Sami Khedira, former Real Madrid midfielder
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
When Jose Mourinho returned for his second stint as manager of Real Madrid, he was on the lookout for trusted personnel to join his backroom staff.
The club eventually settled on former Los Blancos player Sami Khedira, who had played under the Portuguese tactician during his time at the club.
He has been working with the club since the start of pre-season and has taken on an important dressing-room role.
Sami Khedira, former Real Madrid midfielder
Khedira is a key part of the coaching staff at Real Madrid. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
Khedira has now expressed his delight at returning to Real Madrid, describing the move as the beginning of a new chapter and an honour to work alongside Jose Mourinho again.
Writing on X, he made it clear how much the opportunity means to him.
“A new old chapter. Back at Real Madrid. A special feeling to return, and an honour to be working alongside Jose Mourinho again. Excited for this new challenge and everything ahead,” Khedira wrote.
The message reflects both Khedira’s emotional connection to the club and his respect for Mourinho.
Khedira is expected to act as a liaison between Mourinho and the players, helping maintain communication and stability inside the dressing room.
That role is particularly important in a squad like Madrid, which contains established stars, new signings and several young players.
His experience gives him credibility on both sides. He understands exactly what Jose expects but also knows how it feels when the shoe is on the other foot.
Khedira was one of those players in the squad under Jose before, and his experience could help the dressing room have a shoulder to lean on.
A new (old) chapter 🤍
Back at @realmadrid. A special feeling to return, and an honour to be working alongside José Mourinho again. Excited for this new challenge and everything ahead. ⚽ pic.twitter.com/elRKDkYXJb
— Sami Khedira (@SamiKhedira) August 2, 2026
Khedira’s appointment should not be viewed as a nostalgic gesture.
The club appear to see him as a practical figure capable of preventing small tensions from becoming larger issues and helping the coaching staff’s message reach the squad clearly.
Last season, one of the biggest issues for both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa was their inability to maintain dressing-room harmony.
Jose understands how important it is to have a harmonious dressing room, and Khedira is his trusted man to ensure that.
Khedira’s own words underline his enthusiasm, and it remains to be seen how his role helps Madrid adapt to this new chapter under Jose.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images
Real Madrid bid goodbye to long-serving right-back and club captain Dani Carvajal at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Spaniard has been a part of Madrid’s folklore over the last decade, and he left huge boots behind despite not featuring much last season.
The club already had Trent Alexander-Arnold in the ranks, but the Englishman had endured a difficult first season in Spain.
Los Blancos proceeded to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan, but there was still some concern regarding both right-back options.
However, according to Defensa Central, Trent has emerged as Jose Mourinho’s biggest positive surprise during Real Madrid’s pre-season, with the English defender making a strong early impression on his new manager.
Mourinho has been particularly impressed by Trent’s performances in the club’s opening friendlies after the right-back returned to training in outstanding physical and mental condition.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid player
Alexander-Arnold has made a strong impression so far. (Picture credit: Instagram/@realmadrid).
The report claims Alexander-Arnold arrived at Valdebebas determined to bounce back from one of the toughest periods of his career.
After missing out on England’s World Cup squad, the 27-year-old spent the summer working extensively on both his fitness and mentality with the aim of becoming a key player again.
Those efforts seem to have paid off. Mourinho is said to have been pleasantly surprised by the level Trent has shown since pre-season began.
Mourinho expected to spend significant time improving Trent’s tactical understanding, but instead found a player performing at a much higher level than anticipated.
His display against Fiorentina reinforced that impression, with Trent standing out alongside Denzel Dumfries as one of Madrid’s best performers.
Trent’s woes at right-back have been well documented for quite some time now.
Without an iota of doubt, the Englishman is the most creative right-back of his generation, but his defensive awareness has not always been up to the mark.
His alternative in that position, Denzel Dumfries, has a different issue. He is very good going forward and in recovery defending.
However, the Dutchman’s best football has always come in a back-five formation, where he is allowed to play as a wing-back.
Thus, Jose might have been worried about how to get the best out of his right-back options. It is safe to say that both players have started well to ease those concerns.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho and Denzel Dumfries
Dumfries will compete with Trent in the first-team. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
Despite Trent’s encouraging start, the battle for the right-back position is far from settled.
Dumfries has also impressed since arriving, giving Mourinho two high-level options for the role.
The Portuguese coach is open to rotating between them depending on the opposition, while he has also experimented with using both players in the same line-up.
This tactical flexibility could allow Jose to play both players on the right flank against opposition where crossing could be a viable threat.
For now, though, the encouraging sign is that Trent has made a great start. The next important step is to maintain that consistency, and it remains to be seen how the 27-year-old gets on under Jose.