Mourinho: "From a prestige standpoint, becoming coach of Real Madrid is like reaching the moon"

According to Jose Mourinho, "the goal is to make this team as stable and consistent as possible" while Real Madrid also "continue winning."

"What I liked most about Saturday’s match is that we didn’t need 35 shots to score two goals like we did against Ajax. We found the back of the net twice with half as many shots."

"Ronaldo... is Ronaldo. He has made it this far thanks to both his many qualities and because of his defects, of which he has few. In attack his game is a little more individualistic, because his quality allows him to do that. That is how he won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League, titles, prestige… He works hard every day and on the pitch. He provides a lot of help to his teammates. He is a fantastic player."

"I liked the team's mentality"

Mourinho: "I can tell the players want to win every match"

Realmadrid.com

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho discussed his team's perfomance following its match against the LA Galaxy and although admitting he saw things he wasn't pleased with, he also commented on what he did like.

"Gonzalo Higuain is a top forward. He scored two goals, which is quite important to a forward. What I liked most were his movements on the pitch, which were those of an intelligent forward. He makes the game easy for other attackers because he plays from behind and opens up a lot of ground."

"Real Madrid cannot spend ten months playing with only Cristiano or Higuain. We will be participating in three competitions, so I need Benzema as he is an important player in my book."

"I liked the team's mentality. They did not want to lose. I always tell my players that friendly matches do not exist, that preseason matches are used to make a lot of changes and that winning isn't what counts. I do not like the word "friendly" in football. I can tell the players want to win every match:"

"There were moments I didn't like in both of our matches, but that's logical because we are still working and learning and there are many things to iron out. That said, there were also a lot of things I did like, such as the second half of today's match. I liked how we played on defense, how we pressured, how we played the ball and how we managed to score."

"I liked the team's mentality"

Mourinho: "I can tell the players want to win every match"

Realmadrid.com

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho discussed his team's perfomance following its match against the LA Galaxy and although admitting he saw things he wasn't pleased with, he also commented on what he did like.

"Gonzalo Higuain is a top forward. He scored two goals, which is quite important to a forward. What I liked most were his movements on the pitch, which were those of an intelligent forward. He makes the game easy for other attackers because he plays from behind and opens up a lot of ground."

"Real Madrid cannot spend ten months playing with only Cristiano or Higuain. We will be participating in three competitions, so I need Benzema as he is an important player in my book."

"I liked the team's mentality. They did not want to lose. I always tell my players that friendly matches do not exist, that preseason matches are used to make a lot of changes and that winning isn't what counts. I do not like the word "friendly" in football. I can tell the players want to win every match:"

"There were moments I didn't like in both of our matches, but that's logical because we are still working and learning and there are many things to iron out. That said, there were also a lot of things I did like, such as the second half of today's match. I liked how we played on defense, how we pressured, how we played the ball and how we managed to score."

somehow he only wears grey

better than pink Sergio Ramos

hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ure the best Aga!!!

Mourinho keen on signing Fabiano

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Brazilian hitman has been hardly a hit for his club this season, starting just once and scoring none in the La Liga so far.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, his current plight at Sevilla has attracted the interest of Mourinho, who is on the hunt for a new striker following Karim Benzema's less than impressive form for the Los Blancos this season

The Special One is willing to offer a life-line to Fabiano, who is not new to speculation linking him away from Sevilla and has recently hinted on seeking a fresh challenge should his lack of first-team action persists.

The 29-year-old, who was hotly linked with English side Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, will reportedly cost Madrid €20 million.

Mourinho rules out January signings

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has dismissed the likelihood of any new additions arriving in the January transfer window.

Madrid spent in the region of 250million euros on bolstering their squad in the summer of 2009 following the return of Florentino Perez as president, while this summer the Spanish giants splashed out again on six new players.

Despite that, Madrid are still being linked in the media with various players such as Fernando Llorente, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale.

However, Mourinho has ruled out the possibility of new faces coming in before the end of the season - save for extreme circumstances.

"It's normal there's talk of players. Madrid is Madrid and there's always talk of players," Mourinho said on his club's website, www.realmadrid.com.

"Mainly it's great players because if you talk of mediocre players people won't believe it.

"It seems normal to me, but as coach I have to say not only what I think but what the club thinks and that is that this is the squad until the end of the season. These are the players which we have faith in,"

"Real Madrid have made the investment that they had to do in previous years and this summer. We don't have the perfect squad, because the perfect squad doesn't exist. We have an excellent squad with players who give me a lot of confidence and I don't want any players in the winter market.

"It seems premature to me and unrealistic when there is talk of signings in January when the coach, and surely the director general (Jorge Valdano) and the president (Perez), will say that the market now and in January for Real Madrid is closed if nothing unusual happens."

Madrid are unbeaten and have won six of their eight competitive matches since Mourinho took charge this summer, leaving them third in the Primera Division standings and two points clear at the top of their Champions League group.

Mourinho: Fergie my best friend

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho considers Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson his closest pal in football.

Mourinho has been tipped to take over the reins at Manchester United once Ferguson retires. The Portuguese has repeatedly expressed his love for the English game and the desire to be coach again in the country.

Now he has revealed how close his relationship with Fergie is.

In comments quoted by Marca, he said: "Among all the coaches in football, I can say he [Ferguson] is my best friend."

Mourinho also went on to criticise those in Spain who question his ability to lead Real Madrid.

"I think that Real Madrid cannot have a coach with no track record," he said.

"Now there is a trainer with two Champions Leagues, 6 league championships, tournaments in different countries, including Cups, with 17 titles in total but comes here and they create so much doubt as though I arrive here with nothing.

"No matter how good a coach is, however phenomenal a coach is, if you come here with nothing you would be killed."

Real showed signs of sparking into life in their last La Liga encounter, thrashing Deportivo 6-1. Fans will be hoping they can carry on from that win when La Liga action resumes this weekend.

Mourinho:" Jesualdo Ferreira and I have a great relationship"

Realmadrid.com

Jose Mourinho discusses the busy week ahead with Malaga and Milan on the agenda as well as his relationship with Malaga head coach, Jesualdo Ferreira.

What did you take away from your meeting with Ettore Messina?

He came to see me, but I wanted to visit with him for two reasons. First, we both coach for the same club. Second, I think we can learn a lot from coaches of other sports. I am interested in his coaching methods. I think I can learn a lot from basketball. I am happy that he came, but he didn't have to ask permission. It was a pleasure.

You will have had only three days to train with your entire squad prior to the Malaga match. Does the team still have the Deportivo thashing in mind?

It will be tough because players have just returned from internationals and after the Malaga match we have to play Milan, who are probably the most difficult opponent we will face in search for the top spot. My players are happy because all of them other than the Argentines did well in their international matches. Unfortunately we haven’t had much time to train and Sergio Ramos came back injured, but it doesn’t look serious. He might not be able to travel to Malaga, but we will see what happens against Milan. The fact that we played well and beat Deportivo is a plus. We are a lot more confident heading into the weekend.

The team is still undefeated on the year and hasn’t lost an away league match in eight months.

It will happen one day, but hopefully not soon. I don’t think the true Real Madrid plays to 0-0 draws nor do I think that we will always win 6-1. The real Real Madrid is a balanced, compact team that knows how to interpret matches, the opponent and the different stages of a game. That’s what every competition we play in will be like. Each week that passes makes each moment that more decisive. That is why this week is so important.

You face your Malaga counterpart Jesualdo Ferreira on Saturday. Some media outlets suggest a riff between the two of you.

What a complete embarrassment. We don’t have a good relationship. We have a great relationship, so the fact that this is being said will not hurt us in any way. But it does make me a little sad. Jesualdo had a great career in Portugal. He earned the right to coach in Spain. He has the titles and experience to back him. He doesn’t deserve the treatment he has received. I may have had problems and riffs with different coaches, but not with him. We don’t have a close relationship, but we speak on occasion and we are friends. I know he wants Real Madrid to finish as champions and I want him to win all his matches with Malaga except the two against us. We are both Portuguese and friends and we have a perfect relationship. I am upset that the press will say anything, but it isn’t enough to prevent a hug between friends before and after the match.

Are you surprised by everything that has been said?

It is normal because we haven’t hidden our good relationship. We meet on occasion, we crossed paths at the UEFA coaches meetings and we call one another. I called him five minutes after Malaga defeated Zaragoza and he did the same after we beat Deportivo. We have a great relationship. We went to the same university and I call him “Professor” because he was older than me and he was one of my professors. I really don’t understand anything that has been said, but it’s okay.

What crosses your mind when you see players’ names linked to Real Madrid in the press?

What I said about Jesualdo also relates to signings. You can sell news and do your ‘business’ without harming others. When names come up like Gareth Bale, Llorente and Rooney, you aren’t harming them by linking them to Real Madrid. You sell news, but you aren’t harming anyone. Madrid is Madrid and players will always be linked with this club. Mainly big names because people won’t believe you if you speak about mediocre players. As a coach I must not only say what I think, but what the club thinks as well. This is our squad from now until the end of the season. These are the players we have faith in. Real Madrid made the investment it had to in previous seasons and this past summer. We don’t have the perfect squad because it doesn’t exist. We have an optimal squad with players who boost my confidence, so I don’t want any players in the winter transfer window. I think it is premature and out of touch with reality when players are discussed because I, and surely the director general and president, will say that the current and January markets are closed for Real Madrid should nothing out of the norm occur.

I guess Mou would like to be a coach of sesveral clubs and national teams at once.

he has the ability to train and win with several clubs at once,trust me

Zidane to work closely with Mourinho

Zinedine Zidane is set to take up a role proposed by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho.

The legendary Frenchman has a current role that sees him act as an ambassador of the club cum an advisor to president Florentino Perez.

But Mourinho has earlier requested to have 'Zizou' close to his side to act as a link between him and the president and also to have him more involved on the ground.

The Special One was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail: "I would like to have him more with me and less with the president. I don't think he wants to become a coach but I would still like to have him with me."

And the latest comments by Zidane would be music to the ears of Mourinho.

The 38-year-old told French radio station Europe 1: "I will work more with him [Mourinho]. I'll be the link between the first team and the president.

"It suits me because I wanted to go a little deeper into the structure of the club."

An official announcement has yet to be made by the club but Zidane is not expected to take up a coaching role.

Loading comments...

Problems loading Disqus?

Ronaldinho: I admire Mourinho

AC Milan star Ronaldinho has heaped praise on Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, labeling him as one of the best coaches in the world.

The Brazilian playmaker will make his return to Spain next week when Milan travel to Real Madrid for their Champions League encounter.

The 30-year-old spent five seasons with Madrid's rivals Barcelona before moving to the Rossoneri and is looking forward to be up against his old rivals, whom he still has great respect for.

He was quoted in an interview with AS: "They are always one of the strongest teams in the world, and every year they bring in more great players.

The former World Player of the year also revealed his admiration for Mourinho and is adamant he will bring in silverwares the club have been craving for.

"Now, with Mourinho, they have one of the best coaches in the world. I have great admiration for him. I like his style, and he is certainly going to do something very large with Madrid."

Taking time to talk about his former club Barcelona, Ronaldinho compared the team he played with under Frank Rijkaard to the current team under Pep Guardiola.

"There are some things that are very similar. Barcelona, a long time ago, assumed the characteristic of having the ball a lot, almost 70% possession, and that is something of the club's history. What has changed from my era is the characteristics of the players.

"I actually have a good relationship with Guardiola, because his family and his brother are very good friends of mine. I had a good relationship with him also when he trained the B team."

Looking forward to next week's match, the Brazilian wizard will be hoping to repeat his vintage performance in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Madrid where he was applauded off the pitch by the opposition fans.

He concluded: "I only want to produce a great game. What happened to me in Madrid before happens once in a lifetime, if it occurs at all. I have it in my head not to just produce a great game, but my best game."

Milan currently lie second in Group G of the Champions League, two points behind Madrid, who won both of their opening games.

Mourinho: "I want to reach the end of the season with this same squad"

During Friday's post-training press conference, Jose Mourinho hinted at the lineup he will use against Malaga and asked that his players remain focused during Saturday's game.

"We feel more and more comfortable every time we take the pitch. The players are getting to know one another and are getting used to the way we prepare for matches. Some might expect us to win much in the same way we did against Deportivo, but I don't see it that way. I hope we continue making progress. Despite the matches we have drawn, which didn't please me in the least, I am happy with how the team is performing."

During an interview with GOL T, Jose Mourinho discussed his career as a head coach and Real Madrid's current state of affairs.

What is more important, excellent tactics or team management and player mindset?

I prefer to say that rather than working with footballer players I am working with men, which is why human aspects are fundamental.

Are you hired because you are a winner?

Whoever says they don't pay attention to results doesn't earn good results. I think it is a loser’s way of thinking.

What is it about English football that attracts you?

I prefer England. I think that in Portugal, Italy and Spain there are some fans who prefer the day before and day after a match rather than the match itself.

You always had unique footballers on your teams. Deco at Porto, Lampard at Chelsea, Sneijder at Inter... Who has that role at Real Madrid?

Xabi Alonso is our go-to guy. He is our second stage man who builds situations that we hope to finish. The position Ozil covers, where Kaka may return to, is the position that you are referring to. In attack we have players who aren’t just finishers. Players like Cristiano and Di Maria can unbalance many defenses because of their individual skills. (I really hope Kaka gets fit for just this reason, he's such a natural Mourinho-style player.)

Four years ago in London you said that your team didn’t play the way you liked it to, but that it was the way that gave you the best chance of winning in English football. Does that translate to Spain now?

The joy of my job and carreer is that it has allowed me to coach in Portugal, then England, then Italy and now Spain. It makes me a much richer coach than one who has always managed in the same place and in the same culture.

Do you still think that the defense's main role is to defend?

Marcelo is a great example now. He was a player who I didn’t like because he was everything but a defender. Now I am in love with him. He has plenty of offensive talent, but he is improving so much on defense that it makes me think that I don’t want another left back.

Does the team's surroundings also play a role?

More than surroundings is the team's ability to close up and become impenetrable.

Do you not care what people think of you?

How am I going to worry when so many people have something to say about me? There isn’t one interview that doesn’t mention me in the Spanish press. Imagine if I was concerned about it.

Are you the perfect coach for Real Madrid?

I don’t think Real Madrid can have a coach without a past. I have won two Champions Leagues and six league titles in different countries. I have won 17 titles in total. There were many doubters when I got here. Real Madrid cannot have a coach without status or prestige and he must be given room to work with.

Are players selfish, generally speaking?

I always say that a football player is a special animal. A great team cannot have eleven great players. You can’t win a thing with eleven great players. (Subtle burn to Perez?)

Are there any players who are intransferable?

Players make themselves intransferable. Casillas, for example, is one. But not because he is the captain of Real Madrid and a world champion. He works hard, always wants to improve, he takes care of himself and has the perfect social life for a football player. He is a leader, but a calm leader. But I haven’t made him intransferable. He has. That is why I say some players cannot be transferred.

Reporter: Sr. Mourinho, I suppose that after this win, you’re feeling more relaxed?

Mou: I’m only going to answer questions that are in the script. Let’s see, next question. You.

Reporter, reading off chalkboard: Is it true that Mourinho is better looking than Guardiola?

Mou: You ask me such great questions. Well, yes. And in addition, I have much more hair. Ok. Next question. You.

Reporter: Do you believe…

Mou: Silence! Move your lips!

(Reporter): Sr. Mourinho, Sr. Mourinho, when will you stop being the world’s best coach?

Mou: I don’t like to answer these types of questions, as I’m quite… modest.

Reporter: This is an insult to our intelligence.

Mou: Don’t think so highly of yourselves. Next question. You, the handsome one.

Reporter Mou: How do you manage to be so attractive and charismatic at the same time?

Mou: Finally, an intelligent question.

Reporter: Enough! It’s easy to be arrogant since you just won, but several weeks ago, there were a lot of doubts.

Mou: The doubts make me laugh. Look. Well, it’s not working now because I’m chewing gum. (Laughs). Now I’m laughing.