Jose Mourinho is not surprised to see that Cristiano Ronaldo has renewed his contract with Real Madrid.
The final year of Mourinho’s tenure was punctuated with speculation linking the 28-year-old with a departure from Madrid, with it believed that contract negotiations had stalled.
However, in seeing the No 7 commit until 2018 on a €21m net annual salary, the Portuguese forward’s now-former Coach is unsurprised.
“To me it seems normal. When a fantastic club has a fantastic player, a divorce does not make much sense,” considered Mourinho today.
The Coach was talking via video conference to those attending the XIII International Youth Tournament hosted today in his honour by Club Deportivo Canillas, who recently had Mourinho’s son on their books.
“I think that Madrid has done well to renew and keep a player whose numbers are fantastic. The personal choice for Cristiano I do not want to comment on, but I think that it is very normal when you are at a club like Real Madrid. It is an ending that I expected.”
Inevitably next on the agenda was Iker Casillas and his continued struggles to get into the Real Madrid team, with Carlo Ancelotti following on from Mourinho in preferring Diego Lopez.
“I do not care who is in goal. It is not my problem if Ancelotti does well or poorly. I did not see the Villarreal game because I was travelling, but I’m told that Diego had a great game and I’m happy for him.
“I know that Casillas is playing against Galatasaray and I hope that he has the same game.
“Rotating the two goalkeepers? I believe that these are the decisions being made, this time with Carlo Ancelotti and in this case I accept it as natural, because it is he who decides.
“Some Coaches like to change in the Copa del Rey, others do not and there are others who have it predetermined beforehand, you have to accept everything.”
Mourinho was asked for comment on Juan Mata and Fernando Torres being handed minutes during the season at Chelsea, with the World Cup in mind.
“That is up to the Coach of Spain. Sometimes they call up players who do not have minutes, I’m just doing my job.
“They are two top professionals, good players and they can play more or less.”
The Portuguese is back at Stamford Bridge this season after leaving Madrid in difficult circumstances last May.
“It’s hard to talk about things from the past that are professional and not personal. It was a good stage with Madrid. My club in Spain is Madrid, in addition to Canillas, and it is always going to be Madrid, except when up against Chelsea.
“Would I return? I will not go back to Madrid. I’m where I want to be and where I am happier.
“At Chelsea I will not leave out of a personal choice but when everyone in the club agrees, when we all think we have had enough or when we need to make a change.”
