Mourinho: Diego Lopez is better than Iker Casillas.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says Diego Lopez is better than Iker Casillas, and Casillas will not play as long as he is at the club. Mourinho has ignored club president Florentino Perez' call for unity in the dressing room during the final weeks of the season.

After being eliminated in semi-finals from the champions league by Borussia Dortmund, things have gone from bad to worse for the Madrid team, who have had tensions rise between teammates all season, and have escalated since their exit from European competition.

Real Madrid President Perez called on the team to be "united for the fans" on Monday as they prepare to take on local rivals Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, and to secure second place in La Liga behind Barcelona.

Mourinho stirred up controversy on Friday when he said that Casillas will not play because Lopez is better, forcing club players Sergio Ramos and PEPE to speak our in Support for the former Madrid captain.

Mourinho might be on his way out of the Spanish team after three bittersweet seasons with the team, he has said little to deny his exit, and there is a lot of talk of him going to his former club of Chelsea, where he calls home.

"Let's see if you understand it once and for all, I am a soccer coach," Mourinho told reporters. "They hired me to be a soccer coach and a soccer coach has certain responsibilities, one of which is to pick the team. I don't do it by flipping a coin. I do it after discussion and lengthy analysis of my decisions. For me, I like Diego Lopez better as a goalkeeper than Iker Casillas. I don't do it to harm anyone. I accept it if someone says that Casillas is better than Diego Lopez but you have to accept that I am the coach of Real Madrid."