Mourinho Dismisses Pressure Ahead Of Second Real Madrid Debut

Jose Mourinho Press Conference

Jose Mourinho feels “positive adrenaline” before Real Madrid vs Espanyol. “It's not pressure, it's adrenaline” ahead of Madrid return.

“The day i don't feel this, something's wrong...” Mourinho says...

Jose Mourinho says he is feeling “positive adrenaline” not pressure ahead of his second spell debut as Real Madrid coach in LaLiga.

New Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho said on Friday that his squad’s big names can play together as Los Blancos prepare for their LaLiga opener at Espanyol.

Previous coaches Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa found it hard to balance attack and defence with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all in the lineup.

Madrid lifted the Champions League in 2024 with Bellingham and Vinicius central to that success, but they haven’t won a major trophy since Mbappe arrived that summer.

“They are incredible players and incredible players want to play with incredible players,” Mourinho told rporters.

“Tactically, it could be tricky. Ancelotti has found a set-up with Brazil perfect for Vini, (Didier) Deschamps has found one with France perfect for Kylian, (Thomas) Tuchel one perfect for Jude; it's harder for Mourinho to do it for the three of them.

“We're on it. I want the three, when all three play, to feel comfortable on the pitch... they are three players of great quality.

“They don't play in incompatible positions. We will have a great season with them.”

However, Madrid’s stars have been put on notice, they will be expected to contribute defensively this season.

“We have to defend with 11 players,” said Mourinho.

“If a team is pushing us back and giving us problems in our final third, we all have to defend.”

In his second spell at Real Madrid, having previously coached the club from 2010 to 2013, Mourinho said he hopes his players make team selection a difficult choice for him.

“There will be moments of frustration, because of results - or personal frustration,” said the 63-year-old coach.

“I told the players tomorrow there will come a moment of frustration for many of them because it will be the first time that I have to pick one as a starter and the other goes to the bench and feels frustrated; they have to digest that individually and as a group.

“I'm here to help them, but I can't start a game with 15 players; only 11 can play. I hope each game is difficult for me, because they keep working in the way they are working.

“The day that one lowers his level because of frustration, decisions will be easy for me. I want hard decisions... the team needs to know how to navigate moments of frustration.”

Dressing Room Calm After Last Season’s Bust-Up

Real Madrid have gone two seasons without a major trophy, and last year’s campaign was also marred by a dressing room clash between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde that left Valverde needing hospital treatment.

🎙️ Mourinho 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/z7lApXWtD3

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 21, 2026

But Mourinho said the Portuguese has been reassured by the squad. According to the coach, both players told him there is no lingering bad blood between them now.

“I've decided to start from zero... there was no need to speak to Tchouameni... seeing how they're getting on, you can't even imagine what happened last season,” said Mourinho.

“They practically told me there was no need to speak about it, that I didn't have to try and have an influence to bring peace.

“From what I've seen, it's not even about peace, it's normality, friendship, and it's like nothing happened.”

Real Madrid's upcoming LaLiga matches

Mourinho said he isn’t feeling any pressure going into his second debut as Real Madrid head coach.

“I wouldn't call it pressure, I'd call it adrenaline. It's a positive feeling,” Mourinho added. “The day I don’t feel it, something's not right.”

7️⃣ @ViniJr
8️⃣ @FedeeValverde pic.twitter.com/bPcyGA1t4a

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 21, 2026