Denzel Dumfries says Real Madrid move did not diminish his love for Inter

Denzel Dumfries says he and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho still share a deep affection for Inter, despite his move to the Spanish club after five years in Italy.

The Netherlands international spoke warmly about his former club in an interview with Italian newspaper Libero, while also praising Mourinho and recalling the time they spent together at Inter.

“I like Jose Mourinho very much. You only have to look at what he has achieved during his career,” Dumfries said. “I know his history with Inter very well.”

Dumfries added that Inter remains a regular topic of conversation between him and Mourinho.

“I speak to Mourinho about Inter quite often,” he said. “The years we spent there were exceptional for both of us. Mourinho and I love Inter and we continue to follow the club and talk about it regularly.”

The player also said he keeps in close contact with several of his former team-mates, particularly Marcus Thuram, describing the group he played with at Inter as a family.

“I follow everything concerning Inter and speak to my former team-mates, especially Marcus Thuram,” Dumfries said. “We became one family during the years I spent there.”

Dumfries recalled the reaction of his former colleagues when the two sides were drawn against each other in the Champions League.

“When I found out we were going to face Inter in the Champions League, I sent my former team-mates a message,” he said. “I told them: ‘I know the way you play and you will not be able to surprise me.’ They replied jokingly that they would play 4-4-2.”

The Netherlands player said his decision to leave Inter was motivated by a desire for a new challenge rather than dissatisfaction with the Italian club.

“I felt the time had come to try something new after five years at Inter,” he said. “For me, Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world. It had nothing to do with Inter, because I had incredible times there.”

Dumfries said his agent informed him, before the World Cup, that Real Madrid had made contact, a development which delighted him.

“My agent told me before the World Cup that Real Madrid had contacted him and I was extremely happy,” he said. “I told Piero Ausilio, Inter’s sporting director, because I wanted him to know, and the transfer went through.”

Dumfries played for Inter from 2021 to 2026 and won eight trophies during his time at the club.

Mourinho is regarded as a historic figure at Inter after leading the club to a treble in 2010, when they won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.