Mourinho out of pocket & feeling the pressure ahead of Man Utd clash

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho admits he is “under pressure” to deliver in the Champions League as he fights for his future at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese has come under-fire from fans, and savaged by critics as his side stand a mammoth 16 points behind rivals Barcelona in La Liga. 

Dropping iconic keeper and captain Iker Casillas for last weekend’s defeat to Malaga proved unpopular and cast further doubt on his future as coach.

With Mourinho admitting his side face an "insurmountable" task in defending their title, Europe now seems Mourinho’s only salvation with a last-16 tie against Manchester United to come in the Champions League.

But Mourinho remains defiant after a “tough” week” as he said: “We have the Press against us but, for me, it was good because I came to a conclusion – football is changing, but one thing never changes.

“A team is made by a coach, that’s it full stop. We know that we can win against Manchester United, but we can also lose, and if we lose then our Champions League campaign will end.”

The Real boss, a guest speaker on Friday night at the Dubai International Conference alongside Argentina legend and former Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona, added: “The first thing I thought when I saw the draw is that I need to spend €500 (Dh2,428) because Sir Alex Ferguson only drinks super-expensive wine!

"We all want to be in football to coach in these games. The world is waiting for this game because football arouses passion.

"We are under pressure, but you have to be motivated, you have to take your chances. For us we don’t have to learn anything new, but playing United will be different to what we do week in week out in Spain.”

READ MORE:

* Mourinho: Italian football shaped my tactical philosophy. Click here

* Maradona reveals Mourinho regret; Jose says no one compares to El Diego. Click here

 

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