​Jose Mourinho arrived at Valdebebas today as Real Madrid’s new manager, continuing his preparations for the 2026-27 season. The Portuguese coach is fine-tuning his plans at Real Madrid’s training grounds ahead of the start of pre-season, which begins on Monday with the players undergoing their medical examinations. In an interview with Realmadrid TV, Mourinho shared his first thoughts since returning to the club.
He described the start of his second tenure at Real Madrid as something far beyond a simple personal challenge, emphasizing that the moment feels more like a mission. “Words aren’t enough because this feels like a mission,” he said. “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: the players, the staff… to create a culture of hard work, responsibility, ambition and something I know very well – the responsibility and the honour of working for Real Madrid.”
Mourinho, pictured with his staff at the Real Madrid training facilities, stressed that the mission goes beyond individual stakes. “I really like this concept. It’s not about working at Real Madrid; it’s about working for Real Madrid. That’s the spirit of the mission that has brought me here.” While he has only just returned to Madrid in person, he noted that preparations had been underway for some time. “We’ve been working very hard. It’s not as if I arrived today and everything started. We’ve been working together with the club’s structure at different levels for a long time,” he explained. He also highlighted how modern technology has facilitated remote planning, stating, “Today it’s possible to work without being physically here because technology helps us enormously.”
So, he added, today has largely been about arriving and reviewing what has already been done, as well as identifying what remains to be done. Mourinho acknowledged that he would have preferred to begin pre-season with the entire squad available, but he chose to focus on the positives. “We’ll make the most of the next two weeks with a positive attitude because, obviously, I’d like to have all the players here,” he said. Instead, he sees the opening weeks as a chance to build relationships with the players who are available and to establish himself with them.
The manager also emphasized his desire to be closely involved with the club’s academy during preseason. “During preseason, many of those young players will also be with Castilla, and I enjoy taking part in their development and helping that area grow,” Mourinho commented. He closed with an optimistic message for the new campaign: “We’re here, and eventually some world champions will arrive as well. I’m full of confidence and full of the feel for better.”