrid has the potential and the history to keep the best players, such as Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Iker) Casillas, (Karim) Benzema and (Gonzalo) Higuain. Barca are the same.

“But clubs that live exclusively on the funds of their owners won’t find life so easy, because they don’t have the structure of the historic clubs.

“And that’s why Financial Fair Play will be good for football.”