Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has claimed last season's league campaign was his best ever as a manager.

12472 - Mourinho lauds 'best' season

Mourinho won the Copa Del Rey but missed out on the La Liga and Champions League titles to Barcelona in his first season in charge.

The Portuguese felt it was still a better campaign than any of those at Porto, Chelsea or Inter Milan, though.

"Those who say it was the first time I did not win the league in my debut season are right, but it was my best tournament ever,'' Marca quoted Mourinho as saying in an interview with Portuguese news agency Lusa.

"It was the championship in which I won more points, won more games and scored more goals. It was a very, very, very good championship.

"The reality is that we were second, won the cup and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. So it ended up being a good season, good for the first.''

Mourinho also explained his lack of big-name signings this summer by claiming "radical changes in the first team'' were not needed.

Portugal full-back Fabio Coentrao was Madrid's biggest acquisition of the close season.