Mourinho: "It was a tough match with three crucial points"

José Mourinho appeared in the press room of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and analyzed the victory over Inter Milan in the first matchday of the Champions League: "It could have ended 5-1 or 6-1 for us. It could also have ended 6-6. I don’t want to say that Inter won the game because we created more and in crucial moments, like the two chances Jude had before and after the break. It was a crazy game, and I don't like that kind of madness. I prefer to score 5, 6, or 7 but with absolute control and without needing an absolutely incredible performance from the goalkeeper. In today’s game, whoever decides the best player on the field must have been asleep, because if they don’t give Courtois the best player award today, they never will (laughs). Without taking credit away from Fede, who won it. It was difficult to play with Trent, whom I greatly appreciate for the work he did, but his characteristics as a midfielder and the physical demands of playing as a full-back or midfielder are different."

"As a coach, I couldn’t do the things I would like to do. If you see Inter’s goal, it’s clear that we had already lowered our defensive intensity and didn’t have too many players who could help us control the game differently. We were very good when we were compact. Valverde’s goal wasn’t a coincidence but a great interpretation of the structure and strategy we had. We played against a great team with many options that increased their intensity with the substitutions. It was a tough match with three crucial points. We are three points closer to qualifying, and I am absolutely convinced we will qualify, but getting these three points early is important."

Vini Jr.
“I’m not criticizing the fans; I’m speaking as a coach and about my relationship with him. He deserves all my respect. He’s not at his best, and we all see that. He’s the first to know it and is working very hard to be the player who decides matches. By not being at his peak, he’s working harder than ever in training and games. When he hasn’t been able to defend, it’s been due to fatigue, but he put in a very good effort during the game. I have to appreciate that, and I have great respect for the Vini Jr. I’ve encountered. The time will come when he decides matches.”

Affection for Vini Jr. when substituted
“If he works for the team, he always has my support. Does this mean he has to start every game or play ninety minutes every match? No, but he will always have my respect and affection. He worked a lot for the team. Playing against a team that plays with their eyes closed, with three at the back and pushing their full-backs forward the way they do, is very difficult for wingers. His work and Brahim’s work were very good in closing inside and allowing the full-backs to press on the outside. Obviously, he could have killed the game in one of those actions on the left wing, but the Vini Jr. who is at his peak kills the game like he did against Benfica. That’s what we expect from him, but someone who gives everything is not obliged to give more because they have no more to give. And he gave it all. When a player gives everything, the coach is with him.”

Message to the fans after the game
“I can’t say anything to them. The fans’ opinions are important, and I can’t tell them anything.”

Boos for Mbappé after his substitution
“I don’t comment on the crowd’s reactions, neither today nor until my last day here. But when he was substituted, I gave him a kiss, and that means respect for the work he did for the team.”

Trent
“He played very well and interpreted what he had to do from a tactical point of view. Both he and Valverde worked very well against the runs of Jones and Barella. He had some ball losses because it’s not the same to play with the field in front of you as it is to have part of the field in front and part behind. He has played there a few times with Liverpool or the national team, but he’s not a player used to that, mainly because of the intensity and specificity of the physical work. It requires a completely different engine than his, which is more suited for a positional full-back. When he left the field, he had nothing left to give. And I thank him for the effort he made for the team. I also thank Tchouameni for his effort, even though he hadn’t trained with the team. The last time he touched the ball was in the World Cup semifinals. What you saw yesterday was to mislead you because you didn’t see anything.”

The substitutions
“You ask a lot of questions about the stadium, and I’m not going to comment on that. A couple of days ago, we played in Seville against Betis, we dominated them, and we had ten goal-scoring chances to win. Betis suffered a lot, but it was 11 against 70,000 more. With all due respect, it’s a great club, but Real Madrid is something else. People have a different level of expectation. I also think you like these types of questions about the stadium to see if I’ll say I’m upset with the fans. No, I’m not upset with anyone. I’m happy with the points and what the players gave.”

Inter
“They are a top team and by far the best team in Italy. I only see Roma with the legs to be close to them. They are a team dominating in Italy and have played two Champions finals in the last four or five seasons. They have an extraordinary squad, the ambition to win the Champions League, and a very good coach who creates empathy with the players. They are a perfect team to achieve great things. I’ve been here for two and a half months, with some players less than a month, and I’m at the beginning of my work. There’s still a long way to go.”