Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has paid tribute to Messi, describing him as a player the club will miss. Mourinho, who faced Messi's Barcelona for three seasons in LaLiga between 2010 and 2013, praised the Argentine's quality and said that fans will have to watch MLS games to enjoy his last years. "There are no words to describe his quality as a player," Mourinho said in a news conference. "With what he did at the World Cup, at 39 years old ... He's a player we'll miss."
Mourinho's comments come as Real Madrid prepares to face Real Betis in their next LaLiga game, having collected nine points out of nine in the league so far this season. The coach also addressed the club's disciplinary proceedings against defender Raúl Asencio, who was convicted of drink driving on Wednesday and is also facing trial over the alleged distribution of sexually explicit videos of a minor. Asencio, 23, is an exemplary professional when fit, but Mourinho is not happy with his recent mistakes, which he believes have hurt the club's prestige.
Mourinho's relationship with former coach Manuel Pellegrini, who is now coaching Betis, was also discussed in the news conference. The two coaches had a public row in the past, but Mourinho has since apologised and praised Pellegrini as a great coach and a person. "In the past there are moments, things you say or do, and you feel like an idiot," Mourinho said. "You feel you made a mistake. I had some words, some comments, that were very stupid, and I'm not proud of ... He's a great coach for me, an example as a coach, and a person. I like him a lot."
The next step for Real Madrid will be to continue their LaLiga campaign, with Mourinho's team looking to maintain their strong start to the season.