Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid, looks on before the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago...
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid, looks on before the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has made a bizarre dig at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, suggesting the manager’s new contract shouldn’t happen at Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid, gestures during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid, gestures during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Following Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal contract extension last week, Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho made an unprompted remark about the situation in a press conference.
“Yesterday, I read something curious that shouldn’t happen at Madrid,” Mourinho said. “Mikel Arteta renewed his contract at Arsenal. He’s been there four or five years and said they’re still just starting and that there’s a lot to do.
“What might be normal for others isn’t here. Madrid has won so much that everything has a different magnitude.”
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on August 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on August 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The comments may well have made sense in previous seasons, as it’s undeniably true that the expectations at Real Madrid and Arsenal were very different a few years ago.
But Arsenal have extended Arteta’s contract off the back of winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final. Real Madrid neither won their league nor reached the Champions League final last year.
In fact, Real Madrid’s sole achievement in 2025/26 was reaching the final of the Supercopa de Espana, and losing it to Barcelona. An achievement roughly comparably to Arsenal reaching the League Cup final, which Arteta also did in 2025/26.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, poses for a photograph the Premier League trophy as players of Arsenal celebrate, as they are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2025/26 Season, after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, poses for a photograph the Premier League trophy as players of Arsenal celebrate, as they are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2025/26 Season, after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League)
If Real Madrid win the league and reach two finals this season, and then they sack Mourinho anyway, he can rightly suggest that his treatment would have been different at Arsenal.
As it stands, Arsenal are renewing Arteta’s contract because his team are outperforming Real Madrid despite all those high expectations in the Spanish capital.
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid receives a red card from referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid receives a red card from referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
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