Mourinho dismisses Champions League debt on Real Madrid return ahead of Inter opener

Jose Mourinho has rejected the notion that he owes Real Madrid a Champions League trophy as he prepares for Tuesday’s group-stage opener against Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu, 13 years after his first spell at the club ended.

“No, it is two different spells,” Mourinho said when asked whether he felt indebted to the Spanish club for the European title that escaped him between 2010 and 2013. “When I left in 2013, we won what we won and lost what we lost, and we gave it our all. And that was that. What I need to do now has nothing to do with the past.”

The Portuguese coach also pointed to the transformation Real Madrid have undergone since his first arrival, noting that the club had not reached a Champions League semi-final for years before he took charge. “Now we’ve won six Champions Leagues in a little over a decade,” he added.

Mourinho’s second tenure has already encountered its first stumble, with Real suffering a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis in La Liga on Friday. The manager acknowledged the scale of expectation at the club while calling for structural foundations to be laid before results can consistently follow. “You have to work to accomplish stability. Stability. Stability. Structure,” he said. “Real Madrid need to reach that stability that is so important to achieve something great. But Real Madrid are Real Madrid, you need to win here no matter what.”

The press conference also turned to Kylian Mbappe, who faced repeated questions about his relationship with Vinicius Jr and the atmosphere inside the dressing room. The French forward was measured in his response, pushing back on the premise that anything had been wrong the previous season. “Do you have the feeling that something wasn’t right last year? No, it’s the same as last year. It’s true we have a different coach, but it’s the same,” Mbappe said.

Real Madrid, 15-time European champions, are chasing their first Champions League title since 2024 after two seasons without a major trophy — a barren run that has coincided with Mbappe’s arrival at the club.