A few weeks before the start of preparation for the new season, José Mourinho left a statement that quickly generated conversation due to its direct relationship with the World Cup calendar and the return of the Real Madrid squad. The Portuguese coach acknowledged that he prefers that the white team's players who are still competing in the international tournament finish their participation as soon as possible in order to incorporate them into preseason work.

The club plans to begin training on July 13, a date that coincides with the decisive stretch of the 2026 World Cup. The final is scheduled for July 19, a scenario that could leave several members of the squad without vacations or even competing when the team's sports planning has already begun.

During an interview given to the podcast Beast Mode On, by former English footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa, Mourinho clearly explained what his wish is regarding the calendar of his international players.

"I want the Real Madrid players to lose and go on vacation. Because I want the boys back to the preseason," admitted the Portuguese coach.

The situation affects a wide list of players from the white club who remain involved in the World Cup. They include Arda Güler, Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jude Bellingham, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.

Mourinho talks about the dressing room and his new stage

Beyond the calendar, the coach also addressed how he intends to manage the group and responded to reports about possible drastic decisions within the locker room after a campaign marked, as he mentioned, by reports of internal tensions.

"I have read some things in which he said that José comes here and is going to cut some of the best players who supposedly had problems during the season. No, no, I love these players, I love these players, I want the best," he said.

Mourinho added that the next step will be to build a solid collective dynamic and avoid scenarios similar to those that, he said, have been reported in previous seasons.

“Now I have to find a way to have a team and not have the problems that, I don't know, from what I read, they had in previous seasons.”

The coach insisted that having high-level footballers represents an advantage and not a difficulty.

“Having the best guys is the best problem a coach can have,” he said. “If you have problems with players who are not very good, that is a big problem.”

Although he has not yet been officially presented as coach of Real Madrid, ESPN pointed out that the Portuguese would have had relevant participation in recent operations of the club, among them the incorporations of Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konaté.

They also indicated that Real Madrid has already agreed to sign Denzel Dumfries, although the official announcement has not yet occurred.