Sandro believes Spurs should show no fear against Real Madrid

Posted Thursday, March 24, 2011 by theguardian.com

• 'We're one of the strongest teams in Europe'
• Brazilian says style of English game suits him

Sandro believes Spurs should show no fear against Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur's Sandro is looking forward to their Champions League encounter with Real Madrid.

Sandro has urged his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates to play with no fear when they meet Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals next month.

Harry Redknapp's team travel to the Santiago Bernabéu on 5 April for the first leg before Spurs host Real in the return game the following Wednesday.

José Mourinho, the Madrid coach, praised Spurs' progress in the club's first Champions League season, but the Portuguese warned Tottenham that they would be eliminated by his side. "It is fantastic for Tottenham. They have reason to be proud already," he said. "But I believe we are the better team and I believe we are going to do it."

But the Brazilian Sandro said: "It's a dream of mine, and any professional, to play against one of the biggest teams in the world – but we're going to go there without fear. We know they've got some of the best players in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di María – but at the same time we've got fantastic players and we wouldn't have progressed so far in the competition if we didn't.

"People now know that Tottenham are one of the strongest teams in Europe, and we deserve to be up there playing against the best."

Spurs' campaign has included wins over Internazionale and Milan, whom they knocked out in the previous round, with Sandro, who joined the club in the summer from Internacional, starting the club's past five games as the 22-year-old Brazilian starts to establish himself.

Despite making 16 appearances for Spurs the midfielder said he has not yet come to terms with English football. He said: "I have worked hard in training to try to learn the English style of football. I don't feel I have learnt it 100% but I'm nearly there and I will continue to work hard.

"I really enjoy English football because the style of play suits me. It's stronger and the ball is passed quickly, so that's why I feel my adaptation has not taken as long. It's a pleasure to be playing for an English team in the Premier League and it's a good moment in my life. I want to keep going this way so that this moment lasts a long time."