José Mourinho’s arrival at Real Madrid is already moving behind the scenes, with the Portuguese coach beginning to outline the team’s pillars for next season. In a relaxed statement, he expressed his desire for the club’s athletes to be quickly eliminated from the World Cup, with a view to having them back for pre-season, and reaffirmed his intention to promote strong cohesion in the dressing room.
The Madrid team’s commander addressed rumors about possible dismissals of prominent players. “I was aware that there would be cuts for important athletes who faced difficulties. However, I want these players, the best. My mission now is to form a real team and avoid the internal issues that, according to the information I read, affected the group in previous campaigns”, explained the Portuguese.
Mourinho made clear his objective of implementing a union that, according to his perception, was absent in the team in past seasons, especially during the management of Xabi Alonso or Álvaro Arbeloa. He considered that having a squad with the best talents is a “great problem” for any coach, unlike dealing with lower quality players. The coach also considered the Real Madrid group to be the most talented he has managed in his career.
At another point in the press conference, when asked about his fans at the World Cup, Mourinho gave an unexpected answer. “To be honest, I prefer the Real Madrid players to lose and then be able to go on vacation straight away. My goal is to have all the players available for pre-season,” he said.
The Portuguese coach, finally, detailed his methodology for achieving success and winning major titles. “I don’t perform miracles, but I am capable of improving players who have potential and the desire to evolve”, he highlighted. He recalled the example of Samuel Eto’o in a clash against Barcelona, when he was playing for Inter Milan. “Many classified it as a miracle of mine, but it wasn’t. I didn’t do anything; the player did it for himself. He had an immense desire to overcome Barcelona, to eliminate them and to win the Champions League at any cost”, he concluded.