José Mourinho has touched down in Portugal, where he is due to spend Christmas. But if he thought he was going to escape the controversy surrounding Iker Casillas being benched at the Rosaleda, he was wrong.

Speaking from Lisbon Airport, the Real Madrid supremo was unmoved by the inevitable questions: "Casillas? I have a clear conscience. I try to pick the best team for every match".

This response was in tune with the coach's post-match press conference in Málaga, where he claimed that Iker was left out for footballing reasons alone: "You can invent all the stories you like, but it was purely a technical decision and nothing else", he told the media.

"In my opinion, Adán is in better form than Iker. As it's the opinion that counts, as it's the coach who chooses and I only consider the opinions of my assistants valid, we made the decision", Mourinho stated.

The club has backed its coach to the extent that it has insisted on his right to choose the team he sees fit. This has done nothing, however, to prevent rumours suggesting that putting the club captain on the bench was Mou's way of sending a message to the Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.

Mourinho also offered journalists another soundbite from Lisbon, claiming: "Losing is good because it gives you a taste of what others go through".