Mourinho's Real Madrid Return Begins With Inter Test — SkimNews
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- Mourinho returns to the Real Madrid dugout for Tuesday's Champions League opener against Inter Milan (20:00 BST), the club where he won his second Champions League title with a 2-0 final victory over Bayern Munich in 2010
- During his first Real Madrid spell (2010-2013), Mourinho won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and La Liga in 2012, but was eliminated in three consecutive Champions League semi-finals by Barcelona (2011), Bayern Munich on penalties (2012) and Borussia Dortmund (2013)
- Mourinho insisted the previous spell is 'a closed chapter' and that 'at Real Madrid, you have to win,' acknowledging the club needs stability after a 'very complicated season'
- Real Madrid lost to Real Betis at the weekend, with Mourinho saying the team 'have not been able to translate offensive production into goals'; Kylian Mbappe had an injury-time penalty saved by keeper Alvaro Valles
- Mbappe rejected extra pressure from Real's two trophyless seasons, saying he shouldn't 'think too long-term' and is focused on starting the Champions League well against Inter
- An Italian journalist at Mourinho's press conference gifted him a garden sprinkler representing his iconic 2010 celebration at Camp Nou, when sprinklers soaked Inter's players after their semi-final triumph over Barcelona
Why it matters: Mourinho's second Real Madrid spell opens against the very club that handed him his greatest European night, and his failure to deliver a Champions League title during 2010-2013 remains the benchmark by which this tenure will be judged. Real arrive winless in their last outing, and Mbappe's missed penalty underscores an attacking conversion problem that could define their European campaign before it begins.
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