Mourinho: "The players are at a high confidence level"

José Mourinho addressed the media in the press room at El Sardinero after the team's victory against Racing de Santander. Our coach stated: “El Sardinero has a lot of energy, and the team is very combative. Even losing 3-0, they had empathy with the stadium, and the danger was always there. It’s a game that could have been won four or five to zero with the chances we had in the second half, but it’s also a game that could have become complicated. In the first ten minutes, they had a couple of situations with Zabiri, with crosses to the near post. In the first half, we were very strong. We came out to play well and with purpose, even with the high pressing that Racing applied to us, as they do with all teams that come here. It’s a good and important victory in another challenging week for us.”

The defensive actions of Bellingham and Diomande
“It’s something that exists among everyone. There are players who have more physical and tactical aptitude for defensive work. But I’ve also seen Kylian press during the first phase of circulation. I’ve seen very committed people. The team is growing and playing well. In my opinion, we should score more goals with the opportunities we had. But we’re improving, and later, in the low block, the team knows how to compact itself. I’m happy with this growth. When more offensive players contribute with work and sacrifice actions, it’s also a positive message for the team. These are three very good points.”

Growth
“We are growing. We’ve been together for less than four months, and it’s a short time. But we’ve been progressively growing. I’ve understood things I didn’t understand on the first day. The players understand my character better as a coach, because as a person it’s secondary, and they understand the things that for me are non-negotiable. There is good human empathy, and there’s good empathy between the players, the coach, my ideas, and their qualities. We’re doing well, but let’s see this week with two tough and important matches.”

Racing’s protests
“My opinion is that they protest everything. It’s a stadium and a fanbase that I like a lot. They have that character and that way of playing a match. They don’t just come to watch like it’s a movie. They come to participate, to play, and they create a very difficult atmosphere for the opposing team. Also, there’s another factor, which is that they play with heart, and there are many people who don’t know the rules. They change them so much, and the small details are such that people don’t know that it’s never a penalty by Tchouameni because of the rebound from the ball. It’s never a penalty. When the referee called a penalty, I stayed calm because from 60 meters away, I couldn’t see it. But later, when I saw it on the iPad, I thought, if VAR doesn’t mess up, that’s not a penalty. For me, the referee was technically very good and disciplined. He gave out a couple of yellow cards, and that’s it. It was a tough and competitive match. For me, it’s obvious that it wasn’t a penalty.”

The team’s automatism
“The team is improving. The players are at a high confidence level. Football is played by men and women. They are men and women who play football, not just players. The emotional aspect also counts a lot. When things go well, it seems like everything goes well for everyone. When you bring in a Trent who hasn’t played in a few matches, I was aware that technically, in tight spaces, with an opponent that presses a lot, he would be better for us due to his technical quality. He comes on, plays an excellent and well-balanced match. When the moment is good, things seem better than they actually are. The truth is, I’m happy, and I think the players also feel like they are in a good moment.”

The celebration of the 0-3
“If the players come to our field, imagine if someone clever comes and takes it quickly. These are small things where sometimes emotion makes you lose sight of reality. I just try to give a little something to my own.”

Managing substitutions
“I’ve seen it all in football. The match is only over when the referee blows the final whistle. Also, there are some players who played today and won’t on Wednesday. In that sense, taking out people who will be on the bench on Wednesday wouldn’t make much sense. For example, if Tchouameni doesn’t play on Wednesday, then he plays 90 minutes today. It’s a different way of managing. For you, the match was under control, and I should have made substitutions. In my mind, I thought the opposite and decided to keep on the players who will be on the bench on Wednesday. The gift LaLiga has given us of playing today and again on Saturday forces us to do this on Wednesday. This goes against Spanish football, which should want its teams in Europe to earn points. But let’s see if, by making three or four changes, we can get the points in Athens.”

 

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