Mourinho, 40°C fever: jab at the Bernabéu and a 77% win rate

José Mourinho faced the press at the Mestalla with a fever of 40 degrees by his own account, visibly drained but not giving up his trademark show. He admitted he was exhausted and joked that if his temperature drops to 39 tomorrow, he will go watch an NFL game.

On his team, he spoke of a big improvement and a very united group, giving all the credit to his players. He also had kind words for referee Hernández Maeso.

Then came the jab at the Santiago Bernabéu, which he compared with grounds like Santander or Valencia, where fans want to play. The Bernabéu, he said, is a different thing: people go there calmly to enjoy the match. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, he also asked national team coaches to protect his players' rest after a long run of matches and travel.

The number making headlines: 97 wins in 126 La Liga games across his two spells in Spain, a 77% win rate, the best among coaches with at least 100 appearances in the competition. Mourinho welcomes it, but he does not live on past numbers: what matters to him is winning the next match.