Mourinho Makes Strong Comments After the Racing Match and Sends Real Madrid Players a Clear Message

José Mourinho, Real Madrid’s head coach, made a series of strong statements after his side’s 3-0 victory over Racing Santander, addressing the refereeing controversy surrounding the match, particularly the incident in which the home side appealed for a penalty against Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Mourinho made it clear that he was unimpressed by the repeated protests from Racing supporters, insisting that there are people who do not understand the rules of football. He then explained why he believed the home side’s penalty appeal was never justified.

The Portuguese coach said he liked Racing’s stadium and its supporters, praising the intense atmosphere they create for visiting teams. However, he pointed out that excessive passion can lead some fans to protest every decision. Mourinho explained that the ball had rebounded off Tchouaméni’s body before making contact with his hand, meaning the incident should not have resulted in a penalty. He added that he watched the replay on his tablet because he could not clearly see the incident from his position, and believed VAR should have confirmed that there was no offence.

Mourinho also discussed the match itself, stressing that he never considered the contest over, even when Real Madrid were leading by three goals. Racing had created dangerous opportunities in the opening minutes, and the game could have taken a different direction if the hosts had managed to score. He was pleased with his team’s performance against Racing’s high press, although he felt Madrid should have scored more goals given the chances they created.

The Portuguese manager praised the defensive contributions of several players, including Jude Bellingham and Diomande. He stressed that the team was improving gradually and that the more attack-minded players were making important sacrifices to help the side win the ball back and maintain its defensive shape.

Asked whether the team had fully understood his ideas, Mourinho admitted that they had not yet reached complete understanding, but insisted that progress was being made. He pointed out that less than four months was a relatively short period in which to implement everything he wanted, although he was pleased with the growing relationship and understanding within the dressing room.

Mourinho also explained why he instructed his players to celebrate their goals in Real Madrid’s own half. He does not want them to become carried away by the excitement and lose concentration, potentially allowing an opponent to take a quick throw-in and catch them off guard.

Regarding his decision not to use all the available substitutions, the Real Madrid coach explained that his choices were linked to managing the players’ workload ahead of Wednesday’s European fixture against AEK Athens. Some players who featured against Racing will not be part of his plans for the next match, so he preferred to leave them on the pitch. Tchouaméni was one of those players and completed the full 90 minutes.

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