Speaking at his official presentation, held privately at Valdebebas and without inviting press or fans, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho discussed his emotions about returning to Real Madrid 13 years after he departed.
“This is like coming home. Emotionally, it’s even better than the first time because back then it was about reaching the top of the world, and now it’s more emotional and heartfelt,” he reflected.
“I’m one of you, I always have been, and you can imagine what it means to me to work for Real Madrid. This is a principle everyone must follow: working for Real Madrid means working for you.
“Words aren’t enough… because it’s like a mission. It’s not about worrying about myself or whether I’ll earn a lot or a little.
“I’m here to help everyone be better: players, staff… To create a culture of hard work, responsibility, ambition, and something I know well, the responsibility and honor of working for Real Madrid. I really like this concept.”
Mourinho will return to competitive action when Real Madrid take on Espanyol on Saturday evening. The coach has returned to Real Madrid on a three-year contract running until June 2029.
To support his second tenure at the Santiago Bernabéu, Mourinho has assembled a backroom staff that mixes his trusted technical lieutenants with former Real Madrid players to ensure strong tactical preparation, team discipline, and internal club culture.
Mourinho’s core tactical and performance team includes assistant coach João Tralhão, fitness specialist António Dias, goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos, and performance analysts Pedro Machado and Roberto Merella. In addition to his primary backroom staff, Mourinho integrated former midfielder Sami Khedira to reinforce squad discipline, maintain locker room leadership, and provide a strong bridge between the coaching staff and the players.