Mourinho: "I can't hide or try to be what I'm not..."

J osé Mourinho sits down before the media for the first time as Real Madrid coach. The Portuguese faces an interview with Josep Pedrerol on El Chiringuito in which he talks about his arrival at the club, what he expects from this new stage, and everything surrounding one of the most demanding dugouts in the world.

'I’m not coming with a speech of promises or with a list of objectives to guarantee. Mourinho prefers to speak of feelings, responsibility and dreams . And he does so from a position he sums up in one sentence: “I come with everything I have.” From there, the Portuguese lays out what it means for him to take charge of Real Madrid. "I come with the love that Real Madrid awakens in me, with the responsibility that Real Madrid demands, with the excitement of a child who has won nothing... I come with absolutely everything. E this thing about promising things... like was done 20 years ago... I’m not into those stories. If you ask me whether I have dreams... I have dreams ," the Portuguese began. '

"How has Mourinho changed? He gives the answer himself. The Portuguese acknowledges a profound evolution, both personally and professionally, although without giving up what he considers his essence. “I have changed so much. I would say the same DNA, obviously, I cannot hide or try to be what I am not... with much more maturity, less emotional, more controlled” .

The belter from an academy player... and his black eye

Mourinho speaks of an evolution built over the years and, above all, through mistakes. He does not deny his past nor consider that regretting is the way to move forward. "As always, since forever... learning from mistakes... but not regretting this or that because I think that in life regretting something that has happened does not help you at all ".

Experience, for the Portuguese coach, is precisely one of a manager's great tools. “Learning from experiences, yes. This job of being a manager, I think that... the more experience we have... the more ‘déjà vu’ moments appear to you... the more quality you have” . And then comes a much more anecdotal issue, but an inevitable one in the interview: the bruise visible on his face. Mourinho dismisses any speculation with humor and explains its origin. “No, it wasn’t a fight. The bruise I have was from poor Lacosta, a kid from Castilla, who hit me with a ball, I was wearing glasses and it struck me” . And then he joked about it. “But that’s not why he wasn’t called up for the last match.”

A locker room and common sense

Mourinho has found a dressing room with hunger. “I have found a dressing room with a great desire to win as the final product of work” , he explains. He also highlights their predisposition: “A dressing room open to common sense” . He even admits that he has not yet had to show his more aggressive side: “They have protected me from this version that is also mine.”

And he gives a clear example of what he demands of them. “Behavior is impeccable.” For Mourinho, his basic rules are not impositions, but matters of common sense: arriving early, watching their diet, going to the gym to prevent injuries. “ Everything I have asked of them is common sense” , he begins. "Everything I have asked of them as basic, non-negotiable principles, which deep down I have told them I ask of them, is common sense: Saying that you have to come an hour before training, not five minutes before, is common sense . It is today’s football: You have to arrive early, you have to have breakfast monitored by the nutritionist, you have to go to the gym every day to prevent injuries... it is for you. It is for us. Everything I have asked of them is common sense ," he says.

His first spell at Madrid

Mourinho also remembers his first spell at Real Madrid and explains what has changed since then. “I don't know. I don't know if it's that or the responsibility of working for Real Madrid, which is for me a fundamental thing” . The Portuguese makes it clear that he especially enjoys this new opportunity: “This thing of working at Real Madrid, I like it a lot, I really like working for Real Madrid” .

The doubts Rodri has had have created doubts for me too

His personal situation has also changed. In his first spell, he had young children and lived with his wife. Now, with them already grown up and living in London, his day-to-day life is different. “Now they are 29 and 26 and live in London and my wife spends a lot of time with the children” . That is why Valdebebas has become even more his center of operations: “When I leave here at 6 or 7... it is very convenient for me to stay here”.

The second part of the interview begins with Kylian Mbappé. Mourinho does not hold back in his praise for the French forward, whom he describes with a mix of admiration and naturalness: “Mbappé is incredible. He makes me laugh sometimes in training” . The explanation comes immediately: “Because he is too good. He is at a stratospheric level” .

The Portuguese man does avoid, however, getting into evaluating what happened last season. He prefers to look ahead and focuses on the collective responsibility for what happened . “It is not for me to judge or analyze what he did last season. A strange season, a complicated season for everyone. In the end it is always the same story, Arbeloa and Xabi paid the price. Winning or losing is multifactorial .” Mourinho believes that it was not only the coaches or the players who failed: “A lot of people failed last year.” And he makes clear the level of demand he wants to instill in this new stage: “This is the commitment I want” . That is why, when he talks about Mbappé, he prefers to think about what he can contribute now. And he finds a first positive sign even before seeing him compete: “A guy who could have come on August 14 and showed up on the 12th... that already tells me something” .

Mourinho also puts the squad planning on the table and, although he admits that the transfer window is still open, he makes his position clear: “I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is open, but if you ask me directly whether it is closed for me... yes. It is closed” .

In that context, Rodri appears. The Portuguese coach insists that he does not miss the midfielder because he trusts the solutions he already has in the squad: “No, I don’t miss Rodri, we have solutions, we have quality” . Mourinho also highlights his ability to transform the players at his disposal: “I like to think that I have the ability to improve players.”

"I spoke with him a couple of times and Real Madrid makes him a very good offer. I think there is a very good relationship with City. Without negotiating with City, the club has had contacts with Rodri, it has made him an important offer" . However, the footballer's doubts also ended up generating doubts in Mourinho. "Rodri has had doubts, he has hesitated... and Rodri's doubts have created doubts for me" . And he establishes one of the maxims he wants for the club: "Real Madrid is of such a stature that it cannot have players who think twice about it." Pedrerol then suggests whether Rodri's decision can be interpreted as a victory for Barcelona. Mourinho responds bluntly: "Victories are on the pitch, they are the titles. That is where the victories are."

The coach also spoke about Vinicius and denied having influenced his contract renewal. "No, thanks to me? Vinicius is in love with Real Madrid. I only told him: "Vini, where do you want to go? You’ve been in Brazil and at Madrid, you know what Madrid is when you leave, and it’s not worth it." I think that what he has felt when he has seen the group grow has given him an important feeling," said the Portuguese.

' Mourinho had a conflict with the Brazilian a few months ago , when he sided with Prestianni after the racist abuse of Benfica’s Argentine player in the Champions League: "The answer is simple, Prestianni was my player. And that’s it, there’s no more to discuss; 20 players could come and he was my player. Now Vini knows which side I’m on. The other day when they didn’t award him a penalty I was in the middle of the pitch fighting for him".'

People have to learn how to behave with him, and I'm talking about referees. You can't give a penalty to one player and not to Vinicius, protect one player and not Vinicius. They don't respect him," he says in defense of his player... to whom he also leaves a message : "At the stadium level, one thing is celebrating a goal with your own fans and another is celebrating in front of the opposing fans.