Morata: "Mourinho treats the younger players very well"

Alvaro Morata appeared in the press room at Real Madrid Sports City where he met the media. The Madrid reserves player is in excellent form for this Saturday’s game against Deportivo at the Riazor stadium after scoring his first official goal against Rayo in the Bernabeu. The striker analyzed the upcoming game against the team from Galicia: “It will be difficult. They are going to give it their all. Their players want to keep their places in the team with their new manager and get out of the difficult situation that they find themselves in. And they have the players to do it.” He also had words of praise for Jose Mourinho: “He is close to the players; he gives us advice, cracks jokes and treats the younger players very well. Players like me who have risen from the academy and the reserves try to take his advice on board because he is the best manager in the world.”

Alvaro Morata

As for whether he will play tomorrow, as already occurred on the last match day against Rayo, he said: “The other day I got the chance to play in La Liga, I felt comfortable and tomorrow I hope to get the chance to play even if it’s just for a few minutes. When I saw the sending-off I knew it would be my turn because that is what normally happens. We needed to take off the centre-forward to bring on a defender. Whenever I come on to the pitch I am going to give 100%. The Boss knows that, the whole coaching team knows it.”

The Madrid Reserves player had words of praise also for Higuaín and Benzema, his fellow-strikers: “I think they stand out for their commitment to each match and to every training session. Higuaín raises the bar every day and Benzema really is a quality player". When asked to comment on the return legs of the two knock-out rounds that his team face against Barcelona and Manchester United, in the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) and the Champions League respectively, he had this to say: “They are two very different teams; both of them are in the hunt for the Champions League Title. We take each game as it comes and if the team continues to fire on all cylinders I am confident that we can win both titles.”

As to whether players can manage themselves without a head coach in Barcelona, his view was: “It’s a difficult situation, but I’m sure the manager is on top of it. Nonetheless, the important game right now is the one tomorrow against Deportivo and afterwards we can focus on the games against Barcelona and Manchester, which will be the crucial ones this season. It will be a big ask, but this team has what it takes to get the result in both matches”.

Regarding the words of his team-mate Sergio Ramos, when he said that if a Spanish club plays against a foreign one he always wants the Spanish to win, Morata said: “That’s understandable. If someone feels Spanish it’s normal that they want the Spaniards to win. It is a different matter of course if two Spanish clubs go up against each other in a competition.”

Finally, in response to a question about this Castilla team-mate Jese: “We all know how the guy plays. He is doing a spectacular job and if he keeps working this way everything will fall into his lap. He is completely focussed on the Guadalajara game. I have talked to him and he’s totally focussed on winning the match.”