Mourinho’s backing from Perez reshapes Real Madrid dressing room

Real Madrid’s change in dressing-room behaviour is being attributed to more than an improvement in results, with Jose Mourinho’s strong backing from club president Florentino Perez emerging as a decisive factor.

That confidence has influenced how players respond to Mourinho’s decisions and has made them more willing to follow the Portuguese manager’s instructions without objection.

Players are also showing greater acceptance of roles outside their usual positions. Fede Valverde’s changing attitude is one example. The Uruguay midfielder had objected to playing at right-back under Xabi Alonso last season, saying: “I wasn’t born to play as a full-back.”

But following Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League on Wednesday, Valverde struck a notably different tone. He said he wanted to learn from team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries.

“I have to work hard to become a better midfielder and a better full-back alongside my team-mates Trent and Dumfries,” Valverde said.

He added: “I try to watch them, learn from them and understand how they defend and attack. They are my role models and I make sure I follow them every day.

“I am happy that the manager trusts me, whether in midfield or at full-back. I am very happy.”

Speaking on Cadena SER, broadcaster Manu Carreno highlighted the change and said the players now believed they had a manager they could trust.

Carreno argued that the difference was not limited to Mourinho’s work on the pitch. The manager’s complete backing from the club’s leadership was also important, he said, and the players were fully aware of it. That gave them greater belief in his decisions and more consistency in applying them.

“Players are not stupid,” Carreno said, explaining that they can distinguish between a manager who has genuine support from the board and one who does not have the same guarantees.

That perception affects their conduct both on and off the pitch. Players are more likely to accept instructions and carry them out when they believe their manager has real authority and is not under constant threat.

Journalist Antonio Romero agreed with that assessment, while also pointing to Mourinho’s ability to persuade the squad and influence its mindset.

However, Romero said Perez’s support for Mourinho had become clearly visible around the club, including to people who visit the Valdebebas training centre every day. He felt that level of backing had not been evident to the same extent during Alonso’s time in charge.

Real Madrid’s recent history has also contributed to the shift. After two seasons without winning a major trophy, the players have become more conscious of the need for collective change. The focus has moved away from exchanging blame and identifying those responsible for previous failures, and towards implementing the coaching staff’s ideas.

Romero believes the succession of managers, alongside the persistence of the same problems, has placed greater responsibility on the players themselves rather than leaving the coach to carry the blame for every result.

That has helped create a group more open to learning and more responsive to Mourinho’s instructions, with the board’s backing and confidence in the manager now among the main forces changing Real Madrid’s dressing room.