Mourinho: We must respect Ronaldo's decision, and I am not thinking about this matter

Real Madrid's manager José Mourinho appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against Valencia in LaLiga, in the 12th round of the league, which will take place at the Mestalla Stadium.

The coach said: "I think the team is in good shape. We returned from Athens at 3 AM, but we stayed there to try to get an extra two hours of sleep. We conducted recovery training yesterday, and the players' reactions were positive. It will be a tough match, but we won't overdo it."

He added: "Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement? We must respect his decision, and I respect it. He has not ended his football career, and those who know him understand that he has goals he is still striving to achieve. All I wish is for his end as a player to be different from the way his international retirement happened yesterday. As for the possibility of seeing him as a coach, I don't know what to say, as it is still too early to talk about that."

Regarding Federico Valverde's development in terms of leadership and play: "I can't compare him to last season, as I didn't know him then. What I've seen is a professional and humble player, a good friend to his teammates. He is a role model for everyone, and I believe, of course, that receiving the captain's armband has given him a greater sense of responsibility."

Regarding the memories he has at Mestalla: "I am not one of those people who often yearn for the past. Away from Mestalla, I see Valencia as a club. The most important thing for me is tomorrow's match, which I consider one of the toughest matches in the entire league. We are up against a tough coach, who has a lot of experience and knows well the philosophy he wants to implement with his teams. It will be a difficult match for us, and to achieve victory we must be at our best readiness."

Regarding resting some players: "I am not thinking about that at the moment. It is easy to see that Konaté and Digne will play tomorrow. We will distribute the minutes among the available players. However, thanks to the decision to hold our match on Saturday, the players who will join their national teams will have a rest on Sunday."

He continued: "What do you hope will happen on Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium? I hope both teams lose, but that's not possible. One of them will drop points, and that's the best news for us. And to be honest, I don't care what the outcome of the match will be."

Regarding whether this round should be canceled due to the death of Jesús de Miguel: "From what I have been told, there will be beautiful tribute ceremonies in all competitions, and I see that as significant. If it were possible to speak with Jesús and ask him the question, that would be the ideal situation. And since that is not possible, only his family and colleagues can answer what he would have preferred: would he have wanted no football matches to be played, or to be remembered in all levels and competitions of Spanish football? I don't think any of us have the right to determine what should have happened."

Regarding Vinícius's participation despite not being fit: "The most important thing for me is the team. I have never wanted, by my own will, to harm the team for the benefit of a specific player. Yes, Vinícius has participated in the last two matches in the UEFA Champions League, but when he returns to his normal state and becomes available, I will handle his situation according to what I see fit, as a coach. I do not think about each match individually, but I also look at the series of matches that await us. The match against AEK Athens was a suitable game for Vinícius. The coach must do everything possible to get his players to the highest level and try different strategies, whether in terms of play or individual management of players. A bad player will always be a bad player, while a good player will also have negative moments. If Vinícius were a bad player, people would say he had a good match in Athens. He will continue to work, and when the time comes to make a decision about the lineup, the team will always come before any player."

When asked if he fears the international break and its impact on the team's rhythm, he said: "What scares me is tomorrow's match, and I use the word fear here metaphorically. The difficulty of the match is what occupies my mind; the national team is not my concern. I am not at all worried that one of the players will have the honor of representing his country. What concerns me is tomorrow's encounter against a team that is fresh, has had a full week to prepare for the match, and is led by a coach who is not worried about how his team will play."

He concluded his remarks: "In some matches, we had to come back from behind. The ability to come back means there are positive aspects, but it also reveals some negative sides. Coming back from behind reflects having a strong bench, the group's belief in its abilities, and the players' understanding of the value of the shirt they wear, but it also carries a negative side, and this is what we need to work on improving. We still have a lot of work ahead of us."