Mourinho: I never felt at any moment that the match was decided, this is how I manage player rest

José Mourinho, the manager of Real Madrid, spoke about the 3-0 victory over Racing, confirming that his team did not approach the match as if it were already decided. He praised the players' commitment and the improvement in collective performance, and he addressed the refereeing decisions and his choice not to use all substitutions.

José Mourinho said: "Was the idea to secure the match early? No, El Sardinero has a lot of strength, and Racing are a very tough team. Even when the score was 3-0 in our favour, there was still danger. We could have won by four or five goals, considering the chances we had in the second half, but the match could also have become complicated, because in the first ten minutes they had two or more chances through Zabiri, in addition to crosses towards the near post. If they had scored a goal, their morale would have risen significantly."

He added: "I never felt at any moment that the match was decided, but we started the game strongly, played well and with a great deal of organization and awareness, despite the high pressure that Racing put on us, which is the style they adopt against all teams that come to this stadium. In the end, it is an important victory before a very difficult week awaits us."

Mourinho explained: "Bellingham and Diomandé running despite being three goals up? This is already present among all players at the moment. Certainly, there are players with greater physical and tactical abilities that help them perform defensive roles, but I have also seen players with great commitment. The team is evolving and playing good football, and in my opinion, we should score more goals given the chances we create, but we are improving. When we play with a low defensive block, the team knows how to maintain its compactness and organization. I am happy with the progress we are making, and you are right to point out that the attacking-minded players putting in defensive effort and sacrifices for the team sends a positive message to the rest of the group."

He added: "Have you found the best way to lead the team? We haven't reached 100% yet, but we are developing. Less than four months is a short period, yet we are moving forward gradually. I have started to understand some things that I didn't grasp on the first day, and the players have become more aware of my personality as a coach, because my human side comes second. They have started to realize the things I cannot compromise on. There is a good human understanding, and it can be said that the relationship between the players and the coach is going well. We are in a good position, but we need to see what happens this week, as we have two difficult matches ahead, and each one is important."

He noted: "What do you think of the penalty awarded to Mbappé, and the penalty that was overturned against Tchouaméni? They object to everything. This is a stadium I love very much, and I also like its fans. They have this character and this way of playing, they do not come to the stadium just to watch a film or enjoy a football show, but they come to participate and play and create a very difficult atmosphere for the opponent. But there is also the fact that the game is played with emotion, and it is natural that there are many people who do not know the rules. To be honest, the laws change a lot, even in small details, to the extent that people no longer know them well. The ball that hit Tchouaméni was not a penalty at all, because it came after the ball rebounded off his body. There was no penalty whatsoever. When the referee awarded the penalty, I remained calm because I was 60 meters away from the incident and could not see it clearly. But then I watched the clip on the iPad and said: if the VAR is awake, a penalty will not be awarded. The referee was very good technically, and also on the disciplinary level, as he only showed two yellow cards, even though the match was strong and competitive. For me, it is clear that it was not a penalty."

The coach emphasized: "As I said, the team is improving, and the players have also reached a high level of confidence. Football is played by men and women; they are humans playing football, not just players. The emotional side is also very important; when things are going well, it seems like everything is going well for everyone. You can make a substitution and bring on a player like Trent, who hasn't participated in the last few matches, and I made this decision believing that facing a strong pressing opponent makes Trent's technical quality in build-up play and ball progression more beneficial than bringing on Dumfries. Trent had an excellent and very balanced game. When you are in a good period, things seem better than they actually are, but the truth is that I am happy with what the team is delivering."

Regarding a request for players to celebrate in their stadium and not to go to the other side: "Ah! If the players go to our stadium to celebrate, imagine someone clever quickly taking the kick-off. It's small details, because excitement sometimes makes you lose the sense of what's happening around you. I'm just trying to give my players some simple guidance."

On not exhausting all available substitutions: "I've seen almost everything in football. A match is not settled until the referee blows the final whistle. Additionally, there are some players who participated today who will not play on Wednesday. From this standpoint, substituting players who will not participate in Wednesday's match does not carry much meaning. Let me give you an example: Tchouaméni will not play on Wednesday, so it is better for him to play the full 90 minutes today. It is a different way of managing players. You look at it as a match under control, and therefore substitutions should be made, while I thought in the opposite direction and decided to keep on the pitch the players who will sit on the bench on Wednesday."

He concluded: "The gift that LaLiga has given us, by placing today's match and another on Saturday, imposes this situation on us on Wednesday. This happens despite the fact that Spanish football should want its clubs to win European matches, to achieve victories consistently and to collect points, but we will see if we can make three or four changes and return with points from Athens."