Jose Mourinho has returned as Real Madrid's head coach, appointed by President Florentino Perez to halt FC Barcelona's domestic supremacy under Hansi Flick. Despite a contentious past with Barça, Mourinho insists he harbors "no bad feelings," asserting he thrives on competing against the best to elevate his own game. He stressed that winning is the ultimate goal in sport, citing his 2011-12 La Liga triumph over Barcelona. Crucially, Mourinho also vowed to significantly improve Kylian Mbappe, whose 2024 transfer hasn't brought the expected trophies, unlike Barcelona's recent success. He stated, "I am here to help... Mbappe is a phenomenal player and I am going to try to help him become even better." Preseason starts July 13.
Real Madrid will be managed by Jose Mourinho for a second time in 2026/2027.
Former FC Barcelona assistant manager, and now Real Madrid head coach, Jose Mourinho has addressed the Catalan club and what he'll do with Kylian Mbappe in an interview with GQ.
Former FC Barcelona assistant manager, and now Real Madrid head coach, Jose Mourinho has addressed the Catalan club and what he’ll do with Kylian Mbappe during an interview with Vanity Fair.
After being re-elected, President Florentino Perez appointed the Portuguese for the second time to replace ousted tactician Alvaro Arbeloa.
Top of Mourinho’s to-do list will be breaking up domestic dominance from Hansi Flick and his former club, where he was the assistant to Bobby Robson during the 1990s.
Mourinho is insultingly referred to as “the translator” by many Culers, and there’s plenty of bad blood left over from the first time he led Barça’s arch nemesis in the early 2010s during the Pep Guardiola era.
Having said that, Mourinho insisted, “I have no bad feelings toward Barcelona.”
“I enjoy playing against the best, because the best force you to be better," he added, in a possible nod to the Barça, Flick and Guardiola all at once.
“There is an absurd theory: that you can be great without winning,” Mourinho said. “In sport, the objective is to win… how defensive was that team?,” he asked, in reference to the 100-point, 121-goal scoring team that won La Liga in 2011-12 while stopping Barça’s run.
“The world stopped for those matches,” Mourinho also recalled, about the height of the El Clasico rivalry between him and Guardiola, or Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“It wasn’t just Madrid and Barcelona, or just Spain. It was the world,” he added.
Mourinho vowed to improve Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid
Despite an astounding 86 goals in 103 games, Mbappe’s 2024 transfer from Paris Saint-Germain hasn’t been deemed a success so far, which Perez recently hinted at himself.
That’s mainly down to the fact that Madrid have gone trophyless in the past two seasons, while Barça have picked up five out of the six domestic pieces of silverware on offer under Flick.
And while Mourinho is charged with once more ending Blaugrana bliss above all, he has vowed to improve the Frenchman currently lighting up the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s not the time to talk, it’s the time to listen,” Mourinho insisted. “I am here to help, not to criticize … Mbappe is a phenomenal player and I am going to try to help him become even better.”
Mourinho’s Real Madrid preseason camp for 2026/2027 is expected to start on July 13. World Cup stars like Mbappe could join later, depending on how far their countries advance through the tournament in North America.