Jose Mourinho insists he has not become braver with age, but admits he is now more balanced and less concerned about outside criticism as he prepares Real Madrid for Sunday's clash with Racing Santander.
The Portuguese coach was asked whether he sees himself as a more courageous manager than the supposedly defensive coach who led Madrid during his first spell at the club.
"Over the years, I've become more balanced in the sense that I don't care what people say anymore. Criticism doesn't affect me. If people say I've done this or that, or make certain claims about what happened in Barcelona, I simply don't buy into it anymore," Mourinho said.
"I still believe the credit for Barcelona belongs to the players. If I leave a match feeling that I've helped the team, then I'm happy. But I'm completely balanced. I'm neither braver nor less brave.
"You say I was defensive during my first spell at Real Madrid. If being defensive means scoring 120 goals and collecting 100 points, then I'm perfectly happy with that."
Mourinho added that his willingness to learn and adapt is what defines him as a coach.
"What makes me different is that I'm not stubborn. I'm open to studying, drawing conclusions from what I see, hear and discuss. Sometimes it's not just about listening, but also about sensing the players' work. That's all. I'm calm, and I want my team to be calm as well."
Before discussing football, Mourinho also took a moment to express his condolences following the tragedy in Urda.
"On behalf of myself and everyone who works for Real Madrid, I want to express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. They have our heartfelt sympathy and support," he said.
Madrid travel to face Racing Santander looking to build on their recent momentum, although Mourinho warned against underestimating a side that has made an impressive start following promotion to LaLiga.
"We're doing well and working hard. We've prepared properly for this match. Racing have played five home games since being promoted, winning three and drawing two. They're playing well," he said.
"It's a Sunday afternoon game, which is something we're not used to anymore. It's a difficult match. Our last victory will only have real significance if we win again. Otherwise, it won't mean as much.
"We have to respect Racing. They're a team with a very specific approach, and their ambition will depend on their coach's tactical decisions. They won't catch us by surprise. We know how difficult this game will be."
Mourinho also offered his congratulations to Harry Kane after the Bayern Munich striker won the Ballon d'Or, despite admitting his disappointment that one of his own players missed out.
"I've had the privilege of working with Harry. He's a great player, a great professional and a great person. Obviously, there's some frustration because my player didn't win, but I have to be honest and say I'm very happy for Harry. At 31 or 32, he deserves this moment of joy and recognition. It's a crowning achievement in his career," Mourinho said.
However, the Madrid coach was particularly emphatic when discussing Kylian Mbappe, whom he considers a unique figure in football history.
"Kylian is Kylian. He's unique. We have a Ballon d'Or every year, and some players have won it more than once, like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario and Platini. But there's only one best player in the history of the World Cup. That's something absolutely unique, and Kylian is unique."
Mourinho also expressed surprise at Jude Bellingham's position in the voting.
"Of all the results, the one that left me most speechless was Jude Bellingham finishing 11th. No comments. We'll leave it there."
The Madrid manager dismissed suggestions that the team's atmosphere had changed following their Clasico victory, insisting that the players have maintained the same mentality regardless of results.
"Since the beginning, even when we were winning and then started losing, I've always seen the same empathy, respect, willingness to work and balance, both in victory and defeat," he said.
"We're not necessarily a particularly mature team because we don't have many experienced players. We're generally young, but I've seen a lot of maturity from them. They've remained calm during difficult moments and even during moments of success.
"In Barcelona, we celebrated, but then it was the bus, the plane, a day off and back to normal training. The same focus and motivation. When we started preparing for this match, I saw the same seriousness, and I'm very happy with that maturity.
"As I said after the game in Barcelona, our objective this season isn't simply to beat Barcelona. It's to win the championship, and we're trying to stay on that path."
Mourinho acknowledged that Madrid's demanding run of away fixtures presents a significant challenge, particularly with European commitments adding to an already congested schedule.
"Obviously, it's dangerous. Every game is difficult, whether you're playing at home or away. But when you're away, you also have to deal with the opposition's supporters. Racing are a team that haven't lost at home.
"When we travel to Athens, AEK will have played their derby against Panathinaikos the day before. They'll either be in a good mood or in a crisis. We played on Wednesday, arrived on Thursday morning, and now we have another difficult match. It's an accumulation of challenges that we're familiar with.
"It will be tough, very tough. That's where our resilience and intelligence will be important. I think playing four consecutive away games is an almost unique situation.
"And when it comes to the schedule, we should have played yesterday and we're playing today. We should have faced Valencia on Sunday, but we're playing on Saturday. They've taken two days away and squeezed three matches into seven days. It's a huge gift they've given us, whether it's LaLiga or the television networks. But it's a gift we have to accept."
The Portuguese coach also addressed the challenge of managing playing time for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries, admitting that leaving players out is never an easy decision.
"The first thing is that it hurts. I don't like creating negative feelings among players. I only want positive ones. When you build a squad with two players for every position and then use a third option, that's something I don't particularly like," he said.
"But there are things more important than those feelings. Sometimes you have to make decisions based on what's best for the team at that particular moment. I felt it was time to change the midfield and bring Fede [Valverde] into that position. It was a decision for the team, not against any individual player.
"Trent and Dumfries both reacted well when I explained the situation. They're going to play. Maybe not tomorrow, but one of them will. Valverde won't start, but one of the others will.
"Against Barcelona, circumstances meant Dumfries ended up playing and Trent only featured for a few minutes. But I don't think either of them is going to ask to leave because of that.
"With so many matches, suspensions, fatigue and injuries, everyone is going to get opportunities. I don't think this will become a problem."
Mourinho also rejected the idea of having a fixed starting XI or making decisions based on individual players, including Vinicius Junior.
"I don't have a fixed starting eleven. The team we select today could be completely different in a couple of weeks. Football isn't what it was 20 years ago. It's more intense, faster and much more physically demanding.
"Years ago, you could name a team's starting eleven without thinking. That's extremely difficult in modern football. You have to adapt constantly.
"I do believe the team can benefit from having midfielders with different characteristics, but that doesn't mean I think in terms of permanent starters. I don't approach it that way.
"Vinicius' situation is very simple at the moment. He's not playing in LaLiga, but he is playing in the Champions League. I want him, and I want him a lot. I hope his suspension ends quickly because I need him. That doesn't mean I'm saying he'll automatically be a starter, but it certainly doesn't mean he's a problem either. He's a great player, and he'll be part of a very strong squad."
Mourinho was equally relaxed when asked about the situation involving Mbappe and China, insisting that both the player and the club had handled matters with class.
"I'm calm because my club is Real Madrid and my player at home is Kylian Mbappe. Both Real Madrid and Kylian have shown the class to react immediately, and I feel very well represented by both of them," he said.
The Madrid boss went on to praise Mbappe's character, particularly his reaction to Kane winning the Ballon d'Or.
"Kylian is very intelligent and mature. He has tremendous self-esteem, but he also has class. The way he interpreted Harry's Ballon d'Or victory showed nothing but class and respect.
"Knowing you're the best is one thing. Showing respect for someone who has also worked extremely hard to win a trophy is another. With Kylian, I only see class.
"And the situation involving China shows the dangers of the modern world. Sometimes the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut because there are risks in so many things you say or comment on.
"But I've also seen him act very responsibly, just as you would expect from a club operating at Real Madrid's level. From our side, there's nothing more to do."
Finally, Mourinho dismissed suggestions that Real Madrid are a better team without Vinicius, stressing that his priority is building a cohesive squad rather than focusing on individual absences.
"No, I don't see it that way. I see a group of players working to become a cohesive unit, both those who play and those who are on the bench.
"They're all on the same page when it comes to our style of play, how we press, where we position our defensive block and how we build up. It's a system that develops over time.
"Once you have that understanding, you can change two or three players without disrupting the team. That's the objective."