José Mourinho began his press conference at Valdebebas by expressing his condolences following the train tragedy in Toledo earlier this week.

"Before we begin, I simply wanted, on behalf of myself and everyone who works for Real Madrid, to express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of Urda. Our thoughts, our feelings, and our hearts are with you," he said.

The Real Madrid coach then addressed several topics, once again highlighting the difficulties created by the fixture schedule, the team's run of away matches and the treatment they have received regarding kickoff times.

"Obviously, it's dangerous. Every match is, whether at home or away. But obviously, you have to add the opposing fans on the road. Opponents feel more comfortable with their own supporters. Racing is a team that hasn't lost at home. When we go to Athens, AEK will be playing the derby against Panathinaikos tomorrow, so they'll either be happy or in crisis. After playing on Wednesday and arriving on Thursday morning... it's an accumulation of difficulties that we're aware of. It will be tough, but that's where our resilience comes in. Our willingness to be smart. But it is difficult; very difficult. I think it's an almost unique situation to play four consecutive away matches. And about the schedule... we should have played yesterday and we're playing tomorrow; we should have played Valencia on Sunday and we're playing on Saturday. You cut in two days and cram three matches into seven days. It's a huge gift they've given us, whether it's from LaLiga or from TV, I don't know. But it's a gift we have to deal with, and see if we can disappoint them."

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