Mourinho hints his Real Madrid future does not depend on winning the Champions League

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that his Real Madrid future is not contingent on winning the Champions League.

After claiming Europe's most coveted trophy with both Porto and Inter, Mourinho left each side almost immediately, but has revealed that neither decision was a result of his success in the tournament.

"With Porto, I left because I thought it was the time to leave - I had other ambitions, and with Inter I [had] decided to leave before the final," he revealed to TVE.

Despite Mourinho's illustrious history in the Champions League, the former Chelsea boss has now revealed that his priority remains victory in the domestic league.

"For me, the league, in its conception, is so important because the best team always wins it. In the Champions League, the team that wins is not always the best.

"When you win the league, it's very good for a coach's self-esteem, because he knows he has done well throughout the year."

The 49-year-old also had a word on his team's clash against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, stating that his players have to do their best to cope with the adverse weather conditions.

"The cold cannot influence us. It's not fair to be playing in these temperatures, but players' mentality will have to draw strength from their mentality.

"We have to be head-strong, and when we are, the group is united and has ambition."

Finally, Mourinho revealed that his side were going to continue fighting in La Liga, despite their hefty 10-point advantage over second-placed Barcelona.

"In the championship, I will not give away one iota and we'll play every game as though we were level on points with Barcelona.

"The proof of this is that two or three days before the game in Moscow, I played with everyone against Racing."

Real Madrid's trip to CSKA Moscow kicks off at 18.00CET on Tuesday at the Luzhniki Stadium.