The Special One has returned to the Spanish capital, rejoining Real Madrid on a three-year deal, having previously led Los Blancos between 2010 and 2013. In his first chapter with the club, José Mourinho led his side to one La Liga title, one Copa Del Rey title, and one Supercopa de España win.
Mourinho rejoins the Spanish giants after a tumultuous season, which saw former player Xabi Alonso take the reins after impressing as boss of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, only to be fired in January. Fellow ex-Madrid star Álvaro Arbeloa then took charge for the remainder of the season, but was unable to guide his side to any silverware.
Madrid finished the season second in La Liga, eight points behind Barcelona, having been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarterfinals by Bayern Munich and of the Copa del Rey by La Liga 2 side Albacete Balompié in the Round of 16.
Mourinho returns following Florentino Pérez’s reelection as club president, with the Portuguese coach cutting short his tenure in charge of Benfica after just a year in charge, in which they finished third behind Sporting CP and champions - and the 63-year-old’s former club - FC Porto.
For the first time since his reappointment in Madrid, Mourinho has now spoken out, telling Realmadrid TV, “Words are not enough because this feels like a mission. It's not about worrying about myself or whether I'll win a lot or a little. I'm here to help everyone become better: players, staff…
“Creating a culture of work, responsibility, ambition, and something I know well—responsibility and the honor of working for Real Madrid. I really like this concept. It’s not about working at Real Madrid; it’s about working for Real Madrid. And it’s with this mission-driven spirit that I am here.”
Mourinho went on to add that he and his staff “are working a lot,” noting that their work on reshaping the club began long before his return to the team’s facilities.
“We’ve been working hard for a long time with the club’s structure at different levels,” he said. “Today, you can work without being physically present because technology helps us a lot, and today has basically been about arriving and 'checking' everything that has been done and what we still need to do.”
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Now back in Madrid, Mourinho will have to work without many of his first-team stars for the time being as they continue to represent/recover after representing their national teams at the FIFA World Cup, including the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and new signing Marc Cucurella.
The Spaniard joined from another of Mourinho’s former clubs, Chelsea, on a six-year deal worth $70 million. Along with Cucurella, Madrid have also already secured the signatures of Bernardo Silva (free), Ibrahima Konaté (free), and Denzel Dumfries ($22.7 million) this summer.
On the plus side, this will allow Mourinho to put some of La Fábrica’s promising young stars to the test, something he alluded to during his interview. “Taking advantage of the next two weeks with positivity because, obviously, I would like to have all the players here,” he admitted. “You have to look at it positively—it’s about getting to know the boys I’ll be working with and giving them the opportunity to get to know me.
“During the preseason, many of these boys will be here with Castilla, and I also enjoy participating and helping in the growth of this area. Here we are, and some world champion will join us. With great confidence, with a strong feeling that I love this club, and ¡Hala Madrid y nada más!”
Mourinho’s first test in his second chapter as Madrid boss will come in the form of Serie A side ACF Fiorentina, whom they’ll face this preseason on August 1 in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
