Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has brushed aside suggestions that he is under extra pressure to deliver the Champions League during his second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu. Mourinho came back to Los Blancos this season after having served as the manager from 2010 to 2013.
Speaking ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Serie A champions Inter Milan on Tuesday, Mourinho insisted that the expectations surrounding the competition had not changed for him.
“No, it is two different spells,” he said, as quoted by Reuters, when asked if he was in debt to the club. “When I left in 2013, we won what we won and lost what we lost, and we gave it our all. And that was that. What I need to do now has nothing to do with the past.”
“Back in 2010, we weren’t even reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and it had been ages since we’d played in a semi-final. Now we’ve won six Champions Leagues in a little over a decade.”
The Champions League remains the one major trophy Mourinho failed to win during his first spell in charge of the Spanish giants. However, the Portuguese manager said he was not approaching the tournament with any added burden this time around.
Real Madrid head into the European fixture looking to bounce back from their first defeat since Mourinho’s return. A 1-0 loss to Real Betis in LaLiga on Friday brought an end to their positive run and shifted the spotlight firmly onto their response against Inter.
“We want to win every match, every competition,” he said. “But you have to work to accomplish stability. Stability. Stability … Structure …”
“So Real Madrid need to reach that stability that is so important to achieve something great. But Real Madrid are Real Madrid, you need to win here no matter what.”
Mourinho faced questions on a range of topics during his media interaction, but attention later turned towards Kylian Mbappe and the mood within the Real Madrid squad. The French forward was repeatedly asked about his relationship with Vinicius Jr and the atmosphere inside the dressing room.
“What does an improvement in the dressing room mean?” Mbappe said when asked if there had been a change from last year.
“Do you have the feeling that something wasn’t right last year? No, it’s the same as last year. It’s true we have a different coach, but it’s the same.”
As 15-time European champions, Real Madrid have never been short of expectations when it comes to the Champions League. They are aiming to lift the trophy for the first time since their 2024 triumph, but pressure has mounted after the club went two seasons without winning a major honour.
Those difficult seasons have also coincided with Mbappe’s arrival at the Bernabeu, adding further scrutiny to a team expected to challenge for every major trophy.
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