Mourinho Returns to Bernabéu: A New Era Begins
Real Madrid have barely caught their breath from the opening scare at Espanyol and already the season offers its first big scene: a return to the Santiago Bernabéu, a rescheduled Matchday 1 against Real Sociedad, and José Mourinho walking back into a stadium that has changed as much as he has.
New season, new faces, new hierarchy. Same spotlight.
The Portuguese coach sat in front of the media and made it clear that, for all the noise around Madrid’s star-studded squad, he feels like he is starting again.
“We start from scratch, although it is not from scratch, people already have feelings,” he said. “There is a willingness to do things right and to support the team.”
That sense of reset runs through everything: his ideas, his management of minutes, his handling of egos, and above all his defence of Vinicius Jr.
Managing stars, managing minutes
Madrid’s squad is stacked and battle-worn. Several players are coming off a heavy World Cup load, and Mourinho knows the risk of going from zero to ninety too fast.
“You have to do this management well between playing nothing and playing a lot, for example Cucurella. I gave him 30 minutes,” he explained, outlining a measured approach rather than a reckless one.
“My vision is mixed with data and with what the players tell me, the knowledge that each one has of himself.”
This is not the volcanic Mourinho of old, charging into every confrontation. His words carry calculation, not just fire.
“I have been feeling calmer for years, with more control of my emotions. But it's not something new,” he said. “Now I face difficult situations or frustrations, because we have not yet lost.”
Then came the line that reveals his standard.
“I don't like laziness, I like people who work for Real Madrid. So far I haven't seen laziness, everyone gives everything. And everyone protects me from my dark side. I feel good like this.”
Vinicius Jr. at the centre of the storm
The conversation inevitably swung to Vinicius Jr., once again at the heart of a debate that goes beyond football: constant insults from the stands, relentless fouls on the pitch, and a feeling that protection is arriving too late, if at all.
Mourinho did not dodge it.
“The reaction of the normal public can be controlled. Vinicius' relationship with the rival stand can improve. But the kicks, insults, and aggressions are due to the referee.”
“Justice must be given. It is the referee who has to protect the players and the game. You can work on your relationship with your adversaries.”
He has watched Vinicius closely, both last season and in pre-season, and sees a clear disparity.
“Last season I saw every match of Madrid and Barcelona. But what I have seen now, in preseason, it is obvious that there is a difference between Vinicius and other players,” he said.
“A dynamic has been entered, the opponents know they can. If they foul Vini, the yellow card arrives after making 10 fouls. It's a treatment I don't like.”
From the outside looking in as Benfica coach, his view was narrower. Now, the picture is wider.
“When I was Benfica coach, I was only interested in Benfica. Vini may have more control, but if it's a kick and aggression, it's expulsion.”
He stressed that he liked the refereeing in Madrid’s last game and doubled down on his stance of trust.
“After seeing the last game, I really liked the refereeing. I trust the Spanish refereeing. I always trust the referee. After the game sometimes there are things I don't like.”
Then came the sting.
“Yes Negreira, yes friends, I'm not there. I'm totally with the referees,” he said, a sly jab that landed with full force.
The trident problem every coach wants
If Mourinho is worried about anything, it is not a lack of quality. Quite the opposite. He has a frontline many would call the best in the world.
“The most complicated thing is when you don't have top-level players. That has happened to me in other teams. Not here,” he said. “I want all three of them (Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinicius) and I am here to make decisions.”
Those decisions will define Madrid’s season: how to balance egos, roles, and rhythms without dulling the edge of any of them.
He does not want the spotlight on himself when he steps back onto the Bernabéu touchline.
“I don't want the Bernabeu to receive me in a particular way, I want it to receive the team as its team, with its passion.”
The market, for him, is effectively shut.
“It's still open, you never know what you can go through. At the moment everything is closed, but the president or José Ángel can call me to tell me that there is an offer for one. For me, the market is closed. I would like to stay with this squad this season.”
Roles, solutions and the fine print of the squad
The questions then zoomed in on individuals. First up: Federico Valverde and his best position.
“I don't like it when they make him play on the right back. It has happened to him in the past. For me, he is a midfield player. He can be more positional, or more mobile.”
Mourinho accepts that modern football demands flexibility, but he wants stopgaps to stay exactly that.
“Teams must have solutions. A full-back is a full-back, but today he can be a winger. Or like Trent, who can play inside.”
On the prospect of Carlos Espi and Kylian Mbappé sharing the pitch, he was open.
“We can see them together, or with Endrick. Carlos has a different profile, it was perfect for how the game against Espanyol was. I thought Carlos could be important at that time to suffocate the rival.”
Aurelien Tchouameni’s situation is more delicate. The midfielder is still paying the price for his World Cup effort.
“He has suffered a lot in the World Cup. He risked everything. He played in the semifinals with everything,” Mourinho said.
“He has a setback, the player is ready to play and could have continued, but we believe he should start the season at 100%. We have decided with him and the staff to wait, so that he returns a week or two later, but 100%.”
Endrick, another name charged with expectation, is being handled with similar care.
“There is a specific problem next to the tendon, but it is more of a precaution. He's a player I like so much.”
“He has had so many, so many offers from clubs. I didn't want to give in. I'm sure he's going to get to Carlo Ancelotti's first call. He will call me directly,” Mourinho added, half-admiring, half-possessive.
Now comes the real test. A first home game, a demanding opponent in Real Sociedad, a restless fanbase, and a coach who insists he is calmer but still bristles at injustice.
The Bernabéu will judge the team. Mourinho, as ever, will judge everything else.
