Mourinho denies being a "sore loser"

Posted Saturday, May 26, 2012 by ESPN

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho hit back against allegations that he was less than gracious in defeats in the past season.

The 49-year-old Portuguese tactician has long been perceived as a stubborn character who always sought to put the blame on others whenever his side was on the losing end but the outspoken manager insists that only unjust circumstances bring out the worst in him.

He cited the example of the Champions League semi-final defeat against Bayern Munich when he admitted that Bayern Munich deserved to win the game.

Speaking to NTV on Thursday, the former Chelsea manager said: "I am a good loser."

"We were sad when we lost in the Champions League, but nothing happened. I just went to the Bayern dressing room to see their happiness, and shared in it.

"What's different is when we lose by something unjust. I cannot stand that."

Mourinho admitted that there might be two sides to his character depending on the situation but he rejected claims that he was a hypocritical man.

"Maybe [I have two personalities], but it depends on the situation.

"But I'm not hypocritical; I like to be honest. I am shy socially, so I feel comfortable in football.

"Football has given me a lot, but it has also taken away a lot. Success in football was my dream since I was a kid and it has given me an economic situation which means I will not have financial problems for the rest of my life.

"However, it has also taken away my privacy and my way of doing simple things," he added.

Mourinho also made clear that he would be more than happy to keep Hamit Altintop at the Santiago Bernabeu but he would not stop the midfielder from moving on to another club if he so desired.

Given the wide array of talent Real has in their ranks, Altintop has found it hard to break into the starting line-up and the former Bayern man, signed by Mourinho in 2011, is reportedly close to completing a move to Turkish outfit Galatasaray.

"Hamit is a very important player in Turkey," Mourinho agreed. "I have a great relationship with him as he is a great player and a great person.

"I would be happy if he stays, but if he wants a change of scenery, it's his life. If he wants to return Turkey - if that's what he wants for his career - we will facilitate that."

Mourinho joined Real in 2010 and led them to a record 100 points-haul on their way to the La Liga title in the past season.