Mourinho Prepares Real Madrid for Tough Valencia Clash
Following a dramatic win in the UEFA Champions League against AEK Athens, Real Madrid is set to return to domestic action, facing Valencia at the Mestalla. Ahead of this crucial match, manager Jose Mourinho spoke to the press, sharing insights into his team's preparations and the challenges that lie ahead.
Mourinho noted the tight schedule his team has been navigating, stating, "I think we’re doing well. We arrived here at 3 a.m. after the trip from Athens, but we stayed together. No player went home in an attempt to get a couple more hours of sleep. The feedback from the players has been positive, but we’re not going to make a drama out of it. We’ll be ready tomorrow."
The Portuguese coach also addressed Cristiano Ronaldo's recent decision to retire from international football. "I don’t want to do anything more than comment on it. The decision must be respected, and obviously I respect it. This is not retirement. Anyone who knows him understands that he still has goals he wants to achieve in his career. The only thing I would like to say is that when the day comes for him to retire from football, I hope it will be different from yesterday. Do I see him as a coach? I don’t know what might be going through his mind, but it’s too early to say."
Mourinho highlighted the transformation of Federico Valverde over recent months, stating, "I can’t compare him with the Valverde of last season. I have seen a professional, humble young man who is a friend to his teammates… someone who sets an example for everyone. Being captain of Real Madrid is not easy."
As for the upcoming match against Valencia, Mourinho acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge. "I’m not someone who particularly misses things. More than Mestalla, I look at Valencia as a club. The most important thing is tomorrow’s match, which I consider one of the most difficult in the entire league. They have a very difficult manager, with a great deal of experience who knows exactly what philosophy he wants his teams to follow. It will be a difficult match for us. To win, we have to be at our very best."
When discussing the other contenders for the La Liga title, Mourinho expressed his desire for both teams to drop points, saying, "I would like both of them to lose, but that’s not possible. It’s easy to understand because one of the two will drop points. This weekend, we know that points will be dropped… and I’ll tell you honestly, I don’t care what happens."
Mourinho reflects on tributes and lineup plans
Mourinho also touched on the recent passing of Jesus de Miguel and the tributes planned across competitions. "From what I have been told, there will be some beautiful tributes across all competitions. But ideally, if it were possible to speak to Jesús and ask him the question, that would be best. Since that is impossible, only his family and teammates can say what Jesús would have wanted."
Looking ahead to the match, Mourinho hinted at his starting lineup, stating, "I’m not thinking about that. It’s easy to understand that Konaté and Dean will play tomorrow. We will distribute the minutes among the players available to us. But now, thanks to the decision to play on Saturday, the players who go away with their national teams will have Sunday off."
On the topic of Vinicius, Mourinho emphasized the importance of team over individual players. "For me, the most important thing is the team. I have never deliberately wanted to harm the team in order to benefit an individual player. That question has come up in the Champions League, and when Vinicius is available again as normal, I will manage the situation accordingly."
Mourinho concluded by addressing the upcoming international break, stating, "Tomorrow’s match worries me, in inverted commas. The difficulty of tomorrow’s game is my priority. I don’t see the national-team break as a problem, provided they look after the players: manage their minutes and take care of them. I have no concern about a player having the honour of representing his country. The priority is a match against a team whose players are fresh and a coach who isn’t concerned with playing beautiful football; he is only thinking about winning."
After Further Review
Despite the excitement of the recent Champions League victory, Mourinho acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, "It’s better not to have to come from behind. It’s better to do what we did in Santander, leading 3-0 at half-time. A comeback represents something positive, but it also has a negative side. It comes down to belief, having a strong bench, the group’s motivation and knowing what shirt you are wearing… but there is also a negative aspect, and that is something we have to work on. We need to find greater consistency in the way we start matches."
With Barcelona and Atletico Madrid facing off against each other, Real Madrid has a prime opportunity to improve their position in the La Liga table. However, they must first secure a victory against Valencia, and Mourinho will be looking to guide his team to another positive result.
