Winning key for Mourinho amid academy spat

Mourinho, whose expensively assembled Real side play at Levante in La Liga on Sunday, has responded to the criticism by pointing out that it is useless to promote academy graduates if buying in players is more effective over the short term.

He has little sympathy with romantics who would like to see more homegrown players on the pitch alongside captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas and full-back Alvaro Arbeloa, currently the only regular starters from the club's academy, even though Arbeloa's skills were honed by a spell at Liverpool.

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