Real Madrid are set to return to La Liga action tomorrow, on Saturday, when they face Espanyol for the matchday 2 of the new league season. However, this will be their first game, because their matchday 1 fixture was postponed because of the World Cup.
The Merengues have brought a lot of changes to their team during the summer, and the fans are understandably very excited to see their team play. The most prominent and influential of these changes has been the arrival of Jose Mourinho, who has taken over from Alvaro Arbeloa as the team’s head coach.
As MARCA has reported, the Portuguese coach today addressed the first press conference of his second stint at Real Madrid, and talked to some length with the journalists. He answered up to 20 questions, and spent 42 minutes interacting with these journalists.
The Portuguese manager started by praising Espanyol, who have already played their first game of the La Liga 2026-27 campaign:
“It’s a good team. Teams that have had the same manager for a long time are well-prepared teams. They play well and with ambition. I really liked their first match, and there they are, with three points in the table and their fans happy. We’re prepared for what we’re going to face.”
Mourinho highlighted some of the problems he faced during this preseason:
“I’m fine. It’s the first official match of the season. I’m calm. It’s another season and another match. The squad has the difficulty of starting at different times. Some players have had 36 training sessions and five matches, others fewer. I’ve also been able to prepare differentiated work for everyone. There were moments when it was one player for ten people… But I’m happy with the situation. If you tell me I have another week to prepare things, I’ll say yes, but we’re tired of friendlies.”
The Real Madrid coach gave an update on the physical condition of his players:
“The injuries from last season are long-term injuries, and I don’t expect those players to recover within a week. The only player who is out for this match is Endrick, who has a minor muscular issue. Tchouameni is fine and is training with the team. He needs to train today, tomorrow and Sunday to speed up his recovery process.”
The Portuguese tactician made it clear he was not feeling any pressure ahead of the start of the season:
“I wouldn’t call it pressure; I’d call it adrenaline, which comes and is positive. I want it, and the day I don’t feel it, something is wrong. But I don’t feel pressure about the debut. I feel confident in the work we’ve done. I have a lot of confidence in the players’ ambition and mentality, and in the passion they show me every day. Tomorrow, when we get on the plane, we’ll be convinced that we’re going to come back with three points.”
Mourinho clarified some of the comments from the new signing Yan Diomande, who recently declared that he would “die for Mourinho”:
“It’s an expression. We’re not going to follow it word for word. It’s an expression that I like. I’m available to die for my group and for Real Madrid. When he uses my name, I think he wants to associate it with the working group and the club.
Many times words are easy, but Diomande’s words are no different from what I see in everyone. I see people who are very committed and have a tremendous desire to do things well. I see a group that is growing and united. We’re not the perfect group because that doesn’t exist. I’m not going to think I’ll go weeks without having any problems. But Diomande’s message applies to everyone.”
When asked about Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, the Real Madrid coach made it clear that he did not have to take any special steps to conciliate them with one another:
“I arrived with a lot of information, to be honest. I have my contacts and I’ve learned a lot of things, but I decided to start from scratch. From the first day Tchouameni arrived, I was attentive and I never had any need to speak because I immediately saw normality. It was them, Federico (Valverde) and Tchouameni, who showed me that I didn’t need to speak to them or bring peace. I saw normality and peace. It’s as if nothing had happened.”
The Portuguese trainer also commented on Vinicius’ renewal:
“The news was not a surprise. My first question was: ‘Does he want to stay or not?’ At that moment, I was absolutely calm. I don’t want to assess whether he is one of the three best or not. But the best players have to be here.”
Mourinho was quite clear what his ultimate emphasis will be while managing the Merengue team:
“There are many ways of looking at a successful season. But ultimately, the only pragmatic way is through results. A lot of great work is done at many levels—developing the structure of a club, preparing the club for the next ten years. But in the end, results are what count. We have four competitions. Or, if you want to put it that way, three plus one small competition. But finishing a Real Madrid season without trophies is not a successful season.”
The Real Madrid coach also talked about the role of academy players and confirmed that he will take three of them for tomorrow’s game:
“Tomorrow there will be three on the bench: Rivas, Cestero and Ciria. We don’t have a particularly large squad. Militão, Rodrygo and Ferland (Mendy) will be out for a long time. I really like working with 20–21 players, maximum 22.
The academy players are filling these vacant positions and working very well with us. They won’t always be the same ones. I also want to motivate the youngsters and make them understand that the door is open. This week it’s these three, and many more will have their opportunity. It’s something I like doing, and I think it is appreciated at La Fábrica because I believe it can motivate the young players.”
The Portuguese coach also talked about his relation with the team’s captains:
“I’m happy with all of them. I think the captains are getting to know me. They also have the ability to observe, analyse and understand people well. I don’t speak in order for them to get to know me through my words. I want them to get to know me through the way they observe and analyse me.
Every morning at eight we have a staff meeting. It’s a staff that was here in previous years, and they themselves are saying that they see a group with a different kind of empathy. The captains haven’t yet had that moment of being captains during a difficult period, which will come. When the difficult moment arrives, we’ll see, but for now there is very good cooperation. The group is also helping the captains to be in a period of observation and calm.”
Mourinho already foresaw problems arising because of selection preferences, but wanted every player to remain committed to the team:
“We need to be a team, work well, and not try to negotiate things that are non-negotiable. Commitment has to be there every minute of every match. We have to overcome moments of frustration that will come because of a negative result or personal frustration.
I was talking to the players about how, for the first time, a moment of frustration will come for many of them tomorrow, because it’s the first match. It will be the first time the manager has to choose and one player starts and feels good about it. It will also be the first time another player goes to the bench and feels frustrated.
These are the moments they have to know how to digest individually and as a group. I’m here to help them, but there’s one thing I can’t do, which is start a match with 15 players. I can only start with eleven, and I hope every match will be a difficult moment for me. The day someone lets frustration consume them and their level drops, the decisions will become easy for me.
I don’t want easy decisions; I want difficult ones. To reach the end of the season with something to celebrate, a team like ours has to know how to get through moments of frustration, both individually and as a team.”The Real Madrid coach also commented on what he has brought to the club:
“It’s always difficult to enter a new club. It’s something I don’t like having to say: ‘This person won’t continue.’ I try to change as little as possible, and I always come with people who help me instil a working culture. We have seven analysts and I’ve only brought one. In terms of data, monitoring the manager and effort… I’ve brought one, and I’m very happy with that.
The people who were already here have grown and adapted. Khedira—in every club, I like having someone from within the club. I thought about players from my time and players who no longer play, with a psychological profile that I like… you can see the names.
Xabi, top manager; Arbeloa, the same; Granero, businessman… With Khedira, he told me that if he had to be there tomorrow, he would be there. He is growing a lot on the field. The rest of those who were with me at Benfica are my people.
Llopis and Nuno was one of the things that was difficult for me. I don’t know their work; perhaps they did something they shouldn’t have done… but I wanted someone who had already worked with me. That’s why I decided to make the change. I thought Pintus and Silva could both fit very well.”
While recognizing that Rodri’s signing would have been beneficial for the team, the Portuguese tactician did not seem to be minding his non-signing too much:
“There’s no deficit… he would have been the icing on the cake. He’s a great player with great experience… but when you have Tchouaméni, Valverde, Bernardo or Arda, who can play in those positions, you realise that we won’t have any problems.”
Mourinho clarified that he and Vinicius both understand what each of them will be requiring from the other:
“I don’t know the reason because he had some previous problem. I don’t know. What I see is that he wants to win. He knows what I want, without a doubt. I think he’s happy, he’s comfortable with the way we prepare matches, and he wants to win from the first day. Before signing, every little conversation ended with: ‘Let’s improve, let’s start winning again, let’s be happy.’ Always based on that.”
Finally, when asked about his starting eleven for this game, the Real Madrid coach did not give any clear answer:
“Mou’s first starting eleven… let’s see which one of you has the best contacts (laughs). The players already know who is playing; my job isn’t to hide it. Perhaps you’ll get the information in a couple of hours. I don’t have an ideal starting eleven, or if I do, I don’t want to have one.
I want to keep the door open to competition. There are many matches; we’ll have periods with three matches in a short space of time… and then ‘holidays’ because of the international break. We know how we want to press, how to stay compact, and how to play against a team that uses several systems.”
There is no doubt that tomorrow’s game is a crucial one for Jose Mourinho, who is already under pressure to get Real Madrid back to winning ways, and would like to start this new chapter at the Merengue club with a win. Hopefully, the team will be able to do its job, despite not having an ideal preseason due to the World Cup and holidays.
Leave a Comment