Mourinho Demands Balance as Real Madrid Begin La Liga Campaign
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has insisted that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can successfully play together as the Spanish giants prepare to begin their La Liga campaign against Espanyol. Mourinho acknowledged that combining the three attacking stars could be tactically difficult, after his predecessors Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa struggled to find the right balance between attack and defence. Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2024 with Bellingham and Vinicius playing key roles, but have failed to win a major trophy since Mbappe joined in 2024. “They are incredible players and incredible players want to play with incredible players,” Mourinho said, stressing that the trio do not occupy incompatible positions. He noted that Brazil have developed a system that suits Vinicius, while France and England have systems that maximise Mbappe and Bellingham. Mourinho admitted it would be harder to create one that perfectly suits all three, but said the club were working on it. “I want the three, when all three play, to feel comfortable on the pitch,” he said. However, Mourinho warned that the stars must contribute defensively, insisting that Real Madrid must defend with all 11 players when opponents put them under pressure. The Portuguese coach also spoke about competition for places, saying some players would inevitably be frustrated when left on the bench. He urged them to accept selection decisions professionally and maintain their standards. “The day that one lowers his level because of frustration, decisions will be easy for me,” he said, adding that he wanted competition to make team selection difficult. Mourinho also addressed last season’s reported disagreement between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde. He said he chose to start afresh and had seen no lingering tension between the pair. According to Mourinho, the players indicated that there was no need for him to intervene, with their relationship now characterised by normality and friendship. Despite the expectations surrounding his return to Real Madrid, Mourinho said he did not consider his second debut to be pressure. “I wouldn’t call it pressure, I’d call it adrenaline,” he said, describing the feeling as positive and adding that the day he no longer feels it would mean something was wrong.
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