MADRID, July 28 – Real Madrid's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo cut short his holidays by one day and started training on Tuesday under the club's new manager Jose Mourinho for the first time before the team heads to the United States.During Tuesday’s training session the Portuguese coach divided the players into two teams to play two practice games.
The team will head to California on Wednesday morning for a pre-season training camp where they will remain until August 7.
Several other of Real Madrid internationals who took part in the World Cup in South Africa will meet up with the squad in California, such as Brazil’s Kaka, who will arrive on Saturday.
Portuguese defender Pepe on Monday became the first Real Madrid international who took part in the tournament to have resumed training with the Spanish club.
Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player whose transfer to Real from Manchester United in cost the club 94 million euros in June 2009, failed to shine for Portugal during the World Cup.
The 25-year-old announced shortly after the final of the tournament which was won by Spain that he had become a father in June but refused to reveal who the mother of the baby boy is, sparking a media frenzy.
Real will play two pre-season friendlies while in California. The club will face Mexican side Aguilas de America in San Francisco on August 4 and US side LA Galaxy in Los Angeles three days later.
