Mourinho returns with calm words and hard edge as Real reset begins

Jose Mourinho made his debut as Real Madrid's new coach in a subdued press conference on Friday, emphasizing the importance of commitment, avoiding pressure, and collective responsibility. He spoke for over 40 minutes at the team's training facility in Valdebebas, before their La Liga match against Espanyol on Saturday. Despite Real Madrid entering the season after two trophyless campaigns, Mourinho rejected the notion that the club was under significant stress. Instead, he described the atmosphere as one of anticipation.

Mourinho stressed that the team's focus should be on collective responsibility and not personal ambitions. He highlighted that the players must put the team's needs before their own, and that they should strive for hard decisions rather than easy choices. The coach also addressed the challenge of fitting players like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr into the same squad, stating he wasn't certain how to manage that balance, but expressed confidence in the team's potential for a successful season.

Mourinho also addressed the recent on-field conflict between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, stating that he had decided to move forward without trying to reconcile the two players. He described their post-season confrontation as a clean break and a chance to start afresh.