Mourinho aiming for success in the Champions League with Real Madrid

Posted Sunday, March 18, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Jose Mourinho has spoken of his burning desire to make Real Madrid a Champions League trophy contender once again during his stay in the Spanish capital.

The Blancos have been paired with APOEL in the quarterfinal stage of the competition this year but could set up a potential final with arch-rival Barcelona. Nevertheless, the former Chelsea boss is desperate to see his side continue to press on in the tournament.

"I want to win the Champions League quarterfinals, to put Madrid into the semis for the second consecutive year especially after so many years without being one of the top seeds," Mourinho said at a press conference. "When I arrived here we were not one of the top teams, and we were behind a lot of the other sides in the draw. Now we are the team who has the most points, and will probably be top seeds next year.

"I want to reaffirm Real Madrid's status once again. When we do get to the semifinals, we will start to think about reaching the final, but the next step is the semis."

Madrid travels to Nicosia in the first-leg on March 27, before welcoming its Cypriot counterparts on April 4 for the return fixture.