Mourinho mocks packed schedule, defends Mbappé before Racing Santander match

Mourinho held a press conference ahead of Real Madrid's Sunday match against Racing Santander, addressing the Ballon d'Or, Mbappé's China crisis, and Vinicius Junior's status.

• Mourinho mocked the match schedule as a "big gift" to Madrid, citing four consecutive away games and three matches in seven days.
• Mourinho said he wants and needs Vinicius Junior, suspended in La Liga but eligible for the Champions League, without guaranteeing a starting place.
• Mourinho defended Kylian Mbappé over the China AI face-deepfake controversy, saying club and player responded with class.
• Mourinho called Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win deserved and said Jude Bellingham's 11th-place finish left him astonished.
• Mourinho argued Mbappé should be recognized as the greatest World Cup player in history, while expressing happiness for Kane.
• Mourinho said that sometimes silence is better than speaking regarding the Mbappé China controversy.
• A video showed Mbappé describing Mao Zedong as a 'Chinese dictator', triggering Beijing's backlash against the striker.
• Chinese sponsors ended their partnership with Mbappé and the official broadcaster partially halted La Liga coverage.
• Real Madrid faced criticism for waiting 48 hours before issuing an official statement about the affair.