José Mourinho has given his first major interview since returning to Real Madrid. He discussed his star players, the team’s morale in the locker room—and Rodri.
There was no big spectacle this time around, which may be due to the lackluster past two years—both in terms of the new signings, including Yan Diomande, and the (former?) “Galactico” coach José Mourinho. No spectacular return presentation, just an interview—of all places, on the TV show “El Chiringuito,” which probably knows even more about putting on a show than Real Madrid does.
Josep Pedrerol, the show’s host, got “The Special One” to share his thoughts on all sorts of topics and issues, including his own self-assessment. Compared to his first stint in Madrid (2010–2013), he has “changed a lot,” the Portuguese coach said. “I have the same DNA; I can’t hide who I am. But I’m more mature, less emotional, more in control”—it remains to be seen.
Real’s locker room—a parallel to 2010 that Mourinho revealed in his new Netflix documentary—presents a few challenges for the stars in terms of unity and determination. “I found a locker room that wants to win; one that’s open to common sense. And all I’ve asked of it so far is common sense,” assures the now 63-year-old. “So far, I haven’t had to be the aggressive leader that I can be. They’ve shielded me from that side of myself.”
“They” include Kylian Mbappé, whom Mourinho describes as “incredible.” “In practice, he sometimes makes me laugh because he’s just too good. He’s on a stratospheric level.” Regarding Vinicius Junior—whom he faced earlier this year, while still coaching Benfica, including during the alleged racist incident involving Gianluca Prestianni (“He was my player back then, so I stood by him”)—Real’s returning coach says: “People need to learn how to behave around him. That goes for the referees, too. People need to look past whether they like him or not. You can’t just deny him a penalty just because he’s Vinicius.”
Several conversations with Rodri
Statements like these shouldn’t be taken to mean, however, that Mourinho isn’t willing to crack down when necessary. He can’t have changed that much. Is it easy to follow his guidelines? “You can’t rule out that something might happen over the course of a season. It’s normal for things to happen. But so far, there hasn’t been a single incident.” Just a matter of time at the powder keg that is Real Madrid?
Rodri, a calming influence, would certainly have been a boon to the Royals off the field in the locker room as well, but he has now opted for their archrival, Barcelona. No problem for Mourinho: “I spoke with him a few times, but when he hesitated, I began to doubt him too. He’s an exceptional player, but Real Madrid can’t have players who think twice about whether they should join us. We have solutions; I don’t need him.”
Accordingly, in Mourinho’s eyes, the Royals’ business in this transfer window—in which they’ve secured many of their target players beyond the World Cup MVP—is done: “I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings, because the window is still open. But if you ask me, it’s closed.”
