Mourinho criticises ‘joke’ schedule after Real Madrid win at Valencia

Jose Mourinho criticised the demands being placed on Real Madrid by the Spanish league after his side beat Valencia 3-0 at Mestalla, saying a run of matches and long journeys had left his players with too little time to recover.

Real Madrid played away to Santander, Athens and Valencia within seven days, according to Spanish newspaper Sport, and returned from Greece at 03:00 before facing Valencia.

Asked what message he would send to Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, Mourinho replied sarcastically: “No, I have no message. I must remain humble because they have all the power.”

The former Portugal manager then objected to the sequence of matchdays his team had been given.

“All I ask is that they do not put us in these circumstances again; playing on Sunday, then Wednesday, then Saturday,” he said. “It makes no sense. It is like a joke.”

Mourinho compared Real Madrid’s schedule with that of their direct rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. He said both clubs had played on Tuesday and would play their next matches on Sunday, while his own squad had been forced to sleep at the training ground in Valdebebas after returning from Athens.

He ended his complaint with a blunt appeal: “I ask you to leave us alone.”

The victory at Valencia extended a run of positive results, but Mourinho rejected the suggestion that he should receive the credit. He said the players were responsible for the unity and understanding currently showing within the squad.

“All the credit goes to the players,” he said. “They did it. They are united.”

Mourinho pointed to one incident during the match as evidence of that collective spirit. After Arda Guler moved forward and Real Madrid lost possession, Kylian Mbappe immediately moved across to cover the space left by his team-mate.

“That moment tells you everything about how united this team is,” Mourinho said.

He added that his experience gave him confidence about the group’s prospects: “From my experience, I can say that I have a good feeling about this team. I have a good feeling about Real Madrid.”

The manager also contrasted the atmosphere at Mestalla with that at Santiago Bernabeu. He said Valencia supporters reacted to every refereeing decision and actively influenced the match, whereas the crowd at Real Madrid’s home ground watched more calmly.

Mourinho ended with a humorous complaint about the dressing-room celebrations. The players marked the win by playing music, but their manager was unimpressed.

“The atmosphere is calm and happy,” he said. “The players put on bad, loud music. It is truly terrible music.”

The listed fixtures also include Tavernes de la Valldigna in the Copa del Rey on 10 November 2026, while Valencia and Real Madrid and Celta Vigo are listed under La Liga for 21 November 2026.