José Mourinho has caused a stir with a provocative statement about the Bundesliga. The new—or rather, returning—coach of Real Madrid highlighted the competitiveness of the Spanish league, pointing out the one-sided nature of the German and French leagues. As far as the Portuguese coach is concerned, FC Bayern has already clinched the German championship.
Ahead of the away game against Real Betis, Mourinho was asked about the high level of parity in LaLiga. For the Portuguese coach, one thing is clear: In Spain, there is a level of pressure that doesn’t exist in this form in all of Europe’s top leagues.
“This league won’t be easy for anyone,” Mourinho explained. That wouldn’t change even “if a game produces a result that gives the impression it was easy—like, for example, our 4–0 win over Málaga or Barcelona’s 5–0 win over Elche.”
Mourinho then made his point clear by drawing a comparison to the Bundesliga and Ligue 1. His remarks were aimed in particular at the two perennial national champions, FC Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain.
„But there’s a pressure that doesn’t exist in other leagues: namely, the pressure to always have to win,“ Mourinho said. In his view, the situation is different in Germany and France.
“The champions in France or Germany, for example, have the composure to say, ‘We already know we’re going to be champions.’”
„This pressure, week after week“
Mourinho therefore sees a crucial difference between the Bundesliga and LaLiga. While Bayern and PSG are often considered clear favorites to win the title due to their dominance, Real Madrid regularly has to deal with maximum pressure in Spain.
„But here, week after week, there’s this pressure where anything less than a win isn’t a good result. And that’s that,“ the Portuguese coach emphasized.
For Mourinho, this constant competition is a crucial factor: “And this pressure is of great significance for the teams that have to play in a league with this level of competition.”
While the 63-year-old was highlighting the strength of the Spanish league, his remarks in Munich are likely to draw quite a bit of attention. After all, FC Bayern remains the heavy favorite to win the German championship this season as well—and it is precisely this role that Mourinho seems to view as a sign of a less balanced league.
Meanwhile, with Real Madrid, Mourinho himself aims to ensure that the national title race in Spain becomes tighter again. The Royals have gotten off to a promising start to the new season and, after three wins, are tied on points with FC Barcelona at the top of the table.