Mourinho: I did not intervene in the Valverde and Tchouaméni crisis, and we continue on our path

Portuguese coach José Mourinho spoke at a press conference ahead of tomorrow's clash against Rayo Vallecano, in the fifth round of La Liga, in a match that will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Mourinho spoke about the importance of Thibaut Courtois to the team, saying: "He is not worried, and the club is not worried either. There is empathy, and everyone knows they want the same thing. For a goalkeeper, he is still young, and he has decided not to participate with his national team in the Nations League, which allows him to be more focused and to get more rest during the UEFA or FIFA periods."

He added: "Here he is now, he had a really great match against Inter, that's true."

Regarding the possibility of Valverde and Tchouaméni playing together again after last season's incident, Mourinho said: "I did nothing, they did that. The empathy within the group, the friendship, winning together, losing together, going to the bench angry and then supporting your teammates on the pitch."

He emphasized: "Without specifically addressing the situation of Valverde and Tchouaméni, the group is wonderful. In this case, if I didn't know anything, instead of knowing everything, I would think they are great friends, and of course when Aurélien arrived, I was attentive, because I needed to know if I had to intervene and become the minister of peace, but I did nothing. They did that themselves."

Mourinho touched on the impact of the Italian Grand Prix on Real Madrid's preparations, saying: "I usually leave Valdebebas at a quarter past seven, and today I left at half past seven. I lost 45 minutes of sleep. The training didn't change anything because you weren't here. In the first 15 minutes, we did nothing, then we worked on tactical matters for 45 minutes."

He continued: "Regarding tomorrow, we have given two options: either go directly to Valdebebas, or come here to leave the car and then take the bus to Valdebebas."

He added: "I am a very good friend of Stefano Domenicali, and I already have a ticket. But I am the kind of person that if I don't win, there is no life. If I don't win, there is no life. If I am happy, maybe I will pass by there."

When asked about a Formula 1 team that resembles Real Madrid, Mourinho said: "Everyone is very nice to me. It is clear that this global influence goes beyond being just a club or just a Formula 1 team, and what this boy is doing with Mercedes is amazing, even though he doesn't have a car capable of winning or even a car capable of scoring points. I also have a friendship with Fernando Alonso. I really like his personality; he is always among the best, even when they don't give him a good car. I love sports as a sport."

At the end of the conference, when Mourinho was asked about his comments regarding the existence of people who do not celebrate Real Madrid's victories, he interrupted with a smile saying: "I don't see anything, but those are very annoying," referring to the club's media officer amidst laughter from those present.

Thibaut Courtois responded after being asked by a journalist whether Real Madrid are being treated harshly, saying: "I believe that the mood of this team will not be changed by anything. We are continuing on our path."