In this league round, Real Madrid will host Málaga. Coach Mourinho confirmed in the pre-match press conference that Cucurella will start and shared his thoughts on the Ballon d'Or.

What is the team's physical condition?

I keep emphasizing that players' pre-season preparations vary. However, we have a strong squad and ways to compensate for these issues. I can give you an example: Cucurella starting tomorrow, while Álvaro (Carreras), who performed excellently in the two matches against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will be on the bench. If Cucurella is not physically fit, we still have Álvaro. This is the solution that such a strong squad provides to the coach.

What do you think of Diomande?

I will no longer comment on any player's individual performance. Diomande was one of the last players to join the team. Due to this transfer decision, he had a difficult summer. He did not train with Leipzig, and when he arrived here, he had no basic conditioning, so he has to progress step by step. He has already had some playing time, which is what he needs to improve his fitness. Tomorrow he might start, or he might be a substitute, but he is getting increasingly prepared.

How much room for improvement is there in the partnership between Vinicius and Mbappé?

This requires everyone's joint efforts. The key is strength—exceptional strength. The second point, though relatively secondary, is also crucial: understanding between players. Understanding, friendship, cooperation. When you combine understanding with strong strength, we have all the conditions for continuous progress. The team's operating mechanism is not 2+9, but 11 people working together. This mechanism will make everyone stronger and stronger. I couldn't be more satisfied with the results of the past two weeks of training together.

Have you discussed pre-match closed training camps with the captains? Would you prefer the players to spend the night at Valdebebas before the match?

There are two types of training camps. One is what you mentioned—staying in a hotel or training base. But what I really care about is here (pointing to his head), which has nothing to do with whether you spend the night in a hotel or at the base. Sometimes I even feel sad when I think back, because all you can see is warm-ups and rondos.

The other type of training camp is when everyone is highly focused, and that's what I value. As for sleeping at the base, it depends on the situation. Today, we won't be staying here overnight. The players are still together; there will be a tactical meeting later, then everyone will eat together. We'll stay a bit longer, and then regroup tomorrow. Espi, Cucurella, and I live here; everyone else goes home.

Is Bellingham the team's unifier?

He is a unique player, extremely important to the team. He possesses extraordinary qualities: physical fitness, mentality, tactics, counter-pressing, shooting, attacking runs—everything. Amazing. I love talking about Kylian (Mbappé), Vinicius, and Jude (Bellingham). I understand your questions, but I'm satisfied with everyone. As I said before, the players here are either great or extremely great. The team must function as a whole. Real Madrid fans come to the Bernabéu, of course, to see these game-deciding players, but they should also see a team that plays cohesively, attacking together, suffering together, facing difficulties together, and defeating opponents together. I am the team's coach, and I really like the players I have.

Who do you think should win the Ballon d'Or?

Winning the Ballon d'Or is certainly a great thing for an individual, meaning a player will go down in history for their personal achievements. There are about ten top superstars in today's football world, and we have three or four in our team. It's normal to want to win the Ballon d'Or. In my opinion, the Ballon d'Or should be given to honor achievements like winning the Champions League or the World Cup. If we want to commend the Champions League winner, then the Ballon d'Or should go to Luis Enrique. If we want to commend Spain, I believe de la Fuente deserves it. This is the greatest recognition.

The world's best player is another matter. It shouldn't necessarily be a player from Paris Saint-Germain or Spain. There are probably three or four players who can be called the world's best, and we all know who they are and where they are—here. We know who made history this summer. The Ballon d'Or has political factors, and once politics are involved, I don't like it as much. Everyone knows my opinion on the Ballon d'Or. We don't need to force a Ballon d'Or winner within the Spanish or Paris Saint-Germain team. If it's for coaches, then it's Luis Enrique or de la Fuente, but the best player is someone else.

What do you think of Thiago Pitarch?

Arbeloa's youth coaching work is very good, but once it comes to the first team, the situation is completely different, and his situation is not easy. He coaches the players very well; I don't dislike any of the Castilla players. Thiago has proven that his level should not stay at the Castilla team; he is a first-team level player. I like him very much, and he is in our 21-man squad. We have Rivas, Siria, Sestao, and two goalkeepers on our bench because we don't have many people available. Once Thiago recovers, he will join the team and get playing time. I told him his thigh muscles are almost like mine, and he still needs to gain a few kilograms through training.

Should forwards be given full freedom?

When you have players of such high caliber, they make the coach look particularly good, and they will do things that go beyond the scope of daily training. We will practice both defense and offense. Today's 45-minute training focused on offensive organization. We practiced tactical positioning and movement. When the team is in trouble, they will win games for us. They should be given space for creativity and decision-making while maintaining organizational discipline. I think we have made great progress in this regard.

Is Endrick eager to return? What about Tchouaméni?

Endrick is closest to returning, but I don't want to take risks. I can't guarantee that he will be able to play against Betis or in the first Champions League match. The recovery process for other injured players is more complex, such as Militão, Rodrygo, and Asensio. As for Tchouaméni, we need to manage his emotions, because I don't want him to be so eager to play that he has to be substituted right after his return. I don't want this to happen at the beginning of the season in August. I want a healthy Tchouaméni, so I'm willing to wait a little longer.

The number of national team matches during the international break has changed from 2 to 4. How does this affect you?

I am very worried about national team matches. The schedule is too demanding. But compared to players who play in the national team, I am more worried about those who go to the national team but don't get playing time. I am very concerned about this. Carlo (Ancelotti) and I have a good relationship, so I can get information in time. We communicate with each other. Carlo and I will not have problems between us, but there is no such trust with other national team coaches, and letting players leave for three weeks will be very troublesome. We believe in the professionalism of these coaches and their respect for players and clubs.

I don't want to overstate the problem, but it's true that players get injured in the national team during this period, or get injured after returning to the club. When they return to the club, their original training rhythm has been disrupted, and injuries may occur one or two weeks after they return. This is indeed worrying, but that's how things are, and there's nothing much we can do.

Which is harder, training or team management?

Ancelotti is top-notch in all aspects; he has no obvious weaknesses and is excellent in every way. I don't think anything is difficult; everything is natural, and it's normal for problems to arise. We haven't encountered the first problem yet, but it will happen eventually, whether it's a tactical problem or a management issue. It's normal and should be viewed and handled with a calm mind.

Ancelotti said that the media overemphasizes the starting lineup. Do you agree?

If we have a match tomorrow, I would want the opponent not to know our starting lineup until an hour and a half before kick-off. But if our starting lineup is leaked today, it's not a big deal. You only need to worry when there are major lineup changes.

We use three center-backs, with Espi and Kylian partnering up front. If we make any arrangements that surprise the Málaga coach, it will indeed have an impact, but for things like using Carreras or Cucurella, it doesn't really matter. The reason people think it's good not to leak the starting lineup is because so far no one has leaked it—the players haven't, the equipment managers haven't, the team doctors haven't. But if it does leak, it's not a big deal.

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