Madrid  - Bernd Schuster is to continue as coach of troubled football club Real Madrid - for the time being.

Pedja Mijatovic, the club's sporting director, announced on Monday evening that Schuster still enjoys his confidence, despite recent results.

"My confidence in the coach has not changed since the beginning of the season," Mijatovic told the packed press conference at the Estadio Bernabeu.

Mijatovic compared the current situation with that of two years ago, when many "madridista" fans were chanting for the sacking of Fabio Capello - who then led Real to their first league title since 2003.

"In our first season," he added, "we had to make a difficult decision with Capello, and we did not get it wrong. Now we have a lot of confidence in a coach (Schuster) who had a great season last year. We continue to be very content with him."

Mijatovic added that "it has been bad luck that we have not achieved the desired results in our recent matches. ... At the end of the season we shall see which decisions we have to take."

He finished his statement by admitting that Real would try to make signings in the January transfer window, in order to strengthen an injury-plagued squad.

"This situation obliges us to enter into the winter market. ... It is not about signing for signing's sake, but to bring in someone who can help until June, and into the future. We are considering several names, and we will do whatever is necessary to sign two or three players."

The possible signings mentioned by the Madrid media include strikers Hernan Crespo of Inter Milan, Diego Milito of Genoa and Ricardo Oliveira of second division Zaragoza.

Mijatovic is desperate to reinforce Real's slender strike force, given that veteran Ruud Van Nistelrooy is out for the rest of the season with knee ligament problems.

Most sections of the Spanish media expected Schuster to be sacked after Saturday's 1-0 defeat away to lowly Valladolid, a result which leaves Real in joint third place, five points behind runaway leaders Barcelona.

Online opinion polls in the digital versions of Marca and AS show that most fans want to see the back of Schuster, who joined from Getafe in July 2007 after Capello was sacked. (dpa)