Jose Mourinho: Will Real Madrid begin their Champions League campaign with a win against Inter? – BBC Sport
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Mourinho, Inter and Champions League: Can he deliver again at Real Madrid?
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Jose Mourinho has won the Champions League twice, with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.
By Elizabeth Conway, Spanish football reporter, BBC
Published 17 minutes ago
There are few more fitting opponents for Jose Mourinho’s return to the Champions League as Real Madrid boss than Inter Milan. Sixteen years ago, Mourinho stood in the Santiago Bernabeu and lifted the trophy after leading Inter to a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the 2010 final. It was his second Champions League triumph, after Porto in 2004, and the final match of his Inter reign. Days later, he was appointed Real Madrid manager for his first spell at the club.
Now, after an absence of more than a decade, Mourinho is back in the Bernabeu dugout and Inter are the visitors on Tuesday (20:00 BST). For Real Madrid, the match provides the first test of whether the manager they returned to can lead them back to Champions League glory.
Champions League Highlights:
- 22:00 on Wednesday: Watch on iPlayer
- Also available on BBC Sport website and app
- Match of the Day: BBC One, 22:40 – 00:00, Wednesday
- Highlights show: BBC Two, 22:30, Thursday
The trophy Mourinho could not deliver:
When Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid in 2010, the brief was clear. He needed to challenge Barcelona, win La Liga, and above all, deliver the club’s 10th European Cup.
He did win trophies: Copa del Rey in 2011, La Liga in 2012, and three consecutive Champions League semi-finals. However, they could not advance further. Real were beaten by Barcelona in 2011, Bayern Munich on penalties in 2012, and Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Mourinho eventually left in 2013 without achieving the Champions League triumph Real craved.
But he is adamant his previous spell should not define his prospects this time: "At Real Madrid, I’m going through two different periods. I ended working for Real Madrid in 2013… This is a closed chapter. This match against Inter has nothing to do with the past."
Mourinho has returned to a club that endured what he described as a "very complicated season" and where stability is now paramount. "What I’ve found at Real Madrid is what I’ve always found here," he said. "The best club in the world."
Real is Real and at Real Madrid, you have to win.
