José Mourinho’s first Champions League night back at Real Madrid is the one with the most personal weight. The club that gave him his defining European title on that pitch is the club he now has to beat on it.

Inter Milan open their league phase at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, 8 September. Kick-off is at 9pm local time. Both sides begin the reformatted competition in the stadium where Mourinho’s Inter beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 final to complete the treble.

Cristian Chivu, then Inter’s versatile Romanian defender, started that Bernabéu final and was withdrawn midway through the second half after a torrid evening against Arjen Robben. Sixteen years on, he is Inter’s head coach. He took over from Simone Inzaghi in the summer of 2025 and won the Serie A title in his first full campaign.

Mourinho’s Inter years still linger

Ahead of Inter’s 2025 Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, Mourinho told Sky Sports his affection for the Nerazzurri had not faded.

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“I’m going to be very naughty, but very honest. I was worried they could win the treble, because I didn’t want them to win the treble. The treble in mine!”

“But now that they lost the championship and the Italian Cup, I would love for them to win the Champions League.”

Inter lost that final 5-0 to PSG. Mourinho was back in Madrid the following June, signing a three-year deal that returned him to the dugout he left thirteen years ago.

Chivu resists the comparison

Chivu himself has pushed back against any framing that treats his Inter as a continuation of Mourinho’s. Asked earlier this year to weigh the two sides, he rejected the comparison outright.

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“There’s no need to compare different eras or different teams. Times change, football changes.”

“Both the 2010 team and this 2026 side have brought happiness to the fans, and that’s what matters most.”

Inter president Giuseppe Marotta has been less measured. He told Italian media the club was bracing for an emotional return to Madrid.

“We’ll have a special meeting with Mourinho, we’ll return to the Bernabéu: we’ll experience many emotions.”

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Real Madrid’s build-up has been complicated by suspensions to Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga, with Aurélien Tchouaméni a doubt after a recent injury.

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