Jose Mourinho is once more non-committal on his future at Real Madrid, but says that his work in Spain may have been undervalued.
The Portuguese intimated after the midweek Champions League elimination to Borussia Dortmund that he may indeed leave Los Blancos in the summer.
Facing the Press today in the pre-game conference before Real Valladolid’s visit tomorrow evening, Mourinho was again asked of his position.
“I will sit down with the President, with Jose Angel Sanchez and we will talk about my future,” began the 50-year-old today.
“Not only as President, general manager and Coach, but as friends we will talk and decide. There remain five games in the League and one in the Cup.
“I think in football there are rumours about almost everyone. You look to Paris and what is being said about Carlo Ancelotti. You look at Bayern, who are champions and have all the records and their Coach and Guardiola replacing him. You see it at Manchester City with Roberto Mancini and at Chelsea, that Benitez is leaving.
“There are many clubs in a similar situation. In some of these clubs changes will be made, in others there won’t be. Coaches work with utmost professionalism. We adapt.
“I have the pleasure and honour of working for this club. I’m less happy now, because I lost the semi-final a couple of days ago and in two days you cannot forget that.
“Would the Press have anything to do with my decision? No, I do not feel any pressure. Pressure is not a problem for me. My decisions have nothing to do with pressure because I do not accept any pressure.
“I have always lived liked this. Our profession is one of risk, yet today I have many former players who are now Coaches tell me the same thing, how easy it is to be a player and how hard it is to be a Coach.
“I say that life chances. So I say to the players today to enjoy their life as a player.”
Mourinho was asked why he may be considering leaving this summer and if it was because he was unhappy at the club.
“It does not pay to talk about whether I will or will not be here. And if I am not here to then say why. I have always left on good terms with clubs.
“It seemed controversial at Chelsea but it was not. Of all the clubs I have left there are no records of negative words or criticism. The contrary.
“Here will be no different. The day I leave, be it now, within one or two season, there will be no interviews with me, nor criticism.
“Life is beautiful, life in football is fantastic, different stages close and open, cycles end and others begin. Always I have the utmost respect for the clubs. I have respect. As on the day I leave Madrid.
“I only want Madrid to win. Chelsea won the Champions League when I was not there and I was thrilled for them.
“When working in a club, I start to support the club. I do not care who is Coach or President. The day I leave Madrid, I want them to win La Decima. With me or without me.
“When I leave, I want them to do well. I do not wish bad for them. When Madrid win La Decima it will always be a joy for me.”
The Portuguese took the opportunity to reflect that his achievements at Madrid were perhaps undervalued.
“I think that in assessing my work it is not valued, and I am not speaking of Madrid or the journalists, but in absolute terms.
“I have won so much, so much that the expectations are higher than what is possible. The League of records is mine. You’ll want to delete it but it will not be forgotten.
“In 20 years the club had not won the Copa del Rey, this is because it is not easy. You also cannot delete that. The Supercopa de Espana is tiny, but the three Champions League semi-finals do not feed my ego or leave me satisfied, but they have not been easy.
“I explain why because with Toshack, Di Stefano, Arsenio, Capello, Heynckes, Hiddink, Del Bosque, Luxemburgo, Juande, Schuster…and Pellegrini. There have been 18 Coaches in the last 21 years that have reached five Champions League semi-finals. But [the three semi-finals] do not satisfy me.”
This year has been disappointing in the League.
“We started badly, we paid for it and when I say we lost the chance I say so figuratively. It is not exactly true. I agree with you that we should have fought for the League for longer and that we should have been so far behind so early on.
“The 100 point record [from 2011-12] will not be easy to beat. Barcelona this season may get 100 points and if they do then it will be because they are probably the best team in the world from the last 20 or 30 years.
“They have had a couple of bad results and now they are no good as a team.
“I am proud to have broken their hegemony in Spain, because at international level I did so with Inter too. Again, though, they remain a fantastic team.”
A reputed difficult relationship with Iker Casillas has drawn attention this season, with January signing Diego Lopez keeping him out of the team. When Mourinho was asked what he would change if he could about his three years so far at the Santiago Bernabeu, the goalkeepers came up.
“I would have been more active, more forceful. If I could, I would have been more demanding, more determined at the end of my first season.
“I would have brought in Diego Lopez at the end of the first season. That is the thing that I wanted to do but I did not do enough to bring him. Shame.”
