Mourinho: Real Madrid boss wants fans to welcome team, not him

Jose Mourinho says he does not want a personal reception from the Real Madrid supporters when his side face Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

The match is a rearranged fixture from the opening round of La Liga and will be Real Madrid’s first home game of the season. Mourinho described it as one of 19 important matches at home, with victory and respect for their opponents his main priorities.

“Facing Real Sociedad will be the first at our stadium, but it is one of 19 important matches. Our objective is to win and to respect a team that deserves respect,” he said.

Mourinho expects a demanding contest against a Real Sociedad side he believes has both strength and quality. He also called for the same level of support from Real Madrid’s supporters that Espanyol received from their own fans in the clubs’ previous match.

“Real Sociedad are a strong team and have excellent players who will make the match difficult for us,” said Mourinho. “Against Espanyol, we felt the support of the opposition’s supporters for their team. Tomorrow, we hope for the same from our fans and that the team shows the same desire to win and the same strength. I hope the supporters see that.”

Real Madrid began the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol, but Mourinho acknowledged that their opponents had shown a level of intensity his team had not yet reached.

“Espanyol showed a level of intensity that we do not have,” he said. “We have a good foundation, with players who have had a longer period of training. Playing matches speeds up the process of reaching the best physical condition.”

He added that players needed competitive football to become fully fit, mentioning Marc Cucurella as an example of the importance of match exposure. Mourinho said the club combines objective and scientific data with his own experience, while also taking feelings into account.

Mourinho plays down personal reception

The Real Madrid manager made clear that he did not want the spotlight focused on him when he returned to the Bernabeu.

“I do not want the Bernabeu to welcome me in any way, but I want them to welcome the team with great passion,” he said. “At one point last season, that passion was going through a difficult period, and now we are starting again.”

“I am not the most important person and I am able to control my emotions. All I want is for the players to feel something different from what they felt last season.”

Mourinho also said he was calmer and better able to manage his emotions, although he expected difficult moments during the season. He praised the attitude of the squad and staff, saying he had not seen anybody being lazy and that they were working for Real Madrid.

“Perhaps it is also because the players and the people who work here are trying to protect me from my darker side,” he added.

Vinicius and refereeing

Mourinho criticised what he considers to be a clear difference in the way Vinicius Junior is treated compared with other players.

“The general difference in the treatment of Vinicius compared with other players is clear,” he said. “He has entered a spiral. Opponents feel they can do whatever they want to him, and that is what happens.”

He compared the situation to children testing boundaries, saying people do not go beyond the limits they are allowed to cross. Mourinho said that treatment was unacceptable and argued that a kick received by Vinicius should have resulted in a red card.

“Vinicius was kicked and that was an aggressive act. It should have been a red card,” he said.

Despite that criticism, Mourinho said he had been pleased with the refereeing in most respects. He understood that the referee, fourth official and VAR official might not have seen or acted on the incident, but said the VAR official had not done his job well.

The Portuguese manager insisted he continued to trust Spanish referees, including in the Champions League. He dismissed suggestions that he would question decisions through alleged connections involving the Negreira case, although he acknowledged that refereeing decisions had affected match results.

“When decisions affect the results of matches, that happens,” he said.

On Vinicius’ dip in form, Mourinho said there were factors both on and off the pitch. He believes the player can improve his reactions when they are not linked to racism, while issues involving challenges, matches and penalties remain the referee’s responsibility.

“With my personality, if they did that to me, perhaps I would receive a red card,” Mourinho said. “Vinicius’ relationship with opposition supporters is something we can work on.”

Mourinho says squad is complete

Mourinho said he considered Real Madrid’s squad complete, although he accepted that the transfer window remained open and that players could still ask to leave.

“For me, our team is complete,” he said. “Of course, the transfer market is still open. You cannot know whether somebody will come and say that they want to leave. That can happen, but in my mind the market is over and I have not made any other requests.”

“I am happy, and if a player leaves, I will still be happy.”

The manager also discussed how Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe could fit together. He said the biggest problem would not be finding a tactical balance between three elite players, but lacking players of that quality or being unable to use them because of injury.

“I want the three players. The positives are always greater than the negatives, and I am here to try to help them as well,” he said.

Mourinho revealed that Mbappe could play alongside “Espe”, while explaining that Real Madrid had worked during pre-season with Endrick. He described Espe as a different type of player and said the way Espanyol defended, with a deep block, influenced his thinking.

“Espanyol were defending very deep and Mbappe was dropping back to try to play individually, so I thought Espe could be important,” said Mourinho. “Trent Alexander-Arnold also added quality.”

Aurelien Tchouameni, meanwhile, had suffered during the World Cup after playing in the semi-final and dealing with a problem. Mourinho said the player had not had a long enough holiday and that the club had decided he would not start the season while carrying that issue.

Endrick is also dealing with a muscular problem affecting his tendon. Mourinho said he valued the player highly and had rejected interest from other clubs because he wanted him to remain at Real Madrid.

“I do not know whether he will be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s first-choice squad, but Carlo is a friend of mine and he will call me directly,” Mourinho said.