Mourinho: “We put pressure on ourselves because we want to win"

José Mourinho appeared in the press room at the Stadio Olimpico and analyzed the first away game in this edition of the Champions League, where our team will face Roma (Wednesday, 9:00 pm CEST; Orange TV and Movistar Liga de Campeones): "We have to play very well. In the first two games, we faced the two strongest teams in Italy. In the first one, we managed to get three points even with the challenge of having three players suspended from the previous season. Now, we face Roma: a strong team motivated by playing a Champions match again at the Stadio Olimpico. They have fans who actively participate and don't just come to watch the game. To get the three points, we have to play very well because we have an important opponent ahead. It's not yet the moment of pressure and the knockout stage of the Champions. We have eight games to earn the points needed to qualify, but we put pressure on ourselves because we want to win.”

What happened against Villarreal
“I don't want to comment on anything. Tomorrow is a Champions League match, and I don't need to comment on what happened in the League game.”

Why didn't you want to explain what happened against Villarreal?
“I already told your colleague that I didn't want to comment, but I will try to make this the last question in that sense. I invite you to watch just the first minute of the match against Villarreal. Watching one minute is enough, and if you want, we can discuss it on Saturday. The first minute is sufficient for those who understand.”

Do you trust referees more in the Champions League than in the League?
"No. I trust all referees. The only thing that makes me doubt is when the name of the referee is known three weeks before the game and not 24 hours before. This is the only thing that makes me unsure. Otherwise, regardless of the competition, I always have the best feelings about the referees before the game. I trust them. I hope everything goes well for all three teams, and I don't have any negative feelings."

Do your players play constrained when things like Saturday's events happen?
“When you ask me this question, you already know the answer. But, for some reason, you don't want to say it yourself. I find the communication people in Spain less direct. I see few direct and concrete opinions about situations that leave no room for doubt. I've understood that four or five questions are all heading in the same direction. Here, the Italian press is much more interested in the game than in those kinds of things. You'll have me again, so I think it's better to change.”

Your return to Rome
“Without a doubt, Inter and Roma are currently the two strongest teams in the Italian league. Since I faced both, I’ve started watching the Italian league very often. I’ve always watched as many games as I could, and without any doubt, they are the two strongest teams. Regarding my return, I’m fine, balanced, and solid. Without a doubt, during the game, I will give it my all, and there’s no doubt about that. Maybe before or after, I’ll touch my heart, but during the game, there’s no room for doubts. The Roma fans want to win, and I also want to win. At that moment, love is forgotten.”

Valverde's position
“I think he did very well in the match against Villarreal. We found what we were looking for. I thought about the possibility of going further in the game with the tie and needing to make more changes. On the bench, we had many offensive options to try to switch things up, but I felt the need to change the profile of the right-back we had at that moment. I didn’t want to make a Trent-for-Dumfries change. I thought that Fede, in the way we’re playing and building with three, could make the difference. And as a coach, sometimes things go wrong for me, but sometimes they go well. If you have three or four Fedes, then you can play one as a full-back, another in midfield... But we only have one, and since we have two good full-backs, I think Fede as a full-back happens in a very specific situation.”

How do you manage to win over the people at the clubs you arrive at?
“By being myself. It’s not that I try to be something different; I’m just myself, as always. The club’s and players’ interests are always above my own, and many times people value and identify with that. And then, if you do something for their happiness, even better. Here, it’s not that we won the Champions League or the Intercontinental Cup, but we won a European competition. We played a second European final in two years. I don’t hide that Roma fans are special people. I’ve been treated very well at many clubs, but these people are truly special.”

The match
“In that sense, it will be just another match. Yes, I manage to forget which stadium I’m in and who I’m playing against, and I’m doing that in preparing for the match. For me, it’s just another match. We don’t yet feel the real pressure of the Champions League. And looking at the games left to play, I think Real Madrid and Roma will qualify. Maybe I’ll come back for the quarterfinals, semifinals, or one of those bigger games. Before the match, it’s not normal: arriving at the airport, the journey here, passing through the hallway... That’s not normal. But the 90 minutes will be normal.”

How do you feel before the game?
“As always, incredible. I sleep like a baby. After the game, as always, I don’t sleep.”

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.