Mourinho Responds to Rodri
Rodri chose Barcelona, but José Mourinho has no intention of turning it into a period of national mourning. The Real Madrid coach confirmed that he spoke to the midfielder twice and admitted that the club made him a very good offer. Money, however, was not the issue. The player’s hesitation was.
“Rodri had doubts, and his doubts created doubts for me,” Mourinho said during an interview with Josep Pedrerol on El Chiringuito.
The Portuguese coach stressed that he held nothing against Barcelona’s new signing. Rodri had behaved correctly in his dealings with Madrid, while Mourinho still considered him an extraordinary player. That was more or less where the pleasantries ended.
“Real Madrid are a club of such magnitude that they cannot have players who think twice,” Mourinho explained. “When Madrid contact you, you should ask: ‘When do I have to come?’”
He wished Rodri well before immediately adding: “Not too well, obviously.” The old José may be calmer, more mature and more controlled, but thankfully the treatment has not been completely successful.
Mourinho also rejected the suggestion that Barcelona’s signing of Rodri represented a victory over Real Madrid. In his view, victories are earned on the pitch and measured in trophies. Transfers apparently do not have their own league table, even if Barcelona would have been rather eager to print one this week.
More importantly, Mourinho does not intend to chase a replacement. Asked whether Madrid needed additional signings, he said no. The transfer window remains formally open, but as far as the coach is concerned, his squad is complete.
“I really like the squad,” he said. “We have solutions, we have quality and we have players who can still improve.”
Mourinho’s first weeks back at Valdebebas have also been unusually peaceful. He praised the players’ behaviour and admitted that he had not yet needed to show his more aggressive side. The squad has been instructed to arrive an hour before training, eat breakfast under the supervision of the club’s nutritionists and work regularly in the gym.
Kylian Mbappé has made a particularly strong impression. The Frenchman was allowed to report back on 14 August but arrived at Valdebebas two days early to prepare for the friendly against Schalke 04. Mourinho described his level as “stratospheric”.
The coach is showing a similar level of commitment. When his family remains in London, he sleeps at Valdebebas rather than returning home. As Mourinho put it, simply working at Real Madrid is not enough for him. He wants to work for Real Madrid.
Rodri chose Barcelona and Mourinho closed the subject without another round of bidding. Madrid did not get the midfielder they wanted, but their coach has no intention of spending the rest of the summer discussing a missing piece. He has his squad, he has their commitment and he sees no reason to chase anyone.
