According to The Athletic, Real Madrid have brought Mourinho back after two consecutive seasons without major trophies and made their biggest summer transfer-window investment since 2019.

The last time Real Madrid went consecutive seasons without winning a trophy, they also turned to a Portuguese coach. When Mourinho first coached Real Madrid in 2010, he had just led Inter to a treble. This return to coaching is even more surprising, as the 63-year-old veteran, who was still at Benfica last season, faces considerable challenges. The Athletic previews the new season, with Real Madrid set to visit Espanyol in their opening La Liga match on Saturday.

What are the club’s expectations?

Real Madrid’s demands have always been high.

Mourinho and the club both believe this squad is capable of competing for every trophy in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the Champions League. They believe there are at least two players for every position.

Which players have they signed?

Real Madrid has already invested approximately €250 million (£214 million; $292 million) in transfers: Dumfries from Inter for €25 million; Konate on a free transfer; Cucurella from Chelsea for €55 million plus €5 million in add-ons; Bernardo on a free transfer; Jan-Diomande from RB Leipzig for €125 million plus €15 million in add-ons, making him Real Madrid's record transfer; and Carlos Espi from Levante for €25 million.

Real Madrid and Mourinho agree that the team needs a backup right-back to compete with Alexander-Arnold, at least one strong central defender, a starting left-back, and a creative midfielder.

Although it is not a priority, Mourinho also wants a “pure number 9.” To that end, Goncalo Garcia left to join Fulham, managed by Álvaro Arbeloa, and Espi subsequently joined.

Jan-Diomande’s arrival is intended to strengthen the team’s attacking threat on the right wing, as Real Madrid’s attack has previously been too concentrated on the left, where Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Bellingham have all excelled. One of the biggest developments is Vinicius Jr. renewing his contract with Real Madrid until 2032, despite interest from Arsenal.

Do they have any other transfer priorities before the summer window closes?

Despite being satisfied with the current squad, Mourinho still hopes the club will sign another central defender and midfielder.

Real Madrid also made it clear in internal meetings that the 25-player first-team squad limit imposed by La Liga has already been reached. Youth academy player Thiago Pitalch, who turned 19 this month, has been promoted from the reserve team, and the club's official website lists him as a first-team midfielder.

To sign new players, someone would ideally need to leave. If that happens, Real Madrid already has potential targets in mind.

What else is new?

Following an in-depth review, Mourinho has become deeply involved in multiple departments, analysing past successes and failures, while the team has made several changes since his official appointment on June 11.

Mourinho has brought in seven professionals, including some from his previous club, Benfica.

João Tralhão will once again serve as his assistant coach, while Pedro Machado has also followed him from Lisbon. Former German international Sami Khedira, who worked with Mourinho during his first spell at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, has joined anew, marking his first coaching role at 39.

Nuno Santos has been appointed the new goalkeeping coach, while Antonio Diaz will serve as the new fitness coach, working alongside Antonio Pintus. Sandro Carriço is responsible for the sports science department, while Roberto Merella serves as the chief analyst.

The medical department has also been restructured in response to injury problems in recent seasons. Felipe Segura replaced Nico Mihic as medical director in November 2023, only for Mihic to return to the role in December 2025. Segura has now left the club. Manuel Arroyo, who joined in 2025, resigned, while Alexandre Cresser, formerly of Monaco, was hired.

Physiotherapist José Carlos Parrales and fitness coach Sebastián de Villalaz have also left. Along with Guillermo Sordo, de Villalaz was one of the people closest to Mbappé on a daily basis. After leaving Real Madrid this summer, he also privately coached the French star during his vacation.

Which players performed best in preseason?

Arda Güler's performance has sparked an interesting debate. With Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Jan-Diomande all expected to start, where can he fit in?

The 21-year-old Turkish midfielder has Mourinho’s support, while the Real Madrid board also believes that his touch, vision, and excellent chemistry with Mbappe can provide structure and direction for the team’s attack.

What are they concerned about?

One of Mourinho’s main goals is to create a better daily atmosphere, enhance competitiveness and harmony, and deliver better results.

Real Madrid completely lost hope of winning the La Liga title with several months of last season remaining. Anonymous club sources said the situation exacerbated tensions behind the scenes. These conflicts became public days before the Clásico in May, when Tchouaméni and Valverde clashed at the training ground.

Asked about these conflicts at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Mourinho said: “What you see now, you can't even imagine what happened last season. What I see now is not just peace, but friendship, collaboration, as if nothing ever happened.”

How is the coach doing now?

Sources close to Mourinho say he is very excited about this second spell as coach.

He believes he has an excellent coaching staff capable of collaborating with the existing Real Madrid personnel, and a squad that can move forward with this new plan.

Mourinho is fully committed to his work, even sleeping at the training ground several times to ensure he has enough time to complete all the tasks he wants to undertake. As during his first spell, he has a comprehensive understanding of all departments. Last season at Benfica, he also occasionally slept at the training ground.

What are the chances of Mourinho being sacked mid-season?

In June, Real Madrid changed coaches for the third time in just over a year, and everyone hopes Mourinho will bring greater stability and better results.

As the experiences of Marcos Alonso and Arbeloa demonstrate, good results and competing for trophies are paramount at Real Madrid, and the club is never shy about making ruthless decisions.

I wouldn’t be surprised if…

Güler becomes a regular starter before Christmas, displacing an “untouchable” player from the starting lineup.

Real Madrid internally believe he is very important to the team and the club, so Mourinho may at some point choose to trust him more, even if it means a veteran has to concede some ground.

What is their strongest lineup?

When asked about the starting lineup for Friday’s match against Espanyol, Mourinho joked with reporters: “Let’s see who is the best informed. The players already know who will play. I’m not a secretive person. Maybe in a few hours, you’ll have the news, but I won’t tell you directly. As for whether I have an ideal starting eleven: I don’t—or rather, I don’t want to.”

Nevertheless, here is what we believe to be Real Madrid's strongest lineup at the start of the season:

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