Jose Mourinho has not yet taken charge of a competitive match for his second stint at Real Madrid, and two of the club’s most authoritative voices have already said the appointment is a mistake.
Jorge Valdano, who served as the club’s general director during Mourinho’s first spell, told Portuguese outlet A Bola that the choice does not add up, in comments carried on 4 August.
“I don’t know what the point is for Jose Mourinho to return to this responsibility,” Valdano said.
“Almost fifteen years have passed: football is not the same, society is not the same.”
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Valdano put the decision down to a shrinking market rather than any appetite for the manager himself.
“The options are dwindling,” he said.
He resigned during Mourinho’s first stint after clashing with the coach, and insisted his objection now is not personal.
“I’m the least resentful person in the world,” he added.
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Casillas staked out his position first
Iker Casillas, Mourinho’s captain during the 2010-2013 spell, went public with his own objection weeks before the appointment was confirmed.
“I have no problem with Mourinho. I think he’s a great professional. I don’t want him at Real Madrid,” the former goalkeeper wrote on X in May.
That post went up almost a month before Real Madrid’s board announced Mourinho’s return on 11 June, on a three-year deal running to 30 June 2029.
Perez wants Barcelona stopped
Florentino Perez, re-elected as club president in June, is the driving force behind bringing Mourinho back.
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He wants him to break Barcelona’s grip on La Liga after a trophyless second season for Kylian Mbappe, and the summer market has been used to reinforce the defence with Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries.
Silence from the manager
Mourinho himself has said almost nothing. He asked for his formal unveiling to be pushed back and has communicated only through official club channels since taking his first training session on 13 July. A Netflix documentary about him is due out on 11 August.
Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and other players returning from the 2026 World Cup are being eased back slowly and have sat out the early friendlies.
La Liga’s 2026-27 season begins the weekend of 14 August, but Real Madrid’s opener at home to Real Sociedad has been postponed to 26 August because of the club’s World Cup contingent, meaning their first competitive game is a trip to Espanyol on Saturday, 22 August.
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