Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has defended his record in the Champions League with the club.
The Portuguese hinted that his future lies elsewhere after seeing his side knocked out at the semi-final stage of the competition by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday evening.
However, despite exiting at the same stage three times while at the helm at Santiago Bernabeu, Mourinho feels that his record still stands up to scrutiny.
"In the first year we were knocked out [by Barcelona in 2011] because we weren't allowed to make it to the final," he told reporters after the game, referring to Pepe's red card in the tie.
"In the second year we lost on penalties [to Bayern Munich] and in the third year we lost because of our performance in Dortmund. I don't live for near achievements, nor does this club. But after the club won the three European Cups [in 1998, 2000 and 2002] Madrid entered a period of not even making it to the quarter-finals.
"We weren't even seeded when I got here and my first worry was qualifying from the group stages. Sergio Ramos came here in 2005 but didn't play a Champions League quarter-final until I got here. I have got the club to three semi-finals and earned them a lot of money in bonuses."
Dortmund will play the winner of Bayern's tie with Barca tonight at Wembley on May 25.
Paul Gorst
