Former FC Barcelona assistant manager, and now Real Madrid head coach, Jose Mourinho has addressed the Catalan club and what he’ll do with Kylian Mbappe in an interview with GQ.
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Jose Mourinho, the newly appointed head coach of Real Madrid and former assistant manager at FC Barcelona, has opened up about his relationship with the Catalan giants and his plans for Kylian Mbappe in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
Following his re-election, President Florentino Perez brought the Portuguese strategist back to the Bernabéu for a second stint, replacing the dismissed Alvaro Arbeloa.
Mourinho’s primary objective is to dismantle the domestic dominance established by Hansi Flick at Barcelona—the same club where Mourinho served as Bobby Robson’s assistant during the 1990s. Despite the history, and the fact that many Barcelona supporters dismissively refer to him as “the translator,” Mourinho maintains a professional outlook on the rivalry.
“I have no bad feelings toward Barcelona,” Mourinho stated, adding, “I enjoy playing against the best, because the best force you to be better.”
Reflecting on his previous tenure and the legendary clashes of the early 2010s, Mourinho dismissed the idea that aesthetic play outweighs victory. “There is an absurd theory: that you can be great without winning,” he remarked. He pointed back to his 2011-12 title-winning side—which scored 121 goals and secured 100 points to halt Barça’s momentum—asking rhetorically, “how defensive was that team?”
He recalled the global impact of the El Clasico peak involving himself and Pep Guardiola, as well as the iconic duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. “The world stopped for those matches,” Mourinho noted. “It wasn’t just Madrid and Barcelona, or just Spain. It was the world.”
Mourinho Committed to Elevating Kylian Mbappe
While Kylian Mbappe has recorded an impressive 86 goals in 103 matches since his 2024 move from Paris Saint-Germain, his tenure has yet to be viewed as a complete success—a sentiment recently echoed by Florentino Perez. This perceived shortfall stems from Real Madrid’s trophy drought over the last two seasons, contrasted with Barcelona’s haul of five domestic titles under Hansi Flick.
Beyond reclaiming domestic glory, Mourinho is determined to refine the performance of the French superstar, who is currently starring in the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s not the time to talk, it’s the time to listen,” Mourinho insisted. “I am here to help, not to criticize. Mbappe is a phenomenal player, and I am going to try to help him become even better.”
Real Madrid’s preseason camp for the 2026/2027 campaign is scheduled to begin on July 13. World Cup participants, including Mbappe, are expected to join the squad later, contingent upon their national teams’ progress in the tournament in North America.