Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has taken aim at his own player Raul Asencio after a ruling against the defender for driving under the influence of alcohol at a level close to four times the legal limit.
The Portuguese insisted that what a Real Madrid player does off the pitch cannot be divorced from his responsibility to the club, even as he praised Asencio's commitment and professionalism in training.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of Friday's La Liga clash with Real Betis, Mourinho said: "Everyone makes mistakes, but when the mistakes pile up, that is a different matter."
He went on, as reported by "AS": "A Real Madrid player remains a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day. What you do outside the club may harm your reputation and the reputation of the club, and I am not happy."
For all his criticism, Mourinho was quick to defend the player's conduct at Valdebebas. "Inside Valdebebas, he is a true professional," he said. "When he was fit, there was no one who trained more than him or better than him. And now, despite his injury, he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. He has extremely great dedication."
The club have opened an internal investigation, but Mourinho made clear he would not take any individual sporting decision until the process is resolved.
"The club has opened a file for investigation, and as a manager, and as long as this file is open, I deal with him as a Real Madrid player," he said. "And he will remain so during the coming weeks."
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