‘It’s in their DNA’ — Mourinho explains why Real Madrid remain unique

‘It’s in their DNA’ — Mourinho explains why Real Madrid remain unique Real Madrid are set to begin their new project under the guidance of a highly experienced manager, i.e., Jose Mourinho. The Merengues have already announced the appointment of the Portuguese tactician as their team’s head coach, as they look to end the trophy drought that they have been suffering for the last two seasons. It was been some time since his Mourinho’s appointment was announced by the white club, but the media-savvy trainer had not made any media appearance following this announcement. However, as Mundo Deportivo has reported, this has changed now, as he appeared in an interview with Vanity Fair. One of the highlights of this interview was the Portuguese manager explaining what makes Real Madrid a team cut above the rest. In this regard, he said: “History. Real Madrid’s history is incomparable. I think the white shirts have something magical about them. But the reality is that they could be black, green, or blue and nothing would change. Because what has made Real Madrid what it is, is its history. Real Madrid’s history is different. It’s not about the history of so many incredible players who played for Real Madrid. It’s about the club. It’s about the trophies. Of course there are difficult periods. There are periods when they cannot win the way champions usually do. There are always times when you have to build and rebuild. But it’s in Real Madrid’s DNA. It is the biggest club in the world in many ways: socially, economically, and in many other respects. But in the end, what remains are the titles. And when we talk about Real Madrid, we are talking about football history and footballing legacy.” Another notable part of this interview was Mourinho talking about one of the biggest players that he would have to manage in this new chapter in his career, Kylian Mbappe: “I have to see it with my own eyes. I need to understand things that, at this moment, I don’t know. Right now, all I know is what I read in the media and see on television. I need to get to know the players. This is not the time to talk. It’s the time to stay calm, analyze, communicate, ask questions, answer questions, and establish an open and honest dialogue. Because ultimately, what I want is to help the players improve, help the team improve, and help the club improve. I am here to help everyone, not to criticize, not to talk, but to listen. The only thing I can say about Kylian Mbappé is that he is a phenomenal player, and I will try to help him become even better.” While talking about his previous tenure as the coach of the Merengue team, the Portuguese manager highlighted a record that still remains unbroken in the history of Spanish football: “Barcelona is seen as the team that plays incredible football. Barcelona is seen as the team that scores lots of goals. But that’s a great contradiction. The team that scored the most goals in the history of Spanish football was my Real Madrid in the 2011–12 season, with 121 goals and 100 points in a single campaign.” Jose Mourinho would not have an easy task at his hands as he returns to Real Madrid after a break of 13 years. This is particularly so as these 13 years have not seen the best version of the Portuguese coach, who used to manage some of the biggest teams in Europe and regularly win the biggest titles. However, there is still no doubt that with his characteristic personality, he remains a very well-suited manager to solve the problems that have plagued the white team for some years now. The dressing room is in shambles, particularly after the turbulent 2025-26 season, and some tough measures are necessary to weed out the problems currently present in the team. For their part, Real Madrid have shown they are willing to back their new coach in the best possible way, having already brought in several of his desired reinforcements. Now it remains for Jose Mourinho to show that the club made the right decision to bet on him for their new project.