Portuguese manager José Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid’s first football team, spoke about the match against Mallorca, as part of the La Liga competition for the 2026/2027 season.
Real Madrid will face their counterpart Mallorca tomorrow, Sunday, in the context of the third round of the current season’s La Liga.
Real Madrid will host their counterpart Mallorca tomorrow, Sunday, at 6:00 PM Cairo and Mecca time.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference about the players' physical condition, Mourinho said: "As I always repeat, there are players who have undergone different training sessions. We have a strong team with solutions to compensate for these issues."
He added: "I will give you an example. Tomorrow, Cocu will start as a starter, and Álvaro, who performed well against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will be on the bench. If Cocu’s energy levels drop, Álvaro will be ready to come on. This is the kind of solution a team like this offers a manager."
Regarding Diomande, Mourinho clarified: "I will not speak more about individual players. Diomande arrived late and had a difficult summer due to his decision. He did not train with Leipzig, and when he arrived, he had no foundation to build upon. He is progressing gradually. He has already received some playing time, which is what he needs to develop. Tomorrow, he will either start as a starter or come on as a substitute."
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Regarding the development of the chemistry between Mbappé and Vinícius: "It is a collective effort. The secret lies in quality. Another point, though secondary, is no less important: creating a special bond between two individuals. A great deal of emotion, friendship, and cooperation must be fostered."
He continued: "When personal empathy meets exceptional quality, you have everything you need to continue developing. The process is not just 2 + 9, but 11 players. This dynamic will drive them and the rest of the team to become better and better. I am extremely happy after just two weeks of working together."
Regarding his focus on certain aspects of the team: "There are two types of focus. The type you are talking about is being together and sleeping at Valdebebas. But the type that matters to me is this (pointing to his head)."
He elaborated: "It has nothing to do with sleeping in a hotel. It is here. Sometimes I think, and it saddens me, that all you see is warm-up exercises and training. In my other role, there is a great deal of focus on things no one knows about, such as the players' sleep. We have a tactical meeting now, and we eat together. We will stay together a little longer, then meet in the morning. I, Isbi, and Cocu will sleep here, while the rest will return to their homes."
Regarding Bellingham: "He is a unique player and extremely important to the team. He has multiple talents: physical, mental, and tactical. He has the ability to win the ball back, scoring skill, and strength in the air. He is an impressive player. I enjoy talking about Kylian, Viní, and Jude. I understand the questions, but I am very happy with everyone."
He emphasized: "As I said, we have only great players here, truly great players. The team must work as a unit. Real Madrid fans go to the Bernabéu to watch these players who can change the course of a match, but they also go to watch a team that plays as a unit, suffers as a unit, faces difficulties as a unit, and dominates as a unit. I am the manager of this team, and I am very impressed with the players I have."
Regarding his opinion on which player deserves to win the Ballon d’Or: "It is a wonderful individual award. You enter history when you win that award. These 12 players are of a very high level. We have three or four of them. It is natural for this to be a great ambition."
He clarified: "For me, the Ballon d’Or should go to those players we will miss forever when they retire. I miss Maradona, Ronaldo Nazário, Messi, Zidane, Matthäus, and Cristiano. You cannot give the Ballon d’Or just because they won the Champions League or the World Cup. If you want to reward the winner of the Champions League, give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique. For Spain, De la Fuente certainly deserves it. That is the greatest honor."
He continued: "Another thing is being the best in the world. It should not be from Paris Saint-Germain or Spain. There are two, three, or four, and we know who they are. We know where they are, here. We know who made history individually this summer. The Ballon d’Or has a political character, and if politics intervenes, I do not like that."
Regarding Thiago Pitarch: "Arbeloa did a great job in defense, but in attack, the situation is different, and it was not easy. He handled the players well. There is not a single player from the Castilla team that I do not like. Thiago has shown that he is no longer suitable for the Castilla league. I admire him a lot."
He continued: "He is part of this group of 21 players. We have Arias, Sery, and Sistiro, and two goalkeepers on the bench because our options are limited. When he is ready, he will join the team and get playing time. I tell him that his leg muscles are like mine and that he needs to gain a few kilograms through serious training."
Regarding the freedom of players in the attacking line: "When you have players of exceptional level, they make the manager look like a phenomenon. They do things that go beyond the daily routine. We train in defense and attack. Today, we focused on offensive organization for 45 minutes of training. We worked on tactical formations and movements. We must give them space for creativity and their ability to make decisions. We must be organized, and we are improving in this aspect."
Regarding Endrick and Tchouaméni’s situation: "Endrick is the closest to returning. I do not want to take risks. As I said, he may be ready for the match against Betis or the first Champions League match. The other cases are more complex. With Tchouaméni, we must manage our emotions. I do not want his entry and exit to be frequent. I do not want to start the season in August in such a situation. I hope Tchouaméni is fully ready, and I prefer to wait a little."
Regarding his concerns about the international break: "International matches worry me. It is a long period. I am less worried about players who travel with their national teams to play, compared to players who are selected but do not play. Those are the ones who worry me more. My relationship with Carlo (Ancelotti) allows me to know the situation, and we will exchange information. With Carlo, there will be no problem."
Regarding Ancelotti: "Ancelotti is a great man in every respect. He has no weaknesses. He is a great man on all levels. I do not feel that anything is difficult. I see it as normal. Problems are an integral part of life. We have not faced our first problem yet, but it will inevitably come, whether tactical or related to team management. It is natural for it to happen. You must look at it as normal and deal with it on that basis."
