Real Madrid News
Mourinho sets the tone and defines the mission for his new Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho took charge as new Real Madrid manager last week, a few days before the pre-season camp was to start.
According to MARCA, the manager did not arrive at Valdebebas on Friday simply to begin work. He arrived to ensure everything was progressing according to plan.
The Portuguese coach has spent weeks preparing for the new season alongside Real Madrid’s leadership through meetings and remote planning. As a result, his first day at the training complex in club gear was more about overseeing preparations than making introductions.
Although preseason officially began today morning, Mourinho’s second spell at the club has already been underway behind the scenes.
A clear message from day one
From his earliest meetings with the club’s various departments, Mourinho has consistently delivered the same message. On Friday, he expressed it publicly for the first time: this season must be approached as a mission.
“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, which is the responsibility and the honour of working for Real Madrid,” he said.
That philosophy will serve as the foundation of his new project.
Building a new working culture
Mourinho believes success will only come if everyone at Real Madrid embraces the same level of daily commitment and competitive hunger. Winning trophies remains the ultimate objective, but before that, he wants to reshape the team’s everyday mentality and work ethic.
Beginning today, he will start bringing that message onto the training pitch.
Many of the club’s internationals are still away following the World Cup and will return gradually after completing their mandatory rest period of roughly three weeks.
That means Mourinho’s first training sessions will feature the available senior players alongside a significant group of academy prospects. Over recent weeks, he has studied detailed reports on the club’s young talent and personally selected the players he wants to evaluate.
One word defines the project: Mission
Everything reflects the word Mourinho has repeated most since accepting the job: mission.
Despite his reputation, Mourinho is not arriving with the intention of dismantling Real Madrid’s existing structure. His trusted coaching staff is already in place, but the goal is to build upon the club’s current foundation rather than replace it.
For him, managing Real Madrid is about far more than coaching matches. It is about creating an environment where responsibility, ambition, and the expectation of winning become everyday habits long before kick-off.
As those close to him explain, Mourinho wants everyone at the club to understand that every individual has a role to play in achieving the ultimate objective.
His aim is not only to build a winning team, but also to create a united club where every member feels responsible for Real Madrid’s success.
Real Madrid News
Rayo Vallecano manager names the one Real Madrid figure he would remove from the team
Rayo Vallecano face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on a wounded Real Madrid this weekend.
Life after Inigo Perez has not been kind to the Vallecas-based club, who have already had to travel to Camp Nou and now face a trip to the home of their city giants.
Speaking ahead of the game (h/t Madrid Xtra), Rayo Vallecano manager Benat San Jose was asked which Real Madrid player he would like to remove from the team before this weekend’s game.
Surprisingly, his choice was not Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior or Thibaut Courtois.
“Mourinho”
Asked which Madrid player he would take out of the upcoming contest, Benat jokingly chose the man sitting on the opposition bench.
“Which Real Madrid player I’d remove from the match against them? Mourinho,” Benat said with a laugh.
The answer might have been delivered jokingly, but the Rayo coach immediately made clear just how highly he rates the Portuguese manager.
“He’s one of the best managers in history,” he added.
It is significant praise ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Bernabeu.
Madrid’s squad contains enough individual quality to give any opposition coach several obvious answers, but Benat instead highlighted the influence Mourinho can have over the entire team.
That has become particularly relevant since the Portuguese coach returned to Madrid. His early work has focused on making a talented group function with greater collective discipline.
Courtois and Madrid’s attack also praised
Benat did not stop with the manager.
“They also have one of the best GKs in history and one of the best attackers in history,” he said.
Benat will definitely have seen how Thibaut Courtois played against Inter Milan in midweek and will hope that version does not turn up again this weekend.
Even when teams manage to create opportunities against Madrid, they still have to beat one of the defining goalkeepers of his generation.
At the opposite end, Madrid possess attacking quality capable of turning a match on its head.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can all decide matches single-handedly.
Madrid have a point to prove
Madrid are coming off a disappointing loss to Real Betis in La Liga last weekend and will come into this game with a point to prove.
They will want to ensure that the loss to the Andalusian club was a one-off and that they return to winning ways against Rayo.
Their title rivals, Barça, have been flying high in the league, scoring goals and picking opponents apart for fun.
Madrid need to ensure that they do not hand too much early incentive to Barça, and it remains to be seen how Los Blancos fare against Rayo Vallecano.
