Jose Mourinho has reflected that the whistles aimed at him from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd are ‘fine’ and ‘expected’ in his position.
Against Real Sociedad this weekend, the Portuguese Coach chose to omit Iker Casillas from the starting line-up for the second League match in a row, with the crowd reportedly whistling when Mourinho’s name was mentioned on the ground’s PA.
“The whistles? Perfect. They whistled me before the game and they helped the team during the game. Perfect,” the Coach told reporters post-match.
I think that they were because Casillas was on the bench and could also be due to the fact that we are not close to our objectives in the championship.
“Some people applaud us regardless of performance, but I think I should be applauded or whistled depending on the performance. This season in the championship, in relation to last year, we are in a bad moment and it is normal to me to whistle, this is how I like to live.
“I do not want to be a hero forever, regardless of my performance. If I was whistled for the decision to leave out Iker, fine. And if I was whistled for bad performances in the League then I accept it.”
Mourinho made clear that the whistles are not aimed towards Casillas’ deputy Antonio Adan.
“I said to him before the match, and the Malaga match too that the whistles that he hears are for me, not for him. The fans have no problem with Adan, or the Press either. They have a problem with me and my decision.
“My personal opinion is that Adan deserves much more respect. He has been at Real Madrid for 16 years, he trained at Real Madrid, he comes from a home of Real Madrid fans, born in Madrid.
“Why doesn’t he have a right to be happy? You have transformed a problem and an attack on Mourinho into a lack of respect towards Adan.”
Madrid played out a topsy turvy encounter at home to La Real, eventually coming out on top despite playing a majority of the game with a man less.
“In the dressing room I told the players that when you’re playing with 10 you cannot go down to nine. Everyone has to participate, defend and be compact. When your team plays with one less, the crowd are usually more on your side.
“When you score, the crowd know they want to win with one player less and they conveyed this feeling to the fans. The important thing is that we won and we deserved to win.”
Madrid were reduced to 10 men when Adan was dismissed in the opening passages of play for felling Carlos Vela in the box.
“I have not seen it on TV. I think that Varane left Adan in a complicated situation with his feet and he made a pass that he did not have to do. So I think that Adan had to decide to get the ball out of the danger zone and made a bad pass to Carvalho.
“From there we lost the ball then came the penalty. I think that it should have been a penalty, but we had one or two players between Adan and the goal line. It similar to things that have happened this season.
“When we are penalised by decisions, we are penalised by the bad ones and the dubious ones. With this one, I could be wrong, and I give the benefit of the doubt to the referee, but my feeling is that in another ground, with another team it would be a yellow card.”
Mourinho also spoke of notable performers Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Carvalho.
“Cristiano worked well, as did everyone. He played well and deserved to win, like everyone else. He has made an extra effort, like everyone else. He celebrated the goal with his teammates and came over to the bench which is normal.
“Carvalho had a great match, I don’t like to pick out individuals. Everyone did a great job, but Ricardo was especially good because his situation is special. We have decided that it is the last year of his contract and that it won’t be renewed.
“We are banking on Pepe and Ramos as our centre backs and then Albiol as a Spanish player and Varane as a youngster. But he stayed and we knew that when he was needed that he would respond.
“He already played well in the Cup and in the Champions League and today and had a great match. His experience was very important in a match in which we had players missing.”
The team are back in action this midweek in the return leg of their Last 16 Copa del Rey clash with Celta Vigo.
“The Cup match is not more important than the League because of the distance we are away from first place. Celta are playing well, are confident, are winning 2-1, but my experience in these two-and-a-half years is that the fans like the Cup, the excitement of winning and going through and I have a feeling that if we play with the same effort as today in two days, the team and the fans will be ready and we can go through.”
