Mourinho: 'We have a strong squad with solutions'
“I couldn’t be happier with what the players are doing after just a couple of weeks together,” added our coach.
José Mourinho addressed the media in the press room at the Ciudad Real Madrid ahead of the match against Málaga on matchday three of LaLiga, which will take place at the Bernabéu (Sunday, 5:00 pm CEST; Orange TV and Movistar LaLiga). The coach said: “There have been players, and I never tire of repeating this, who have had different pre-seasons, but we have a strong squad with solutions to compensate for these small problems. I can give you an example. Tomorrow Cucurella starts, and Carreras, who played well against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will stay on the bench. If Cucurella runs out of gas in the 70th or 75th minute, we have Álvaro ready to come on. This is the kind of solution a squad like this provides a coach.”
Diomande's form
“I’m not going to say much more about individual players, but he is one of those who arrived late and had a challenging summer due to uncertainty. He wasn’t training with Leipzig, and when he arrived in Madrid, he didn’t have a solid base of work with his previous team. He’s already had minutes against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, which is what players need to grow, and he’s getting better and better. Tomorrow, he’ll either start or come on later. He’s becoming more and more prepared.”
The connection between Mbappé and Bellingham
“It’s not just between the two of them, but between everyone. The key point is quality, and we’re talking about super quality. A secondary point, which is still important, is the empathy between two people. I’m not just talking about two players; I’m talking about two individuals. We have a great deal of empathy, friendship, and collaboration. When you combine personal empathy with immense quality, we have everything we need to keep improving. The team dynamic is about 11, not 2+9, and this dynamic will make us better and more effective. I couldn’t be happier with what they’re doing after just a couple of weeks together.”
The Focus
“There are two types of focus: being together and sleeping at the hotel or Valdebebas, and the other, which is mental. That is what truly matters, and it has nothing to do with sleeping at the hotel or at Valdebebas. It's different, and it's what we work on during training. It sometimes makes me sad that you come to training three times a week and only see the warm-up and rondos because there's a lot of focus in the other work. That's the focus that interests me. Sleeping or not sleeping depends on the situation. We've had three days between the two matches and a trip that had us arriving in Madrid at 2 or 3 in the morning, like a Champions trip. Now we have a tactical meeting, we’ll eat together, spend some time, and we’ll meet again tomorrow morning. Cucurella, Espí, and I will sleep here, and the rest will sleep at home.”
“He is a unique and super important player for the team. He is a player with different talents, from physical to mental and tactical. He also has the ability to recover balls, press, and score goals, and his aerial game. He is an absolutely impressive player, but I don't like to talk too much about Kylian, Vini, or Jude. I understand the reason for the questions, but I am very happy with all the players. As I said in a press conference some time ago, we have great players, very great players, and outstanding players. The team has to function as a team. Madridistas go to the Bernabéu to see these standout individuals, but they also go to the Bernabéu to see a team play as a team, suffer as a team, face difficulties—like we did during a period against Real Sociedad—and dominate as a team. I am the coach of this team, and I really like all the players I have.” The Ballon d’Or
“It’s a very beautiful individual achievement that enters the individual history of a particular player. And I think it’s normal for there to be candidates—there aren’t many, about a dozen top-level players, among whom we have three or four. It’s natural for it to be an ambition. For me, the Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they stop playing, we miss them for eternity. I miss Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, Messi, Zizou, Lothar Matthäus... I miss these players. You can't give the Ballon d’Or to a player just because he won the Champions or the World Cup. If you want to reward the Champions League, then give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique. The Ballon d’Or for managers, to represent the team. Or to the Spanish national team—surely coach De la Fuente deserves the Ballon d’Or for managers. That is the great tribute to a team that enters history. But being the best player in the world is another thing. And he doesn’t necessarily have to be from Paris Saint-Germain or the Spanish national team. The best player in the world is among two, three, or four, and we know who they are and where they are. And they’re here. And we know who, individually, made history this summer. Then, the Ballon d’Or may also have some political aspects to it. And when politics come into play, I don’t like it as much. But you already know my view of the Ballon d’Or, and we’re not going to reinvent it now with the Spanish national team or Paris Saint-Germain. Player? That’s something else.” Thiago’s Recovery
“First, let me say that for me, Arbeloa has done a fantastic job at the lower level. Then, at the higher level, it’s a different story, and he has had a situation that isn’t easy for anyone, but he has done a fantastic job—not just with Thiago, but with many other players. It's work that continues very well at the lower level because every time I get a player who comes from Castilla, I like them. There’s not a single one I don’t like. Of all those who have come and all those who will come, there’s not a single one I don’t like. In the case of Thiago, Álvaro has given him so many matches and so many minutes that he has proven beyond any doubt that he can play with Castilla occasionally, but he’s not a player who should be playing in the division where Castilla plays. He’s a first-team player, and I like him a lot. He has qualities that I really like, and he is part of this group of 21 players. As you can see right now, we have Rivas, Ciria, Cestero, and two goalkeepers on the bench. When Thiago is fit, he will be part of the group, and being part of the group, minutes will come his way as well. He has a lot of quality. The only thing I tell him is that his leg muscles are as thin as mine, and he needs to add a couple of kilos with some work.” Does the attack need as much work as the defense, or is it better to leave it to the players' inspiration?
“When you have players of incredible quality, they often make the coach look like a genius. And often, the coach isn’t a genius; the geniuses are the players because they do things that go beyond the day-to-day work. We work on both defensive organization and offensive organization. Today, for example, we dedicated 45 minutes to offensive organization, and obviously, we work on tactical setups and movements. But when it comes to challenges, it’s the players who win matches. You have to give them space for their creativity and their ability to make decisions without losing the concept of organization, which I think we are improving a lot in this regard.” The Injured Players
“Endrick is close. Out of everyone, he is the closest to returning, but I don’t want to take risks. I don’t want to risk saying he might be ready for Betis, but he could be ready for Betis or maybe for the first Champions match. The other processes are more complicated, like Militão, Rodrygo, or Asencio. In Tchouameni’s case, we have to manage emotions because I don’t want him, driven by his desire to play, to come in and then have to step out again. He played in the World Cup, stopped, and then played again in the semifinal. I don’t want to start the season in August with a situation like this. I prefer to wait a bit and have Tchouameni in good shape, as he is an important player for us.”
The Focus
“There are two types of focus: being together and sleeping at the hotel or Valdebebas, and the other, which is mental. That is what truly matters, and it has nothing to do with sleeping at the hotel or at Valdebebas. It's different, and it's what we work on during training. It sometimes makes me sad that you come to training three times a week and only see the warm-up and rondos because there's a lot of focus in the other work. That's the focus that interests me. Sleeping or not sleeping depends on the situation. We've had three days between the two matches and a trip that had us arriving in Madrid at 2 or 3 in the morning, like a Champions trip. Now we have a tactical meeting, we’ll eat together, spend some time, and we’ll meet again tomorrow morning. Cucurella, Espí, and I will sleep here, and the rest will sleep at home.”
“He is a unique and super important player for the team. He is a player with different talents, from physical to mental and tactical. He also has the ability to recover balls, press, and score goals, and his aerial game. He is an absolutely impressive player, but I don't like to talk too much about Kylian, Vini, or Jude. I understand the reason for the questions, but I am very happy with all the players. As I said in a press conference some time ago, we have great players, very great players, and outstanding players. The team has to function as a team. Madridistas go to the Bernabéu to see these standout individuals, but they also go to the Bernabéu to see a team play as a team, suffer as a team, face difficulties—like we did during a period against Real Sociedad—and dominate as a team. I am the coach of this team, and I really like all the players I have.” The Ballon d’Or
“It’s a very beautiful individual achievement that enters the individual history of a particular player. And I think it’s normal for there to be candidates—there aren’t many, about a dozen top-level players, among whom we have three or four. It’s natural for it to be an ambition. For me, the Ballon d’Or should go to one of those players who, when they stop playing, we miss them for eternity. I miss Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, Messi, Zizou, Lothar Matthäus... I miss these players. You can't give the Ballon d’Or to a player just because he won the Champions or the World Cup. If you want to reward the Champions League, then give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique. The Ballon d’Or for managers, to represent the team. Or to the Spanish national team—surely coach De la Fuente deserves the Ballon d’Or for managers. That is the great tribute to a team that enters history. But being the best player in the world is another thing. And he doesn’t necessarily have to be from Paris Saint-Germain or the Spanish national team. The best player in the world is among two, three, or four, and we know who they are and where they are. And they’re here. And we know who, individually, made history this summer. Then, the Ballon d’Or may also have some political aspects to it. And when politics come into play, I don’t like it as much. But you already know my view of the Ballon d’Or, and we’re not going to reinvent it now with the Spanish national team or Paris Saint-Germain. Player? That’s something else.” Thiago’s Recovery
“First, let me say that for me, Arbeloa has done a fantastic job at the lower level. Then, at the higher level, it’s a different story, and he has had a situation that isn’t easy for anyone, but he has done a fantastic job—not just with Thiago, but with many other players. It's work that continues very well at the lower level because every time I get a player who comes from Castilla, I like them. There’s not a single one I don’t like. Of all those who have come and all those who will come, there’s not a single one I don’t like. In the case of Thiago, Álvaro has given him so many matches and so many minutes that he has proven beyond any doubt that he can play with Castilla occasionally, but he’s not a player who should be playing in the division where Castilla plays. He’s a first-team player, and I like him a lot. He has qualities that I really like, and he is part of this group of 21 players. As you can see right now, we have Rivas, Ciria, Cestero, and two goalkeepers on the bench. When Thiago is fit, he will be part of the group, and being part of the group, minutes will come his way as well. He has a lot of quality. The only thing I tell him is that his leg muscles are as thin as mine, and he needs to add a couple of kilos with some work.” Does the attack need as much work as the defense, or is it better to leave it to the players' inspiration?
“When you have players of incredible quality, they often make the coach look like a genius. And often, the coach isn’t a genius; the geniuses are the players because they do things that go beyond the day-to-day work. We work on both defensive organization and offensive organization. Today, for example, we dedicated 45 minutes to offensive organization, and obviously, we work on tactical setups and movements. But when it comes to challenges, it’s the players who win matches. You have to give them space for their creativity and their ability to make decisions without losing the concept of organization, which I think we are improving a lot in this regard.” The Injured Players
“Endrick is close. Out of everyone, he is the closest to returning, but I don’t want to take risks. I don’t want to risk saying he might be ready for Betis, but he could be ready for Betis or maybe for the first Champions match. The other processes are more complicated, like Militão, Rodrygo, or Asencio. In Tchouameni’s case, we have to manage emotions because I don’t want him, driven by his desire to play, to come in and then have to step out again. He played in the World Cup, stopped, and then played again in the semifinal. I don’t want to start the season in August with a situation like this. I prefer to wait a bit and have Tchouameni in good shape, as he is an important player for us.” The new international break in September
“I am concerned about international matches because it’s a long time, and I worry less about the players who will be playing than those who won’t play. Those worry me a lot. With the relationship I have with Carlo (Ancelotti), I will be updated on the situation, and maybe we can exchange GPS data. With Carlo, it won’t be a problem, but with other coaches where there isn’t this friendship and trust, having players away for practically three weeks is very complicated. But we will also trust in the professionalism of those coaches and the respect they can have for the players and the clubs. I don’t want to dramatize too much now, but it’s a period where injuries often occur during international duty and also when they return to the club. When they return, they’ve lost all the balance of the work they were doing, and when they get back to the club, within a week or two, the injury happens. It’s concerning, but it is what it is, and there’s nothing to be done.” Is it harder to manage the locker room or to coach?
"Ancelotti is great in every aspect and is not a coach with weak points. He is outstanding on every level. I see everything very naturally, even problems are something natural. I haven’t had my first problem yet, but they will come. I don’t know if it will be from a management perspective or a tactical one. And when they come, whether from a tactical or management perspective, it’s normal for it to happen. It has to be seen naturally and managed naturally.” Lineup leaks
“If tomorrow we go to the match, and until an hour and a half before the opponent doesn’t know our lineup, I prefer that. But if our lineup comes out today, it’s not dramatic for me. What’s concerning is when you make a lot of structural changes. If tomorrow, for example, we play with three center-backs or we play with Espí and Kylian together. If we do something that’s a bit outside what Málaga’s coach might expect, then yes, it’s concerning. But the difference between playing Carreras and Cucurella is not dramatic for me. If the lineup doesn’t come out, it’s a positive feeling, because it means the players haven’t talked, the kit staff hasn’t talked, or the medical department has kept quiet.”
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.