Mourinho: "A lot of points will be needed to avoid the playoff"

José Mourinho appeared in the press room of Real Madrid City and analyzed the third match of the Champions League, in which our team will face Leipzig at the Bernabéu (Wednesday, 9:00 pm CEST; Orange TV and Movistar Plus+): “Leipzig is not the team that lost so badly in Munich. It’s the team that beat PSV, that has three points, and that wants to qualify. We’ve won three matches in a short span and played very well in the last one. We delivered a very complete performance, but we need to keep going. Winning three games doesn’t mean we’ll win the fourth. Tomorrow, we need to play and win.”

The images showing Barcelona players asking the referee to check the play with VAR
“Tomorrow, we have a referee who doesn’t joke around and has exceptional quality and personality. Given how good he is and the personality he has, I think VAR doesn’t play an important role with him in the match. I’m very happy to have a referee like Kovács for such an important match as tomorrow’s.”

Is Real Madrid one of the favorites to win the Champions League?
“It’s too early. Madrid, at this moment, doesn’t have the goal of winning the Champions. Right now, the goal is to qualify. Afterward, if we reach the points needed to qualify, the next objective is to avoid the playoff, which we had to play last season, and they are two matches that always come with tension and responsibility. They put you in a knockout situation and are games that can be avoided. But looking at the competition, I have the feeling that many points will be necessary to avoid the playoff. We’re taking it step by step. First, we need to reach the first eleven points that allow us to qualify, and then we’ll give it our all to finish among the top eight.” 

Were you surprised by the work the players do in Valdebebas?
“I stayed here last night. On the other hand, yesterday afternoon I slept and didn’t work. The hours you spend here don’t necessarily show that you’re working. Maybe a player could sneak out hidden in a car, and you might think they haven’t left. But in a positive sense, I like that people say Jude has this culture of recovery and taking care of every detail because it’s true. It’s also true that he always comes in the afternoons with the physiotherapist and feels great with that individual care. But for them to be here, other people also need to be here. Inside, there is always a medical department available. No one stays here without some coach or assistant of mine staying as well. This dynamic of work is collective, and I like it a lot.”

Is Vinicius untouchable?
“The badge is untouchable. I don’t like this concept of an untouchable player. What makes players untouchable isn’t their status, the captain’s armband, or the years they’ve spent at the club. Nor is it about how much was paid for them. What makes a player untouchable is their performance on the pitch.”

Is the team where you want it to be?
“There’s still a long way to go. We’ve been here for three or four months, and it’s impossible to be where we want to be. There’s always room for improvement, both individually and collectively. Obviously, the more I get to know the players, the more technical and tactical understanding we gain. We’re taking it step by step. I’m aware that the demands of a club like Real Madrid are the highest. I’ve been here for a short time, but I was here for three years before, and that makes me fully aware of it. However, we can’t lose sight of the fact that there’s a lot of work to be done on different levels. The tactical aspect is an accumulation of experiences, work, and knowledge of the players. As I said earlier, I’m not a stubborn coach. I’m not one of those who live and die with an idea in their head, which means I’m always open to analyzing, understanding things, and finding what’s best for my team. I’m happy with many things and not happy with others. We have to keep working.”

What are Güler and Valverde’s best positions?
“The best position for them is on the pitch. They are obviously different players, but both have the ability to be versatile and adapt to different positions. There are players who can only play in one position or not at all. On the other hand, there are others who can play in various positions. Every match and team is different. Each team is a puzzle that we try to put together. The other day, we played with two midfielders, one more defensive and one more creative. There are matches where we play with more positional players. In Rome, in the last 20 minutes, we played with two practically free players. I try to create the best possible combination to give balance to the team while also trying to improve their quality. I still believe that if we had started in Rome with Bernardo and Arda from the first minute, we would have conceded five goals. Because we wouldn’t have been able to handle such an intense team coming out with everything from the very first minute. There’s a time for everything. I try to do things right. Sometimes I’ll be right, and other times I won’t.”

Can Espí and Mbappé play together?
“It’s difficult for both of them to start together. They can play in a match where we play a 4-4-2. But with the wide players we have, it’s not a 4-4-2; it’s a 4-2-4. It’s all about the timings. If you’re playing against a tired team that can’t get out of a low block and isn’t capable of stringing two or three passes together, then at that moment, you can do all the crazy things like we did in Rome. But you have to read the game. If I were to write or comment, surely you’d be much better than me. There’s a difference.”

Are you happy with Spanish referees?
“My opinion is that the president of the referees is exactly like me. For me, my players are the best in the world, and for him, his referees are the best in the world. I applaud that because it’s normal for him to defend his referees just as I defend my players. It’s absolutely normal for him to do so.

Your 100 days in charge of the team
“I think I was well-prepared not to have too many surprises. But I wanted to start from scratch. I wanted to see with my own eyes, listen, and communicate. And in that sense, I can’t talk about surprises. I expected what I found. I didn’t come here with the target of being here for 200 days or three years. I came here with the target of giving my best every day to build a better future.”

Diomande’s role against Leipzig
“I can’t give you any information about that. What I can tell you is that Vinicius will play tomorrow. Diomande doesn’t know if he’ll play tomorrow or not.”

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