If Jose Mourinho was auditioning for the Manchester United coaching job, he put forth a worthy performance, writes the AP's Harold Heckle.

Before the final whistle of Real Madrid's 2-1 win even blew, Mourinho was putting the spotlight on himself, walking over to United boss Alex Ferguson and whispering a few words into the 71-year-old coach's ear. Mourinho left the field and entered the tunnel as his team played out the final few seconds. And once the game actually ended, it was Mourinho who said that United was the better team.

"I try to be honest and in my opinion, the best team lost," said Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager who has said he would like to eventually return to the EPL. A spot on the Man United bench when Ferguson finally retires would be a prime position. And it seems he's already trying to win over the fans.

"Sir Alex, he's the best. He's the top. I am nobody to put a question mark against him," Mourinho said after the game. "His team was very well organized, his team was fantastic."