Jose Mourinho appeared at 9:30 in the morning in the press room at Valdebebas. Well, actually, it was 9:29. A minute ahead for the first press conference of the Portuguese coach as the coach of Real Madrid. In the absence of a traditional presentation, the debut of the Portuguese coach in front of the media was on the eve of the white team's league debut against Espanyol. Calm and very thoughtful, he offered a lengthy appearance, of 42 minutes, where he answered 20 questions about the project, his stars, those who have not arrived, like Rodri, and those who have, like Diomande.
"I wouldn't say I feel pressure, I would say adrenaline. Positive adrenaline," explained Mourinho, who stated he has "a lot of confidence" in his players and in the response they will give after two trophy-less seasons. "I have a lot of confidence in the players' ambition, in their mentality, and in the passion they show every day."
Mourinho has returned to Madrid 13 years later after his departure, and his discourse now revolves around an idea he repeated in different ways: building a team before problems arise. "Because they will come." "I'm not going to think foolishly that I will be here without any problems. Problems will come, but the group is strong." He even responded to Diomande's words about being willing to "die for Mourinho." "It's an expression, we're not going to take it word for word. But I like it. I am willing to die for my group, for Madrid."
The Portuguese coach claims to have found that commitment from day one. Even in situations that could raise doubts within the dressing room, like the relationship between Tchouaméni and Valverde after last season's fight. Mourinho arrived "with a lot of information". "I have my base contacts. I have seen normality, friendship. It's as if nothing had happened," he emphasized. And he valued Fede's captaincy: "The captains haven't had to be captains in difficult times yet. It will come. When it does, we will see."
The real test for the squad, according to the coach, will begin with the competition. With the first substitutes, the first changes, and the first frustrations. "Tomorrow will bring the first moment of frustration for many. The first time I have to choose, the first time someone goes to the bench and is frustrated." There, he wants to assess the group's mentality.
"I can't start with 15, I can only start with 11. Every match will be a tough moment, I hope, for me. The day someone lets frustration take over and their performance drops, it will be easy for me. And I don't want it to be easy, I want it to be tough," he explained. For Mourinho, there are "non-negotiable" aspects: "We need to be a team. Commitment must be present every minute. We have to defend with eleven."
In attack, one of his main challenges is to make Vinícius, Mbappé, and Bellingham coexist. Mourinho admits that finding the balance won't be easy. He recalled that Ancelotti found "the perfect fit for Vini," Deschamps "the perfect fit for Kylian," and Tuchel "the perfect fit for Jude." "It's harder for me to find the perfect fit for all three. But I want all three to feel comfortable, to ask them to do things I know they do well, not because they are forced, but because they believe they can do it. I don't think their positions are incompatible. I have a lot of confidence."
He also celebrated Vinícius' future resolution. "The news about Vini wasn't surprising. When I arrived, my first question was: 'Does he want to stay?'. And he wanted to stay. It was a matter of numbers."
He also doesn't consider the arrival of a midfielder essential, although he openly acknowledged that Rodri "would have been the cherry on top." "I don't think we have a deficit, but Rodri would have been the cherry on top, he is a great player, with great experience. If we could have had him, great." But immediately he listed his alternatives: "Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bernardo, Fede, Arda...". He even mentioned Güler transitioning to a deeper position: "Arda will be able to play there in some time. We don't have a problem."
He did keep the first starting lineup to himself. The players already know it, and Mourinho joked about the possibility of it leaking. "Let's see who among you has better sources. Maybe in a couple of hours, your information will come out," he hinted.
Thirteen years later, Mourinho starts anew at Valdebebas. With less noise in his speech, the same demand for results, and a rather simple definition of what he considers a "successful" season. "Real Madrid will compete in four competitions, and the only way to be pragmatic is through results. That's what matters. Ending a season without trophies is not successful."