Mourinho says Real Madrid face no extra Champions League pressure ahead of Inter clash

The Champions League was the one major trophy Mourinho did not win during his first time in charge of Real Madrid, but he rejected the idea that he has unfinished business with the club.

“No, they are 2 different periods,” Mourinho said when asked whether he owed Madrid the European title. “When I left in 2013, we won what we had to win and lost what we had to lose, and we gave everything. That is it. What I have to do now has nothing to do with the past.”

Mourinho also pointed out how much the club’s European standing has changed since his first arrival in 2010.

“When we arrived in 2010, we could not even reach the Champions League quarter-finals, and it had been a long time since we had played in a semi-final,” he said. “Now, we have won 6 Champions Leagues in just over a decade.”

That history means expectations remain enormous, but Mourinho’s immediate focus is on building a more stable team after Friday’s 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Real Betis, his first loss since returning to Madrid.

“We want to win every match, every competition,” Mourinho said. “But you have to work to achieve stability. Stability. Stability. Structure.”

Mourinho believes Real Madrid need greater consistency before they can deliver the biggest achievements again, even if the club’s identity means the demand for victory never fades.

“So Real Madrid need to achieve stability, which is very important to achieve great things. But Real Madrid are still Real Madrid; you need to win here at all costs.”

The Inter match is therefore not simply a Champions League opener. It is an early test of whether Mourinho’s new Madrid can respond to adversity, regain control and begin building the consistency he believes is essential.