‘They are the king’: Mourinho hails Real Madrid after CL playoff draw, praises Courtois | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho has become the talk of the town at Real Madrid following SL Benfica’s heroic 4-2 win over Los Blancos.

Days after the win, Mourinho has now shared his thoughts on facing Real Madrid once again in the playoffs, notably hailing them as the kings of the Champions League.

The Portuguese also heaped praise on Thibaut Courtois for a special moment involving Anatoliy Trubin, who scored at the last minute to seal Benfica’s playoff position.

Mourinho’s praise for Courtois

Despite Real Madrid’s recent 4-2 defeat at the Estadio da Luz, Mourinho was left deeply impressed by the sportsmanship shown by Thibaut Courtois.

The Belgian goalkeeper was seen embracing Anatoliy Trubin. For Mourinho, this gesture solidified Courtois’ legendary status.

“With this attitude, he proved that he will go down in the history of the Champions League as a great, no matter what happens,” he said (h/t MARCA).

The Portuguese tactician, who coached Courtois during their time together at Chelsea, left no doubt about where he ranks the Madrid number one in the current hierarchy of keepers.

Courtois conceded a late goal from Trubin. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

“What he did is incredible. Thibaut was a former player of mine, I know him well, and he is the best goalkeeper in the world,” he added.

Mourinho on facing Real Madrid again

Turning his attention to the Champions League draw, Mourinho reflected on the daunting task awaiting his Benfica side. Real Madrid, the 15-time winners of the competition, stand in his way once again – a draw Toni Kroos expects won’t generate the same level of surprise.

“We only had two options, Real Madrid or Inter Milan. We didn’t have much choice. We drew the king,” Mourinho remarked.

“The other day, when a Real Madrid player offered me his shirt after the match, I jokingly showed my players the badge they had on their shirts. 15 of them. They are the king. With all that that implies,” he added.

Mourinho concluded by warning that Madrid’s status as favourites isn’t just about their trophy cabinet, but their overall quality, even now, as he regarded them as a strong contender for this year’s UCL.

“It’s not just history. We’re going to play against, arguably, the biggest contender to win the competition,” he concluded.