Mourinho: La Liga Has a Pressure Not Found in Other Leagues

Real Madrid has kicked off the La Liga season in perfect fashion, securing three wins from three matches. This early dominance sets up an immediate battle with Barcelona, the only other team with a flawless record. The Whites' next challenge is a formidable Real Betis side, who will also be competing in the Champions League this autumn. The match is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) evening at 10:00 PM in Seville. During his regular press conference, Real Madrid coach José Mourinho addressed various club matters, even commenting on the situations involving Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez. Here's what the Portuguese manager had to say:

The Match Against Betis
We need to see a great Real Madrid. Betis is a very good team. To win, we must perform at our absolute best.

On the Convicted Raúl Asensio
When I arrived, I spoke with him about past issues. But I no longer discuss situations outside of sports. At Valdebebas, Raúl is an exemplary professional – when he was in good condition, no one trained more or better than him. Now, he's the first to arrive and the last to leave. However, a Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 12 months a year. Everything you do off the pitch continues to be associated with Real Madrid. This continues to tarnish the prestige of a club that is untouchable. I'm not happy, and everyone makes mistakes, but an accumulation of mistakes is a different matter.

Will he count on him?
The club has initiated disciplinary proceedings against him. While this is ongoing (and there's no decision yet), I view Asensio as a Real Madrid player. He is injured and will remain so for another two weeks. This helps me stay out of this particular problem.

Tchouaméni and Other Midfield Absentees
You're disrupting my peace. We'll talk about this tomorrow, after the match. We'll have a serious problem to solve.

Has he spoken with former Real Madrid coaches about this team?
With Xabi Alonso – no, with Álvaro Arbeloa – yes. But the information I had wasn't from him. It's not easy for a former coach to discuss their previous situation.

The Level of La Liga
Atlético Madrid will be a title contender. They certainly believe and feel they can be. This stability, with the same coach and an identical mentality, is a significant strength in football. Furthermore, there are teams like Betis or Villarreal, who are in the Champions League and are strong – we'll see that tomorrow. The Basque teams too… all are tough opponents. For me, this is not an easy league. There's a pressure here that doesn't exist in other leagues – the need to always win. In Germany or France, they have the comfort of always being champions. Here, any result that isn't a win isn't considered a good result.

Another Encounter with Manuel Pellegrini (Betis coach)
I never blame anyone because we can't turn back time. In football, there's such a long past that there are things you say or do, and then you feel like an idiot. You feel you've made a mistake. I've made foolish comments. Afterwards, if he hears us, he'll laugh, because I paid for it, for example, with the championship title with Chelsea. He, on the other hand, acted like a true gentleman towards me – in a friendly match between Betis and Roma, with a referee who adored Betis. We were left with seven men on the field, and he told his players not to humiliate us. They could have scored eight goals against us, but they only scored three. A great example as a coach and as a person.

Ceballos and the Termination of His Contract
We spoke for three minutes on the phone. I told him I wouldn't be counting on him. Very often, players are stubborn and cling to their contracts, but in this case, things were easy because Dani told me he preferred to be a free agent to decide his future. Within days, he and the club reached this conclusion.

The Role of Youth Players at Real Madrid
Many of them work regularly with me, every day. Others come occasionally. We pay close attention to them. In recent years, they've done a great job. As a result, Thiago Pitarch has moved up to the first team, and Real Madrid has received many millions from the transfers of these players. Ultimately, these aren't transfers, because Real can bring these players back whenever they decide they want them. In cases of suspensions, injuries… they will get opportunities. I get to know them better every day. We have daily contact with La Fábrica. I won't talk about all of them, but they can be optimistic.

The Julián Álvarez Situation and How He Would Act
No one knows the specific situation better than Diego Simeone. I don't think I should say anything on the matter. I maintain that when a player is unhappy and September 1st arrives, they should be content, because otherwise, they won't play until January. As of yesterday, and at least until December, he will be an important player for his club.

Messi's Retirement from the National Team
It's difficult to talk about Messi. There are no words. He was what we all saw – one of those players we will miss. We'll have to watch some MLS matches, which I don't particularly enjoy. There are players you always miss. And we all know what he means.