体坛英语新闻：Mourinho heaps praise on Champions League rivals Galatasaray

MADRID, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho gave Tuesday an interview to the club's official TV channel in which he looked at his side's rivals for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Following their controversial win over Manchester United in the last round, Real Madrid will play Galatasaray, the leaders of the Turkish league and although many believe the Turks were the easiest side in the last eight, Mourinho is not so sure.

"They have been in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for so many years and teams that have got that far get there for a reason," said Mourinho.

"Galatasaray are there because they got out of the group stage and then progressed through a knockout round."

"This is a competition which a lot of sides start and now there are only eight of them left and they are all here because they deserve it. You know it is not going to be easy to get through and they are the fourth champions we have had to face this season," ( after Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, who are runaway leaders in England).

The Real Madrid coach traveled to Turkey on Sunday to watch Galatasaray's league game in person and said he had seen what he expected to find.

"They are a team of people who know the Champions League well and have two European Champions in their side like (Didier) Drogba and (Wesley) Sneijder and people who have played with big teams such as (Emanuel) Eboue, who was at Arsenal and Felipe Melo at Juventus. They are the people who know how to play at this level, " continued the Madrid coach, whose side will have the first leg in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

"We have to try and get something positive in the first game, which we didn't do against Manchester United. We have to try and get an advantage," he said, before heaping praise on former Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, who he signed for the London based club.

"I don't want to say he is my favorite player, because I have worked with a lot of special players, but if I had to say on in particular, it would be Drogba: he is from another world and I would like to have him at my side," he added.

Mourinho also spoke about the final of the Copa del Rey, where his side will play local rivals Atletico Madrid. "I think it will be a good day for both clubs," he said, before admitting that the BBVA Primera Liga, where his side trail Barcelona by 13 points is an impossible ask.

"We have to try and play to win and use the squad in such a way that everyone is in condition to play and nobody has an overdose of games," he concluded.