Mourinho: Jeers Won't Change Anything at Real Madrid

In the previous La Liga round, Real Madrid suffered their first setback under Jose Mourinho, losing 0-1 to Betis. Barcelona immediately capitalized, taking their first lead over the "Whites" this campaign. Now, at the Bernabéu, there's a strong ambition to return to winning ways in the league, and they face what appears to be an easy task: a home game against neighbors Rayo Vallecano. The match is scheduled for Saturday evening at 10:00 PM, coming just days after their 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter. While Formula 1 has dominated conversations in Madrid recently, coach Jose Mourinho wants Real to be the main topic in the news. Here's what the Portuguese manager stated during his press conference:

On the match against Rayo Vallecano
We are happy, united, working well, recovering well… Today we had a tactical training session, but with respect for the opponent, who is coming off a win. We need to be very focused.

On criticism of the team
The jeers won't change this team's mood. Furthermore, there is, of course, unity and empathy, and that's an added bonus. We continue to do our job.

On Vinicius and the fans' attitude towards him
There's a similar saying in Portuguese: stones are only thrown at trees that bear fruit. What has Vini done here? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? How many knockout ties has he decided? Vinicius, who single-handedly decided the battle against Benfica last year, will emerge. We haven't seen him yet. He's working harder than ever. In the era of data, he's very close to his maximum speed. This season, he's improved his records, including tackles won… He will emerge.

On the Referees' Technical Committee confirming that Mbappé's penalty against Betis should not have been retaken
I'm not surprised, because one of the things I admire about referees is their solidarity with each other. Also, the protection of institutions. Unity is strength.

On Mbappé's statements
Kylian is right: a player who scores 40 goals every season is not a problem for the team. There are different types of people – those who understand and those who don't. The latter know it's not in their interest to talk about the good things. I've seen Kylian track back to help Cucurella, while a very annoying coach was shouting at him. I highly value such behavior. Then these people don't say that we defended well or that we could have scored eight goals. There will be boring matches where teams won't take risks and will end 0-0. Against Inter, they could have scored four goals against us, but we could have scored eight against them. Why don't they say that? Aren't they happy that we won? The staff is very happy; we suffered together and lost together against Betis. We have this feeling and this commitment to work for Real Madrid. We will do everything possible to make people happy.

On Tchouaméni and doubts about his partnership with Valverde
I haven't done anything; they've done everything. The empathy and friendship that exist within the group, going to the bench angry but supporting those who come on to help… The group is fantastic. As for Valverde and Tchouaméni (who had a fight some time ago – editor's note), if I knew nothing and arrived without any prior knowledge, I would think they were great friends. I haven't done anything; I haven't been a minister of peace. They have built a collective that I really like.

On rotations and Diomande
I won't say who will play and who won't. This is a match we want to win, and we must approach it seriously. Perhaps "rotation" isn't the right word, but there will be room for fresh energy. On Tuesday, we worked incredibly hard, and now we have many more options because we have fresh players. These are three matches in nine days, but our focus is on tomorrow's game and how to win it.

Where does he think the 2030 World Cup final should be held?
It's one thing where it should be and another where I would like it to be. I would like it to be in Lisbon (laughs). If you can play in a mythical, historic stadium where the greatest footballers in history have played and which is home to the most important club in the history of football, in my opinion, it should be here (the Bernabéu – editor's note). If I were the coach of Benfica, I would tell you the same thing.

Is there a Formula 1 team that reminds you of Real Madrid?
I have to be careful because they are all very kind to me. What that young man (Antonelli) is doing with Mercedes is incredible. I'm also friends with Fernando Alonso and I like his character. He's always one of the best, even when he doesn't have a good car. I really like this sport.