Mourinho claims Real Madrid superstars can fit together, dismisses bust-up

[p]Mourinho's predecessors, Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, struggled to strike a balance between attack and defence while lining up with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vinicius-junior/CbwQ4Mws/"]Vinicius Junior[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellingham-jude/QNvlPm7s/"]Jude Bellingham[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Madrid[/a] won the Champions League in 2024 with England international Bellingham and Brazilian winger Vinicius playing key roles, but since French superstar Mbappe arrived that summer, the club have not lifted a major trophy.[/p][p][b]"They are incredible players and incredible players want to play with incredible players,"[/b] Mourinho told reporters.[/p][p]"Tactically, it could be tricky. Ancelotti has found a set-up with Brazil perfect for Vini, (Didier) Deschamps has found one with France perfect for Kylian, (Thomas) Tuchel one perfect for Jude; it's harder for Mourinho to do it for the three of them.[/p][p][b]"We're on it. I want the three, when all three play, to feel comfortable on the pitch... they are three players of great quality.[/b][/p][p][b]"They don't play in incompatible positions. We will have a great season with them."[/b][/p][embed guid="b77dbcd9-41a1-4bf0-9692-9fbcd58185f9" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2090378495788458024" social-type="twitter" /][p]However, Madrid's stars can consider themselves warned - they must contribute in defence this season.[/p][p][b]"We have to defend with 11 players," [/b]said Mourinho.[/p][p][b]"If a team is pushing us back and giving us problems in our final third, we all have to defend."[/b][/p][p]Mourinho said in his second spell at Real Madrid, after previously coaching the team between 2010-2013, he hopes his players make life hard for him in terms of team selection.[/p][p][b]"There will be moments of frustration, because of results - or personal frustration,"[/b] said the 63-year-old coach.[/p][p][b]"I told the players tomorrow there will come a moment of frustration for many of them because it will be the first time that I have to pick one as a starter and the other goes to the bench and feels frustrated; they have to digest that individually and as a group.[/b][/p][p]"I'm here to help them, but I can't start a game with 15 players; only 11 can play. I hope each game is difficult for me, because they keep working in the way they are working.[/p][p][b]"The day that one lowers his level because of frustration, decisions will be easy for me. I want hard decisions... the team needs to know how to navigate moments of frustration."[/b][/p][image alt="Real Madrid's upcoming LaLiga matches" id="4e4cbc62-8dc9-4db2-92a2-08405f4fe5c4" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f451e2f0-dbbc-4cc9-ae67-506052bf92e6" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][h2]Dressing room peace & positive pressure[/h2][p]Los Blancos have failed to win a major trophy for two seasons, and in the previous campaign a dressing room squabble between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tchouameni-aurelien/QkiZum3e/"]Aurelien Tchouameni[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valverde-federico/nscfER6B/"]Fede Valverde[/a] ended up with the latter being treated in hospital.[/p][p]However, the Portuguese veteran coach said the players had made it clear to him there was no bad blood between them now.[/p][p][b]"I've decided to start from zero... there was no need to speak to Tchouameni... seeing how they're getting on, you can't even imagine what happened last season,"[/b] said Mourinho.[/p][p]"They practically told me there was no need to speak about it, that I didn't have to try and have an influence to bring peace.[/p][p][b]"From what I've seen, it's not even about peace, it's normality, friendship, and it's like nothing happened."[/b][/p][p]Mourinho said he did not feel pressure ahead of his second Madrid debut at the helm.[/p][p][b]"I wouldn't call it pressure, I'd call it adrenaline. It's a positive feeling," [/b]added Mourinho. "The day I don’t feel it, something's not right."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/espanyol-QFfPdh1J/real-madrid-W8mj7MDD/?mid=l8fgco7b"]Follow Espanyol vs Real Madrid with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][infobox id="14dacc89-3234-4d6e-b854-e74d05c9dce3" /]