Mourinho: Real, Barca are world's best
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho believes only his squad and Barcelona are good enough to contend for the honour of being the best team in the world.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
After taking the La Liga title off the hands of rivals Barcelona last season, Mourinho reaffirmed his desire to stay with Real Madrid despite early rumours linking him with a return to the Premier League or Serie A. The Portuguese told ESPN that he had no desire to leave Spain, as the country's league is home to the two squads he considered to be the finest in quality at the moment.
"What I used to say is that every club in the world goes to the Spanish league would finish third," Mourinho stated.
"Man City goes there, Manchester United goes there, Chelsea goes there. Who else? They finish third because the two best teams in the world are in the same league, so of course to the others, it is a big difference."
Besides the fierce battle waged between Real and Barcelona for the domestic title, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are also expected to be each other's biggest competition for this year's Ballon d'Or. Mourinho believes the award should be given to his compatriot, as Messi has not achieved enough this season to be conferred the honour.
"For me, the best player of a season must be one that won, what [Ronaldo] did helped the team to win something big, and I do not think in the history of the Ballon D'Or, one players own it without winning a big thing," he said.
"Without winning the Champions League, without winning the Spanish League, how can Messi be the Ballon d'Or?"
Real Madrid play Los Angeles Galaxy in their next pre-season friendly, reuniting them with former player David Beckham.