Jose Mourinho speaks ahead of Lille match: 'The club did not tell me that qualifying for the Champions League is a necessity'

UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first leg match, Fenerbahçe head coach Jose Mourinho, whose team will face France's Lille away tomorrow, said it will be a difficult match for both teams and that they want to win.

Mourinho attended the press conference held at the Hotel Barriere Lille, where they are staying before the match, along with midfielder Mert Hakan Yandaş.

IT WILL BE A DIFFICULT MATCH FOR US

Stating that they have prepared well for the match, Mourinho said, "I know it will be a difficult match. I hope to win tomorrow's match. I like the Lille team. We started watching our opponent after the Lugano matches. We watched a lot. My team and I watched all the matches they played in the pre-season. We watched the matches they played against Celta, Wolfsburg, and Belgian teams. They have a new head coach. They are a good team. They have very good players. Except for David, they have been training as a full team since the first day. It will be a difficult match for us, but it will also be a difficult match for them."

Reminding that only Fred has suffered an injury so far as of the beginning of the season, the experienced coach continued as follows:

"Fred has a significant injury. Other than that, the team is in good condition. We have played 7 matches so far, done 40 training sessions, and we have only had one injury during this process. There are players who joined the team late due to the European Championship and transfers. Their conditioning work continues. Their situation is getting better every day. We have trained very well since the Lugano match. We are ready for tomorrow's match. This is the first time I have started the season early during a period when the European Championship is taking place. It is difficult because you are playing official matches and players join the team at different times after the European Championship. This makes our job difficult, but I don't like to make excuses. We are motivated for this match. I always say the same thing; my motivation is always the next match. It will be the same tomorrow."

Regarding transfer rumors, the Portuguese coach commented, "Since I don't know Turkish, I don't understand what you say on television or what is written on social media. That's why I'm outside of these rumors. I wish I could speak Turkish, but sometimes I'm happy that I can't. Fred will not be with us tomorrow, but we have other players. I expect the best from the players I have. Every coach wants more players, but I am calm about this and focused on my work with the players I have. Of course, if a new player arrives before the transfer window closes, I will say 'welcome' to him, but I am not desperate. I trust my players to give their all."

QUALIFYING FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...

Evaluating the club's goals, Mourinho stated, "The club never told me that qualifying for the Champions League is a necessity. If we qualify for the Champions League, it will be a prestige for the club, Turkish football, and the players. If you asked me, 'Can you win the Champions League?', I would say, 'Everything is possible, but I don't believe in miracles.' However, if you asked me, 'Can we win the Europa League?', I would say, 'Yes, we can win it.' Despite this, if you asked me, 'Would you rather play in the Champions League or the Europa League?', I would say, 'I would like to play in the Champions League.' Of course, it is a more difficult draw than Lugano, but it is also a difficult draw for Lille. We are also a difficult team for these opponents. Tomorrow will be a beautiful football match."

News Source: 12punto

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