Mourinho: Signing a midfielder would be the final touch

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho appeared in an extensive press conference to talk about tomorrow's match against Espanyol, in the second round of La Liga, at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat.

Mourinho stated: "I don't think we are lacking in midfield, but signing a midfielder would be the finishing touch. Tomorrow's lineup? My first lineup... let's see who among you has the best sources. The players already know who will play and who won't (smiles)."

He added: "Espanyol? To do a good job. Teams that work with the same coach for a long time are well organized, and they have clear habits and dynamics. Espanyol plays well and has ambition; I was very impressed with their first match. They have three points, scored three goals, and conceded none, and the fans are happy. We are ready for what we will face."

Regarding his condition and the completeness of the squad, he said: "I am fine and calm. It’s a new season. The problem is that we started preparations in different groups; some players have completed 36 training sessions and six matches, while others participated in only a few matches and had just five training sessions. I managed to prepare a different program for each player. There were players coming in for individual training, and we sometimes joked because one player was working with ten people. I am very happy with the current situation."

He continued: "If you ask me if I would like an extra week to prepare, the answer is yes. But we are tired of friendly matches; we don't love this profession because of friendlies, we want real matches. The injuries from last season need a long time, and I don't expect to have the players back in two or three weeks. The only player who will miss this match and whose injury is not from last season is Endrick. Tchouaméni is fine, but he needs to train today, tomorrow, and the day after to speed up his readiness. He arrived in conditions that do not allow him to be ready for this match."

On his feelings about the pressure after returning to Real Madrid, he said: "I wouldn't call it pressure, but rather adrenaline, and that's a positive thing. The day I don't feel that way, something will be wrong. I don't feel pressure because of new beginnings or football matches. I have great confidence in the work we've done, and great trust in the ambition of the players, their mentality, and the passion they show me. The match is tough, but when we travel tomorrow, we will do so convinced that we will return with the three points."

Regarding Diomande's statements that he would die for him, Mourinho said: "Even if I don't follow his words literally, it's a phrase I liked. I would have preferred him to say he would die for the group and for Real Madrid, but I understand what he means when he links my name with the group and the club. Those are easy words, but turning them into actions is much harder. What Diomande said is no different from what I see from everyone. I see commitment and a desire to do things well; the group is developing and united. We are not the perfect group because the perfect group does not exist. I don't think I will not face problems; they will definitely come, but as a general foundation, the group is strong, and Diomande's message applies to everyone."

Regarding the previous issue between Tchouaméni and Valverde, he said: "I arrived here with a lot of information. I spent three years here and I have my sources, and you also have your sources as the press. I learned a lot of things, not just about Tchouaméni and Federico. But I decided to start from scratch, even though I am in a unique position that allows me to know a lot, I didn't need to talk to Tchouaméni. What I saw is completely normal. If I hadn't known about a previous issue, I wouldn't have imagined that something had happened between them last season. They told me that there was no need to talk about it, and no need for any intervention to bring peace. The matter is not about peace, but rather natural friendship and cooperation. It's as if nothing happened."

When asked how he defines a successful season with Real Madrid, he said: "There are many ways to look at it, but the most realistic way is through results. You can develop the team on many levels, improve the structure, and change many things, but in the end, results are what count. We have three major competitions plus a smaller tournament. Finishing the season without trophies at Real Madrid cannot be considered a successful season."

Discussing his assessment of the team, Mourinho stated: "There are things that cannot be negotiated. Commitment must be present in every match; we will go through moments of frustration, whether due to results or personal reasons. I was talking to the players about how there will be a moment when many will feel frustrated, as it will be the first time I have to choose between a starting player and another sitting on the bench. They need to deal with that individually and as a team. I cannot start the match with 15 players; only 11 can participate. I hope the choices are difficult because of the level the players are working at. The day a player's level drops due to frustration, making the decision will be easy for me. The team must know how to overcome moments of frustration." "I am better than I was when I first arrived at Real Madrid, and better than I was when I left. That is the difference."

Regarding the defensive duties of strikers, he said: "It varies depending on the match and the opponent, but we must defend with 11 players. If the opponent is pressing us and putting us in difficult situations in our defensive area, we all have to defend. If we are playing at the opponent's ground, we need to play and press hard. There are several ways to defend, including pressing and closing spaces. Some players will need to press directly, while others will need to close spaces. The idea of having some players defend and others just waiting for the ball does not suit me. Everyone has shown excellent response, and there are no issues."