Mourinho: “We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”

Mourinho: “We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”

“We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. I liked the team's attitude in general”, the coach explained

José Mourinho was satisfied with Real Madrid's win and, above all, with how the team responded in a complicated match: “We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. I liked the team's attitude in general. We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid” The White's manager also praised their rival and fans: “They played with a lot of enjoyment, intensity and motivation. I'm really pleased to come and the crowd was very enthusiastic. I hope they come to the Bernabéu just as they came two years ago. I saw their match against Castilla”.

The Real Madrid coach gave his perspective of the match and came to positive conclusions: “I enjoyed the match more than the result, as well as the team's attitude because it was a match in which it was complicated to motivate people. It wasn't easy to compete against a team that plays with such tremendous enthusiasm. We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. We won and practically sealed the playoff. Footballers that hadn't had many minutes on the pitch have played and I liked that. We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”.

In terms of their rival, the Portuguese manager believes that it's a good team, bearing in mind the inevitable differences: “We're two very teams from different championships. They played with a lot of enjoyment, intensity and motivation. They began the match better than us and I think that it's a good team. I don't know their competition well but they have interesting players and I'm sure their manager is good. I hope they had a good time because we didn't come to joke around and we did our job. I wish them lots of luck”.

In addition, Mourinho encouraged the Alcoyano fans to go the Bernabéu to support their team: “People look at the negative side of everything I say. It's always the same story. I like the Copa del Rey for this reason, because great teams go to places where there isn't any First Division football and it gets shown on TV. I'm really pleased to come and the crowd was very enthusiastic. I hope they come to the Bernabéu just as they came two years ago. I saw their match against Castilla”.

The Real Madrid coach mentioned two names in particular: José Rodríguez, who made his first-team debut today at 17 years of age and Nacho, who was solid in defence, accompanying Carvalho, Varane and Albiol. Of the former, who scored the third goal, he stated: “I liked how he played, we all liked how he played. He has potential, youth and time to progress in order to play with the first team and not pass through the first team but arrive and stay. That's important. He has potential and the age to build a career here. If possible, by playing more because he doesn't play a lot at the moment and it's important for him to have more minutes on the field”.

In terms of the defender, he emphasised that he is a player that “adapts well. What's most important and what's really ideal is that the players that want to join the first team have a transition between what they do for the first team and what they do in the reserve team. Nacho is an option for me as a right back and I can call on him to play on the left if I don't have anyone else, as happens with Essien. He's a kid that adapts well. What I look for are players that stay and have a life as a member of the first team. He'll never play as a centre back and as a wing back he has years ahead of him. There's no going back for me. If I explain myself badly I apologise for my Spanish because I'm not Spanish”.