Sports

Jose Mourinho reveals why he chose to return to Real Madrid: ‘Didn’t have the best results’

September 25, 2026

Source: Yahoo Sports · Read on source site

class="wp-block-paragraph">After a couple of trophyless seasons at Real Madrid, Florentino Perez had to make an important decision in the summer about how to take the club forward.

class="wp-block-paragraph">He turned to a familiar face in Jose Mourinho, who was at Benfica, and the Portuguese manager has had a mixed start to life back at the Santiago Bernabeu.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho has now explained why he returned to Real Madrid and offered a fascinating insight into the standards he now demands from a dressing room filled with some of football’s biggest names.

Mourinho came to Madrid to rebuild the team

class="wp-block-paragraph">Speaking on the Bet It Drives podcast in an episode titled “The Special One Special,” Mourinho revealed that Madrid approached him after two disappointing seasons because they wanted him to lead another long-term period of success.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“I came back because the club wanted me to come back,” Mourinho said, explaining that his relationship with Madrid had remained close since his departure in 2013.

Jose Mourinho came back to bring trophies and culture to Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

class="wp-block-paragraph">He said the club approached him after a period in which “the biggest club in the world didn’t have the best results” and its relationship with supporters had deteriorated.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho then revealed the message he received from Madrid:

class="wp-block-paragraph">“We need you to rebuild. We need you to start again an amazing decade that the club had.”

class="wp-block-paragraph">Madrid did not turn to Mourinho just for an upturn in results. The club wanted someone capable of resetting the standards and rebuilding the winning culture.

Mourinho’s first demand from his players

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho then spoke about his philosophy and what he expects from his players.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“Don’t betray me,” Mourinho said.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“When I say don’t betray me, I’m speaking, of course, about football. Don’t betray me and I will be always there for you.”

class="wp-block-paragraph">For Mourinho, being a Real Madrid player cannot be a profession that begins at training and ends when a player leaves Valdebebas. The commitment has to extend into everyday life.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“If you feel that you are a player for only a few hours a day, you will never reach the top,” Mourinho said.

class="wp-block-paragraph">That expectation also shapes his attitude towards players going out during the season.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“You can only go out on the nights after a match,” he said.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho’s message is clear and simple. He accepts that his players have lives away from football, but the standards he expects them to uphold are very high.

Mourinho draws the line with superstar egos

class="wp-block-paragraph">Mourinho was equally clear when discussing how he handles major personalities. Having extraordinary talent does not allow a player to place himself above the group.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“Anyone who creates problems because of their ego is not a superstar,” Mourinho said.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“When the ego is bigger than the talent, they are not superstars for me.”

Real Madrid dressing room is filled with superstars. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

class="wp-block-paragraph">He reinforced his position by making clear that he does not provide any exemptions from the standard established inside his dressing room.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“When ego outweighs talent, you are not a superstar, and there are rules that cannot be broken,” Mourinho concluded.

class="wp-block-paragraph">These words are especially applicable to Madrid, where the dressing room is filled with superstars who undoubtedly have massive egos.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Former managers like Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa have struggled to channel the ego in the right direction.

class="wp-block-paragraph">With Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham and several other major personalities in one dressing room, the onus is now on Mourinho to push them in the right direction.