Mourinho: Real Madrid Have Only Themselves to Blame After Winning So Much Over the Past Decade

The international break is over, and club football returns with a bang. Real Madrid, already six points adrift of Barcelona, host Villarreal in Matchday 8 of La Liga this Saturday at 22:00. Los Blancos have no room for error—a reality manager Jose Mourinho is fully aware of. During today's pre-match press conference, the Portuguese tactician hit out at journalists, accusing them of creating sensationalism around Kylian Mbappe. His frustration followed reports suggesting the Frenchman, who had been recovering from injury, visited nightspots and rode a bicycle without permission. Media attention also flared over a car photo featuring Real Madrid pair Thiago Pitarch and Dean Huijsen, which allegedly showed the latter looking at his phone while behind the wheel. Here is what Mourinho had to say on various topics:

On the opponents
Villarreal are tough opposition; they are competing in the Champions League. They play very well, and their points tally doesn't yet reflect what they are capable of achieving. Coming off a defeat in our last outing, we need to take all three points.

On reports regarding Mbappe's alleged discontent with Real Madrid's hierarchy
If that is what you think is happening, I will not mention anyone specifically, because you would take that as a victory. In fact, over the past few weeks, I thought there were plenty of genuine stories in world football for you to write about... but evidently that wasn't enough. Even massive cases like Manchester City, or the delicate situation in my own country with Cristiano and his manager. So many stories that could have provided you with material, but that wasn't enough. Real Madrid is Real Madrid, and something always has to be fabricated.

Is everything being blown out of proportion?
It is laughable.

More on Mbappe and his rehabilitation (cycling, downtime...)
For me, a footballer is a footballer 24 hours a day, and I stand by that. Whatever they do in their personal lives has an impact. A player remains a human being who can make mistakes here and there... but there must always be a sense of responsibility.

I do not lie—on any level. Throughout this period, Real Madrid's players have behaved impeccably in their professionalism. We worked here to ensure they felt comfortable. Everything was clearly scheduled, and their rest was closely managed. Everyone who travelled adhered to the instructions... and those carrying injuries reported to Valdebebas, underwent the necessary medical checks, and continued their recovery.

Take Arda, for instance... who picked up a knock in the last match—I was the one who gave him two days off.

As for your Mbappe example, he was here, underwent assessments, and travelled to seek a second medical opinion because he has a knee problem that cannot be taken lightly.

During his recovery, the details of which you don't need to know, people started looking for problems where there are none. First, it was the club, which wasn't even a nightclub... It was a trendy venue in Paris hosting a private event. Then came the bicycle in Switzerland—which was simply a hotel that had bicycles available so guests could easily reach the spa and common areas in peace.

Then we moved on to even smaller matters—poor Huijsen, who stopped outside Pitarch's house and sent a text, and he was portrayed as if he were some kind of criminal.

It is ridiculous. You want a story... I'll give you one. For the first time, Real Madrid have no new injuries in October—the only players sidelined are carrying injuries from last season. That is a great story, but you don't like it.

Would you understand if a section of the fans expressed frustration with Mbappe?
That is one of your [the media's] goals. You don't have to be Einstein to realise that is the objective. I don't want to talk about the person I'd rather not mention. I could be wrong, but that is clearly an agenda.

I will not tell the Bernabeu crowd how to react. I respect them. However, I hope the fans will be fair. Being fair means being smart: reading between the lines and understanding the dynamics of the situation. Understanding what the motives are.

I promise you this: if any Real Madrid player fails to conduct himself like a Real Madrid player, or fails in his duties as an athlete or a citizen, you will not even see him on the bench. You will not have the opportunity to boo him. He will stay at home. I won't even give him the option to sit among the substitutes.

Mbappe will play. He won't just be on the bench—he will start. I am certain he has not neglected his responsibilities to Real Madrid.

The second phase of the early season gets underway. Can we expect tactical tweaks or different roles for certain players?
We have been working here, and when there is less on-pitch work to do, you have far more time to analyse every detail. Over this opening period, we have identified many positive aspects, as well as things we need to improve. That doesn't mean we need to make drastic changes. That takes time and work. I cannot come in after a day or two and say, 'We are going to play with five at the back, four in midfield, and change the full-back's role.' It doesn't work like that.

Yesterday, I read an interesting remark that I feel shouldn't apply at Real Madrid. Mikel Arteta signed a new contract and mentioned that they are only just getting started and still have plenty of work ahead.

Real Madrid are coming off a very challenging period. At Real Madrid, something that would be considered a normal situation at other clubs... Real Madrid are victims of their own success. Because having won so much over the past ten years, and even before that, everything takes on a completely different dimension.

We need time to refine certain elements. Some things improve with consistent work, step by step, and that is what we are doing.

I won't dismiss the fact that we should have won against Atletico because we were playing 11 against 9. But we have to focus on improving the things within our control. Many people without an inside, professional perspective on the game might not fully grasp that. But we will make targeted adjustments to lift our performance in key areas.

Will Diomande start? Could he feature alongside Mbappe and Vinicius?
I am not going to tell you whether he will play or not. I don't lie, and I am not going to reveal who will start. Real Madrid can play with any of their attacking options. We possess exceptional quality in attack. However, they cannot all play at the same time. If you want to field four forwards, you can. Against Elche, we finished the game with six. But when seeking balance and looking to manage risks, you cannot field seven attacking players at once. We cannot play them all together.

How did you spend the international break? You stayed at Valdebebas...
For two or three consecutive days after the last match, I analysed every possible detail to avoid looking only at the obvious. And the obvious, which was out of my hands, was that we played 11 against 9. I didn't want to fixate solely on that.

After that, I spent three days abroad, travelling to London and Portugal. Then I returned and worked intensely—a little on the pitch and a great deal here at Valdebebas.

We planned the squad's return meticulously. Some players arrived on Tuesday, others on Wednesday; some had played, others hadn't; one arrived jet-lagged, another lacked sleep... It is a complex situation.

We are functioning very well from an organisational standpoint. We could still pick up an injury in the first ten minutes tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we take our injury-free status for granted internally. A lot has changed, and we are managing things well. We are preparing for the future in the best possible manner.

Will Militao and Fede Valverde be available?
Fede is a doubt. With Militao, there is no doubt—he will not play. Looking at how he trains, though, you would hardly tell he isn't ready. If you didn't know Militao's medical history, you would start him tomorrow. I joke with him and ask, 'Are you playing?' He is in better shape than I anticipated. But he will not play tomorrow, nor will he be available for Rome or the match against Sevilla. He still needs a few more weeks. His medical record is complicated, and we must proceed with caution.

We never had training sessions with just five players. We always worked with 20. We trained with academy prospects. Sometimes players stepped up from Castilla, other times from the C team, and occasionally youth players mixed with Castilla and third-team regulars.

Ferland Mendy will train on the pitch with us for the first time. Rodrygo is further away from a return. As for Valverde, the discomfort lingered until today. We will make a decision today on whether he can feature tomorrow.

You have always championed meritocracy. Is it applied at Real Madrid? Do you field whoever is in top form, or do you consider that some players require minutes and allow time for meritocracy to take effect?
Meritocracy, yes, but there must also be flexibility—not based on a player's reputation, but on their current condition. You need to know the most effective way to support each individual.

When certain players are not in good form, there are different strategies to help them improve. One is to adhere strictly to meritocracy: if you aren't performing, you are left out. However, that carries risks. Some players simply need time and rhythm to get back to their best.

You are referring to Vinicius Junior. I won't shy away from that question. What saddens me, what weighs heavily on me, is seeing how much he wants to be in peak condition, how much he wants to be the match-winner who makes the difference. It hurts me to see him struggle because, to my delight, he is an exceptional lad who works tirelessly to return to his best level.

Will he continue to start every match until he finds his form, or will there come a moment where we devise a specific plan to rest him on the bench and explore another approach?

It breaks my heart to see that a boy like him—who isn't currently playing at that otherworldly Vinicius standard—isn't receiving the support he needs from people influenced by many in the media. He deserves our backing. He wants nothing more than to once again be the Vinicius who has brought so much joy to Real Madrid supporters.