José Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, praised his team's star Kylian Mbappé following Wednesday's victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga, refusing to compare the French international with the club's legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappé shone in yesterday's match, scoring a hat-trick to lead Real Madrid to a dominant 4-1 win over Real Sociedad in a postponed fixture from the first round of La Liga.
During the post-match press conference, as reported by Marca, Mourinho said: "Mbappé is an amazing player in every sense of the word. Whether he scores 50 or 60 goals, I prefer him to score 40 while winning titles and contributing significantly to the team rather than scoring 60 while caring only about himself."
He added: "I am truly happy with Mbappé; the team helps his development. He cut his vacation short by two days and returned to the squad, which is definitely positive. I kept him on the pitch for 90 minutes because he could have scored four goals, and I preferred substituting Vinícius after he scored the third goal."
Regarding comparisons between Mbappé and Ronaldo, he clarified: "I don't like making comparisons, but Mbappé is truly an incredible player. I'm delighted that he made history with France at the World Cup. Twenty-five players have won this tournament, but only one will be immortalized in history: Mbappé, who holds the record for most World Cup goals—a historic achievement. Now he is eager to make history with Real Madrid."
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He continued: "Besides Mbappé, I saw a very strong Real Madrid. Despite difficulties we faced in the first half, we knew how to play as a unit, remained calm, pressed them, gained possession, and improved our performance in the second half. I really liked our second-half display."
He added: "I feel calm. I don't enjoy the crowd chanting my name; the team is what matters most, and feeling their support is paramount. Before returning to Real Madrid, I thought about myself since coaches are judged by results, but now I focus more on the players and the team than on myself. I'm happy with how the players felt at the end of the match, with the comfortable home win, with their smiles, and tomorrow we will train because we have an important match against Málaga on Sunday."
Regarding Vinícius Júnior, Mourinho continued: "He and I speak the same language, which makes joking between us easy. I didn't intend to substitute him until after he scored and unless he felt good about it. He needed some rest since we have another match in three days. I thought it better to substitute him after the goal; it was good to bring him off amid the crowd's applause so he could feel their support."
He elaborated: "I don't like the idea of warm-ups between halves; I want all players in the dressing room. That's why I sent them onto the pitch early before the second half began. The fitness coaches know players must warm up by minute 35. Then I decided to substitute Cucurella for Carreas due to the yellow card he received. The situation was dangerous for him in one-on-one duels with Kubo. The team was truly exceptional when we were struggling because we weren't prepared for anything else. Real Sociedad made things extremely difficult for us in midfield. When you feel uncertainty, there's no need to panic. We were confident of winning the match, which is why I liked everything today."
He continued: "I remained calm today at the Bernabéu. I've come to dislike feeling nervous before matches. I enjoyed today greatly; the last time I was here was with Benfica."
Concerning boos from Santiago Bernabéu spectators, Mourinho continued in remarks reported by Marca: "We know the Bernabéu fans closely, and the players know them too. Standards are high here. Thanks to the fans, standards have risen and results have followed. Real Madrid is a club with great history that always aspires for more. Being a fan is one thing; being a coach or player is another. Fans pay money to experience excitement, and we are here because we possess the ability to remain calm facing difficulties."
He said: "We experienced a completely different challenge against Espanyol. The team is learning how to play and develop as a unit. Ultimately, we achieved what we wanted: securing three points. The fans left the stadium carrying in their hearts a sense of what we will accomplish. It's important they understand us, and that we realize if we lose, we aren't literally losers; rather, we controlled the match proceedings. We must understand differing pressure levels on the pitch. We showed patience, held possession more, heard the boos, but remained calm afterward. We made two or three substitutions in the second half and successfully finished the match."
Regarding fans booing Vinícius, he added: "We know this well, and thanks to that, the pressure placed on him stems from this club's historic stature. Real Madrid includes wonderful players and has seen great lineups. Being a fan is one thing; being a player is another. I'm not demanding turning boos into applause; there's always justification for it. Fans felt frustrated. Some booing doesn't harm a player; rather, it helps him develop. Difficult matches lie ahead where victories won't come easily. In Spain, there are good players and teams unafraid to play against you, whereas in other countries, teams prefer defending rather than attacking. Today, Real Sociedad played to win."
He clarified: "I don't want to evaluate players publicly. When you give your utmost, you aren't obligated to deliver more; it's up to others to assess your level. I'm happy with what we're doing, considering the difficulty of our preparation period for the season. Some players completed 39 training sessions, while others, like Cucurella and Diomande, only did six or seven. It's extremely challenging."
Mourinho concluded: "There's no way to improve the team's level beyond what we've done. I appreciate the intelligence and wisdom of the La Liga association in granting us an extra week of rest. Oyarzabal was tired just five minutes into the second half; the same could have happened to Bellingham, though perhaps he was in better physical condition. We aren't performing poorly. Ultimately, it depends on collecting points, and we've won all six matches played so far."
Real Madrid prepares for an anticipated match next Sunday, August 30, against Málaga at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, as Los Merengues look to continue their winning streak.
