Jose Mourinho spoke to the media ahead of Real Madrid’s match against AEK Athens, where he was asked to compare this team to his first Real Madrid team. He said: “I don’t like to make comparisons, not of players, teams, or periods. We’re talking about many years ago. Honestly, I don’t like it. This team has great potential, without a doubt. The other one had it too, and they won many titles. This team hasn’t won anything yet; it’s just starting out. We’ll see what the future holds, but I’m very happy
with the squad and the players I have.”
Mourinho on Jesús De Miguel
“It’s a very shocking thing for people like us who are on the field every day, competing. It’s hard, it’s sad. All our words and feelings go out to Jesús’s family and friends. It must be a very difficult time for the other player involved in the situation (Owono). It’s sad for everyone.”
Mourinho on the game
“We have to be serious. We’re close to qualifying for the playoffs, but far from qualifying directly for the round of 16, and we need points. We have to play seriously against a strong team, especially at home. The fact that Real Madrid has only won one of eight games in Athens is significant. We have to play our best, we have to play seriously, we have to maintain our level of play because we need points.”
Mourinho on how difficult the match would be
“A bit of everything. They’re the champions. We’ve faced a lot of champions in these eight matches. Greece is always difficult. Real Madrid, the kings of Europe, have only won once in Greece out of eight visits. I played here twice, many years ago, and I know how difficult it is to play in this kind of atmosphere. They also have a very tough Champions League schedule, and I’m sure they think that playing at home is their best chance to pick up points. And then every opponent who sees the white shirt in front of them gets incredibly motivated. It’s a match where we have to be at our absolute best, and if we’re not at our best, we won’t win.”
Mourinho on Fede Valverde’s positioning
“I see him as a crucial player for the team. Being the captain of Real Madrid makes him see things differently. When you’re the captain, you have to be different; it’s a responsibility, and I think that will make him play wherever is necessary for his team and his teammates. That’s what a captain is to me, and that’s why I’m convinced it won’t be a problem for Fede to play anywhere. The squad is built to play with Valverde in midfield. This means we don’t have many midfielders, and since we don’t have many, I’m sure Valverde will play in midfield again. If you ask me if I’m happy he’s playing at full-back, yes. If you ask me if the team is playing better on that side, yes. But in midfield, we have Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bernardo, Thiago, and that’s it. That’s why I say Fede will play at full-back, because we all like him that way, but he’ll also have to play in midfield.”
Mourinho on whether Mbappe, Diomande and Vinicius Junior will play together
“You’re also forgetting Brahim, Endrick… We have a lot of quality players there. Having a lot of players is never a problem for me. Diomande can play on both wings, Brahim too, Endrick on the right but also on the left… Of all of them, Vini is the player best suited to playing on the left wing. We know that.”
Mourinho on wanting to win the Champions League with Real Madrid
“It would be my third with three different clubs. It would be winning it with the biggest club in the world… But we’re talking about hypothetical situations, and I prefer real-life scenarios. And the reality is that we need more points to qualify. Until we qualify, I’m not even going to talk about the round of 16. Tomorrow’s match is difficult, but after this inconvenient trip between two important league games, since we’re here, we have to win.”
Mourinho on the win over Roma being the turning point
“From an emotional standpoint, it can obviously always leave you with something positive. But a turning point in terms of our game, I don’t think so, because I believe more in the process than in the moment. We’re getting to know each other better and better. Every training session and every match gives us the opportunity to improve. We’re also discovering ourselves. Every experience we have helps us understand each other better. And this accumulation of work and experience is what makes teams better. I don’t put much stock in turning points.”
Mourinho on how long it takes to reach perfection
“Three years. Three seasons.”
