Mourinho to retain Real Madrid fitness coach trusted by Florentino as part of staff

Mourinho to retain Real Madrid fitness coach trusted by Florentino as part of staff Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Real Madrid brings changes to the group of professionals working around the first team, extending beyond the Portuguese coach’s trusted inner circle. Mourinho began working at Valdebebas alongside his coaching staff today . It includes his right-hand man at Benfica, Joao Tralhao, as one of the assistant coaches. Meanwhile, former Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has also joined the Portuguese tactician’s staff as an assistant. On top of that, Mourinho has stuck with his trusted staff of Roberto Merella (Performance analyst), Pedro Machado (Fitness coach), and Nuno Santos (Goalkeeping coach). Changes to the Backroom Staff Now, as reported by MARCA , the arrivals of Pedro Machado and Nuno Santos lead to adjustments within the club’s technical structure. However, those changes do not affect Antonio Pintus, who will remain with the first team after Mourinho personally requested that the highly respected Italian continue in his role. Pintus will continue with Mourinho’s staff. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The situation is different for Luis Llopis, who will no longer serve as the first team’s goalkeeping coach. His position will instead be filled by Santos, one of Mourinho’s long-time collaborators. Even so, Llopis is not leaving Real Madrid. Like Pintus, he is a senior club employee whose contract is independent of the coaching staff. Both parties are scheduled to meet next week to determine what responsibilities he will continue to carry out within the club, where he still has two years remaining on his contract. Special status within the club Both Antonio Pintus and Luis Llopis occupy unique positions within Real Madrid. Rather than being tied exclusively to the coaching staff, they are considered senior club employees whose involvement with the first team depends on the needs of each manager. Luis Llopis will not work with Mourinho but remain at Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) In Mourinho’s case, it was the Portuguese coach himself who specifically requested that Pintus work alongside him. Beginning on Monday, the Italian, who was reintroduced to the first-team staff in January by Florentino Perez, will once again take full responsibility for the club’s physical preparation. Because of their special status, both Pintus and Llopis remain part of Real Madrid regardless of their day-to-day involvement with the first team. Beyond their work with the senior squad, both also contribute to the club on a broader organisational level, sharing their expertise across different departments. Whenever a first-team coach requests their services, they return to the senior setup. When they are not required there, they continue carrying out their wider responsibilities within the club.