Mourinho: We need three seasons to reach perfection, and Valverde will play in this position

The coach said: "We have to be serious. We are close to qualifying for the knockout stages, but we are far from qualifying directly for the Round of 16, and we need the points. We must play seriously against a strong team, especially at home. The fact that Real Madrid has only won one out of eight matches in Athens is significant. We need to play at our best, play seriously, and maintain our level because we need the points."

"We must play with focus and seriousness against a strong team, especially when they are playing at home. The fact that Real Madrid has only achieved one victory in eight matches played in Athens is significant. We need to give our all and maintain our performance level, as we are in urgent need of points."

Regarding his message about the death of Jesús de Miguel, Mourinho said: "These are the feelings of everyone; it is very touching for people like us who spend their days in stadiums and constantly live the atmosphere of competitions. It is a harsh and sad matter, and all our words and feelings go out to Jesús's family and friends. The situation must also be extremely difficult for the other player involved in the incident, Uno. It is sad for everyone."

Regarding the impression left by the match against AS Roma, and whether it represents a turning point in the team's performance and results, he replied: "From a moral standpoint, any match can leave a positive impact, but I don't believe it was a turning point in terms of performance, as I believe in continuous work more than being affected by a specific moment. We are getting to know each other better over time, and every training session and every match gives us an opportunity to develop."

He continued: "We constantly discover more about each other, and every experience we go through helps us understand each other better. The accumulation of work and experiences is what makes teams stronger and more developed, which is why I don't believe much in the idea of sudden turning points."

The coach refused to compare the current generation with the one he managed during his first stint: "I don't like making comparisons, whether between players, teams, or time periods, as we are talking about many years ago, and this kind of comparison does not appeal to me. The current team undoubtedly has great potential, as does the previous team, which succeeded in winning many titles. However, this group has not yet achieved any trophies and is still at the beginning of its journey. We will see what the future holds, but I am very happy with the list of players available to me."

Regarding the difference that winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid would represent, after previously winning the title with FC Porto and Inter, he said: "It will be my third title with three different clubs, and it will mean winning the trophy with the biggest club in the world. But we are now talking about assumptions, and I prefer to deal with reality. The truth is that we still need to gather points to qualify. I won't talk about the Round of 16 before ensuring qualification; our match tomorrow will be tough, but after this unsuitable trip that came between two important league matches, and since we have already reached this point, we must achieve victory."

He elaborated on the deployment of Federico Valverde at right-back and his conviction about his continued role there, stating: "I see him as a player of great importance to the team. Being the captain of Real Madrid makes him view things from a different perspective, as a captain must possess special qualities, because the armband imposes a great responsibility on him. I believe this will drive him to play in any position the team and his teammates need, and this is what a captain means to me, so I am confident that playing in any position will not be a problem for Federico."

He added: "The team's lineup is designed so that Valverde can play in midfield, which means we don't have a lot of options in that position, so I'm sure he will return to play there again. If you ask me if I'm happy with him playing as a full-back? The answer is yes, and if you ask me if the team performs better from that side? The answer is also yes, but in midfield we only have Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Bernardo, and Thiago. So I say Valverde will continue to play as a full-back because we all trust and value him, but he will also be required to participate in midfield."

Regarding the possibility of Vinicius Junior, Mbappé, and Diomande playing together and distributing attacking roles among them, he said: "You are also ignoring Brahim Díaz and Endrick; we have many quality players. Having a large number of players is not a problem for me at all. Diomande can play on the wings, as can Brahim Díaz, and Endrick can play on the right and left. But Vinicius is the player most accustomed to playing on the left side, and that is something we know well."

Regarding Areda Güler's development and the possibility of classifying him among elite players, he commented: "He won't be available tomorrow, ask me on Friday."

Regarding the difficulty of tomorrow's match: "There are many reasons that make the match difficult, as we are facing champions, and we have faced many title-winning teams during our eight matches in the tournament. Playing in Greece is not easy at all, and Real Madrid, the kings of Europe, have only achieved one victory in their previous eight visits to Greece. I have played here twice many years ago, and I know very well how challenging it is to play matches in such conditions."

He emphasized: "AEK Athens is also facing a busy and difficult schedule in the UEFA Champions League, and they certainly see playing at home as their best chance to earn points. Additionally, facing a team in white gives any opponent an extra motivation. Therefore, we must give our all, as we won't be able to win if we are not at our best."

Wrapping up his comments on the time needed for the team to reach the highest levels of perfection, Mourinho said: "We need three years, that is three seasons."