Tomorrow at 3 a.m. Beijing time (CEST), Real Madrid will face Inter Milan in the Champions League group stage. Ahead of the match, Mourinho gave an official interview to UEFA, discussing his feelings about returning and his expectations for the future.

On the feeling of being invited back to Real Madrid

This is the second time I've returned to a club where I've managed before. Previously, I returned to Chelsea: I left around 2008 and came back in 2013. When I first joined Real Madrid in 2010, I arrived fresh from winning the treble. I had won the Champions League and every trophy at Inter Milan, as well as FIFA's World Coach of the Year award. At that time, I had just completed an extremely successful season.

But this time, I'm joining without having won any titles immediately before. The club chose to sign me based on their understanding of my work in the past, and given the club's situation at that time, they believed I was the answer, that I could help the team overcome their difficulties. This trust makes me proud.

Last season in Portugal, I didn't hide what Benfica means to me, a feeling I rarely express in my career. I was very comfortable at Benfica, I loved it there, and I was confident that we were building a squad that would deliver results in the short term. But Real Madrid is Real Madrid, and that's all that needs to be said.

On Real Madrid's opponents in the Champions League group stage

Everyone knows the strength of Inter Milan and Arsenal. Arsenal have been chasing the Champions League title for more than twenty years, and last season they came just one step away from achieving that dream. They have the potential to win it and will fight hard to achieve their goals. Inter Milan has an excellent squad, and you could say they're getting stronger year after year.

Many coaches have used a five-man defensive system for this team over many years; when a player leaves, an even stronger player fills the gap. There's no doubt that both teams will do everything they can to compete for the Champions League trophy this season. Additionally, Roma's squad is particularly impressive this season.

There are also teams with strong European traditions like RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven, and AEK Athens. I don't want to be arrogant and simply say we will definitely get through the group stage. I believe we can go far, but the process will certainly not be easy. We must fight match by match and try to earn every point.

On returning to Real Madrid and setting ambitious opening goals

We must be optimistic, but also realistic and clear-minded. Optimism means understanding that difficult moments will always come; building a united, strong squad with a positive mindset is the best way to overcome adversity.

A season is not a straight highway; there are uphill stretches, downhill stretches, and sharp turns. We must be able to navigate through these obstacles. We've started the new season with consecutive victories, playing well and showing a completely different image to the outside world compared to last season.

On the feeling of constantly being under intense pressure

Real Madrid is a big club, and we're well aware of that. We carry heavy responsibility, and external expectations are enormous, but I can adapt to this pressure. In every match, every eye is on me.

My coaching staff and data analysts know that as soon as a match ends, whether we're on a bus or plane, they need to hand me the preparation materials for the next game.

I simply don't have a chance to relax my mind the day after, to tell myself, "I won't think about football, I won't think about the next match, I can rest." One match ends, and preparation for the next one begins immediately, in a cycle that never stops.

The motivation that drives you forward

My goal is always to win the next match. This cycle has existed since my coaching career began more than twenty years ago, and it will only end the day I completely leave football. Always thinking "win the next match."

Which competition is most important? I don't have a fixed answer. If tomorrow we have a Copa del Rey match, then Copa del Rey is the most important; then, if the next match is a league game, the league becomes the top priority.

My desire to win is constant, appearing from one match to the next. If I won yesterday, I still want to win again; if I lost yesterday, I don't want to taste defeat again, I crave victory. In this cycle, the relentless drive to win pushes me forward – it's my nature.

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