José Mourinho Discusses Changes at Real Madrid and the Club’s Strategy
Real Madrid is facing significant scrutiny for its decision not to conduct public presentations, but José Mourinho has provided insights in an exclusive interview with ‘El Chiringuito’.
Mourinho detailed his personal growth since departing from the Madrid club, stating, “I am more mature, less emotional, and more controlled. I continue to learn from my mistakes, but I hold no regrets (…) The more experience you have as a coach, the greater your quality becomes.”
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Mourinho also addressed a recent injury, explaining, “A Castilla kid named Lacosta accidentally hit me with the ball. I was wearing glasses at the time. But that’s not why I wasn’t called up (laughs).”
The conversation shifted to the current dressing room dynamics. Mourinho expressed, “I’ve found a dressing room eager to win and open to common sense. Up to now, I’ve yet to tap into my more aggressive side, which is part of who I am. Everything I’ve requested from them is rooted in basic principles: arrive an hour early, have breakfast supervised by a nutritionist, and go to the gym… All of this is common sense.”
When asked about his living arrangements, he confirmed, “When my children aren’t here, I’m always at Valdebebas.”
Following last season’s controversies, Mourinho commented on Kylian Mbappé: “Mbappé is incredible; he’s a stratospheric player. Judging his performance last season is complicated for everyone, including Arbeloa and Xabi, who paid the price. Winning or losing is influenced by several factors. I don’t believe in placing blame solely on some while exonerating others. A player who could have joined on August 14 but arrived on the 12th already tells me something. He expressed wanting to play against Schalke in minimum condition, but he trains like everyone else in demanding sessions… Should Mbappé put in more effort? Team dynamics require players to contribute as individuals.”
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Addressing potential signings, Mourinho stated, “Does Real Madrid need to sign more players? No. As far as I’m concerned, the market is closed. Do I need Rodri? No. We have solutions and quality within the squad already in place. I don’t believe Barcelona signed Rodri to block him from joining Madrid. Did I speak with Rodri? Yes, a couple of times. Real Madrid extended a solid offer, and the relationship with Manchester City is good. Without negotiating, the club reached out to Rodri. He had hesitations that created doubts for me as well. He’s an extraordinary player, but Real Madrid is a club of such stature that players must decisively choose it. When contacted, a player should respond, ‘When do I need to report?'”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
In recent hours, there has been major controversy surrounding Real Madrid for not holding the presentations with the public and the press, but José Mourinho has spoken exclusively to ‘El Chiringuito’.
There, he explained many things. For example, how he has changed since leaving the Madrid side: “More mature, less emotional and more controlled. As always, learning from mistakes, but never with the feeling of regretting them (…) As a coach, the more experience you have, the more quality you have.”
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He also spoke about the bruise on his eye: “Poor Lacosta, a Castilla kid, hit me with the ball. I was wearing glasses. But that’s not why I wasn’t called up (laughs).”
After that, Josep Pedrerol asked him about the dressing room he has found. This was his reply: “I’ve found a dressing room with a great desire to win, open to common sense. So far, I haven’t had to bring out that aggressive side of me, which is also part of who I am. Everything I’ve asked of them is based on basic principles. You have to arrive an hour early, have breakfast supervised by a nutritionist, go to the gym… All of this is common sense.”
Later, Josep asked him whether it was true that he sleeps at Valdebebas. He replied: “When my children aren’t here, I’m always at Valdebebas.”
After his controversies last season, José Mourinho responded about Mbappé: “Mbappé is incredible, he’s a stratospheric player. For me to judge or analyze what he did last season, which was complicated for everyone, and Arbeloa or Xabi ended up paying the price. Winning or losing is multifactorial. I don’t accept blaming only some and crediting or blaming only others. A guy who could have come on August 14 and showed up on the 12th… that already tells me something. Then he tells me he wants to play against Schalke in minimum condition, he trains exactly like everyone else in sessions that aren’t easy… Should Mbappé press more? We have to be a team. Within a team dynamic, players have to be themselves.”
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On Rodri and signings, he said this: “Does Real Madrid need to sign more players? No. As far as I’m concerned, is the market closed? Yes. Do I need Rodri? No. We have solutions and quality… I have players I’m capable of improving and I have a great squad already built. Do I think Barcelona signed Rodri to keep him away from Madrid? No, I don’t think so. Did I speak with Rodri? Yes, a couple of times. Real Madrid made him a very good offer, I think the Real Madrid-Manchester City relationship is very good, without negotiating with Manchester City, the club made contact with Rodri. Rodri had doubts, he hesitated, and what I think happened is that the doubts Rodri had created doubts in me. An extraordinary player and correct with us, but I think Real Madrid is of such a stature that it cannot have players who think twice about it. You make contact and the player has to say: ‘When do I have to go?'”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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