Mourinho admits he'll miss Messi, says he'll have to start watching MLS

It only took one question about Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team to get Jose Mourinho talking. Real Madrid's coach didn't need much time to deliver one of those lines that sums up a lifelong rival: "He's one of those players you're going to miss."

He said it at a press conference ahead of the match against Real Betis, and he even allowed himself a joke about what awaits him if he wants to keep watching the Rosario native play now that he's no longer wearing the Argentina jersey. According to the Portuguese coach, it'll take an effort that's not exactly part of his usual routine: "We'll have to watch some MLS games, which isn't really my thing, to make the most of these last few years."

Mourinho doesn't talk about Messi the way he would about any other figure in European soccer. He has a particular connection to his story, since he was the coach on the other side of the field for Messi's professional debut, a 2003 friendly between Barcelona and Porto that ended 2-0 in favor of the Portuguese side, then managed by Mourinho himself. From that day to this one, the Argentine's growth has been, to say the least, impossible to ignore.

The numbers from their head to head matchups speak for themselves too: they faced each other in 26 games, with 8 wins for Mourinho, 9 for Messi, and 9 draws. Of those matchups, the Argentine star scored 13 goals, all of them in the 17 games he played against Real Madrid. Few individual rivalries carry as much history and as many repeated chapters as this one.

Talking about Messi is complicated. There isn't much more to say. And there are no words that can describe his quality as a player. He came into this World Cup at 38 or 39 years old and he's been what we've seenJose Mourinho

An answer for Julian Alvarez too

Mourinho's press conference wasn't just about Messi. A reporter asked him about the case of Julian Alvarez, a compatriot of the former Argentina captain, who this summer hinted at his intention to leave Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona reportedly interested in signing him. In the end, the forward stayed put during the summer transfer window.

Mourinho was careful and preferred not to wade into territory that wasn't his, making clear that the decision rests in other hands: "The specific situation you're talking about, nobody knows it better than Diego Simeone. Nobody knows the club better than Simeone. I have absolutely nothing to say about this situation."

He added a principle that, he said, applies broadly to any squad: "I usually say that if a player isn't satisfied, once September 1 arrives you either have to be satisfied or you don't play until January 1. My sense is that, as of yesterday, and at least until December 31, he'll be an important player for his club."