Skip to main content

Mourinho keen to avoid Chelsea and Inter

The flamboyant Portuguese helped Real end six years of Champions League failure on Wednesday when they beat Olympique Lyon 3-0 for a 4-1 aggregate success to claim a berth in the last eight for the first time since 2004.

GEAR:Up to £20 off Champions League kits through Kitbag. Free delivery on orders over £40

"I prefer to avoid Chelsea and Inter because emotionally it's difficult playing against your people and your friends," Mourinho told a news conference.

"If we have to play them then we will play them as we are all professionals but I'll have to forget they are my people.

"Emotionally I will have to better prepare myself to play Inter or Chelsea."

They are five points behind Barca in La Liga with 10 games left and are due to play them in the King's Cup final on April 20.

"We wouldn't like it if Raul visited us," Valdano said in a television interview.

"There would be too much emotion in the atmosphere and it wouldn't be advisable."