José Mourinho, Real Madrid’s head coach, spoke to the media after his side’s victory over Málaga.
Speaking about the referee, Mourinho said: “It’s not worth commenting on what Funes said about the difference in refereeing treatment.”
Discussing Huijsen’s performance, Mourinho said: “I don’t want to compare him with last year. I don’t know what the dynamics were. What I’ve found is that we talk, because I like a centre-back who is comfortable on the ball and can play passes between the lines. But for me, what matters is being strong, winning duels and giving the team confidence.
“He has developed a lot in a short period of time. I need to watch the match again at home, calmly, but I think he misplaced one pass through the middle and then did everything well. That is the version of him I want to see.
“I like centre-backs who defend well. If they are also good with the ball, perfect. But first they have to defend, and in that respect I saw a good version of him today. His partner alongside him also helps.”
Speaking about Bellingham, Mourinho said: “He is very demanding of himself and of others, and I like that a lot. I agreed with him that I didn’t want to see him defending like a second left-back, which I had seen a lot. Against Benfica, we exploited that situation a lot.
“We have organised the team differently. He knows what he has to do and he feels comfortable. I’m very happy with everyone. But it’s true that towards the end we lost a little bit of our shape when it was 3-0. Some players remain focused, while others relax. That’s the feeling we all had.
“But this organisation allows us to win the ball back high up the pitch without having to drop deep. It’s normal that we don’t have either the energy or the mentality to do that for 90 minutes.
“I said that there is more than one player at Madrid who can win the Ballon d’Or, but Jude is there. Of course, there is one player [Mbappé] who made history at the World Cup. But Jude, in midfield, is incredible.
“Today, a player who isn’t particularly loved produced a fantastic performance, and that’s Camavinga. And Fede, and Bernardo… There are a lot of players who are committed.
“Now we have Betis in Seville, which is extremely difficult. It will be a great match.”
Mourinho also discussed the chemistry between his attacking players: “Very, very good players want to play together. They want to play with people who have their quality, their speed of thought and their decision-making ability. These players must always be compatible.
“There was a lot said about how Mourinho didn’t want this player or that player. I always want the best players. If there is empathy and collaborative work, I don’t see any problem. I see that they are good players.”
Speaking about his role in supporting and protecting his players, Mourinho said: “It’s a difficult mission. It’s not something that lasts for a month; it’s something for the whole season.
“The frustration of a player who doesn’t play is something that is more in the players’ hands than mine. I can give them signals that I trust everyone. They have to manage that themselves.
“Today Trent and Cucurella played, while Carreras and Dumfries did not.”
Mourinho also explained how he intends to maintain the team’s defensive solidity over the course of the season: “Last year, I didn’t watch much of Madrid. I watched them a lot when we played against them three times in a month. Before that, I would watch a match whenever I could. I can’t make a comparison.
“The problem will come. The defeat will come. With Benfica, I didn’t lose a single match throughout the whole of last season and we finished third. I would sign right now to lose some matches and win titles.
“But the negative period, a less successful spell, injuries… all of that will come. The problem will come. The criticism from the press, the negative reactions from the fans. We have to be very balanced and not allow the negative impact to affect the entire season.
“That’s when the team has to stay united. That is what gets you through those moments.”
Speaking about Diomande, Mourinho urged patience with the young defender: “He has to take things step by step. He works very hard and very well. He is open-minded and humble, he wants to learn, he listens to his teammates and he will grow.
“I can’t look at the €120 million or €130 million… How much did we pay for him? I need to look at a player who is coming off a high-level season at Leipzig.
“When you talk about such a huge figure, you talk about someone who arrives and immediately blows everything apart. But that’s not the case. He is a young player. Stay calm, take it easy.”
Mourinho had earlier spoken to Real Madrid TV.
Reflecting on the match, Mourinho said: “The first half was extremely strong, from a team that didn’t want to waste any time and came out to settle the match. The second half was more about managing the game, with a lower tempo.
“Málaga wanted to have more composure and keep possession. But every time we accelerated, we created danger. The feeling was that we could have scored one or two more goals.
“But as a team, keeping a clean sheet was also an objective. Defending well. You can’t always attack with great intensity. Sometimes the opponent comes forward and you have to know how to find the balance and defend well.
“We did that today. Three important points.”
Mourinho also explained the reasoning behind making five changes and ensuring every player feels involved: “That is my objective. I told the players that I would make a lot of changes before the match against Real Sociedad. That I would keep the same team for that game, but in the next one I would make four or five changes.
“Without wanting to change the team’s identity, I want to bring more players in, more quality. Because everyone is at an extremely high level.”