Mourinho: "Winning at Real Madrid is normal"
José Mourinho reminded his players that winning is a normal expectation at this club, saying Real Madrid have "a happy dressing room with terrible music".
José Mourinho reminded his players that winning is a normal expectation at this club, while saying Real Madrid have "a happy dressing room with terrible music playing".
Los Blancos beat 10-man Valencia 3-0 on Saturday to draw level on points with LaLiga leaders Barcelona. Having won their last eight matches in all competitions since losing to Atlético Madrid on 20 September, Real Madrid got their goals from Federico Valverde, Arda Güler and Kylian Mbappé.
Pleased with the team's form and unity, Mourinho said his players are aware of the high expectations at the club. "What makes me happiest is that we never gave in to chaos; we always stayed calm. We understood why we lost to Atlético and where we could improve. I will always fight to stay balanced in the good times. I keep telling my players that winning matches at a team like Real Madrid should not lead to wild celebrations. Winning at Real Madrid should simply be normal. I see a happy dressing room with loud, awful music. When we lose, there is the risk of getting caught up in the chaos outside and of that spreading to the fans, but inside we are completely calm," the Portuguese head coach said.
The result brought Mourinho his 97th LaLiga win in charge of Madrid. Only three head coaches in the club's history have reached the milestone of 100 league wins. Having taken charge of 126 LaLiga matches, the experienced head coach's win rate of 77% is the highest among coaches who have overseen 100 or more matches in the league.
With Madrid facing Celta Vigo after the international break, Mourinho added that his players going away on international duty is always a concern: "It worries me. If the players stayed with me and my staff, we would take very special care of their recovery. But they go to their national teams. I have never coached a national team, but I can imagine my colleagues there want to train. Yet these players do not need intense training right now, they need rest. Their regeneration needs a great deal of attention."