Jose Mourinho's Views on the Ballon d'Or and Squad Dynamics
Jose Mourinho walked into the media room at Valdebebas with a league game against Málaga on the horizon and a familiar debate waiting for him: the Ballon d’Or. He didn’t dodge it. He went straight through it.
“For me, the Ballon d’Or has to go to those players who, when they retire, we miss forever,” he said, before reeling off the names that, in his mind, define the award: Maradona, Nazario, Messi, Zidane, Matthäus. Players who bend eras, not just tournaments.
You could feel the subtext. Trophies matter, but not as a shortcut.
“You can't give the Ballon d’Or just because they won the Champions League or the World Cup. If you want to reward the Champions League, give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique. For Spain, De La Fuente certainly deserves it. This is the great tribute. Another thing is the best in the world; it doesn't have to be from PSG or Spain.”
He didn’t name his own stars directly in that moment, but the line hung there: “There are two, three, or four, and we know who they are. We know where they are — here. We know who has made history individually this summer.” Then came the sting: “The Ballon d’Or has politics, and if politics gets involved, I don't like it so much.”
For Mourinho, the concept is clear. The award belongs to the timeless, not the most decorated. And he made it equally clear he won’t let Spain or PSG redefine it.
Squad choices and internal competition
Once the Ballon d’Or dust settled, the talk turned to Málaga and the state of his squad. Mourinho sounded content, but not complacent.
“There are players who have had different preseason experiences,” he said. “We have a strong squad with solutions to compensate for these issues.”
Then he dropped a concrete example.
“Tomorrow, Cucurella starts, and Álvaro, who played well against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will be on the bench. If Cucurella runs out of steam, we have Álvaro to come on. It's the kind of solution a squad like this provides a coach.”
That’s Mourinho in his element: competition as a tool, not a problem. No drama, just depth.
‘Concentration’ where it really matters
He was then asked about concentration and the idea of keeping the group together in a hotel before games. Mourinho brushed aside the romanticism of curfews and shared corridors.
“There are two kinds of concentration,” he said. “The one you're talking about, being together, sleeping in a hotel, in Valdebebas… The one I'm interested in is the one here,” he added, pointing to his head.
“It has nothing to do with sleeping in a hotel, it's here. Sometimes I think, and it saddens me, that all you see is warm-ups and rondo drills. In my other job, there's a lot of concentration. This is what interests me.”
On the eve of Málaga, the plan is flexible but controlled.
“We're not sleeping today. The players are together. We have a tactical meeting now, we're eating together. We'll be together a little longer and then we'll see each other in the morning. Espi, Cucurella, and I are sleeping here. The rest are going home.”
The message: mental focus beats hotel keys.
Diomande’s delayed start
On Yan Diomande, Mourinho shut down any temptation to single him out for praise or criticism, but he did explain the context.
“I'm not going to say anything more about individual players. Diomande arrived late and had a difficult summer because of the decision. He didn't train with Leipzig; when he arrived, he didn't have a foundation to work with, and he's progressing gradually.”
The roadmap is simple: minutes and patience.
“He's already had playing time, which is what he needs to develop. Tomorrow he'll either start or come on as a substitute. He's getting more and more ready.”
No hype, no alarm. Just a process.
Bellingham, and the weight of the stars
When the name Jude Bellingham appeared, Mourinho’s tone sharpened. Admiration, but anchored in specifics.
“He's unique. Super important for the team. He has different talents: physical, mental, tactical, ball recovery, his goal-scoring ability, his aerial game. He's impressive.”
He admitted he enjoys talking about his headline acts.
“I really like talking about Kylian, Vini, Jude. I understand the questions. But I'm very happy with everyone. As I said, here we only have great players and truly great players.”
Then came the line that will please every Real Madrid fan.
“The team has to function as a team. Real Madrid fans go to the Bernabéu to see these exceptional players, but they also go to see a team play as a team, suffer as a team, face difficulties as a team, and dominate as a team. I'm the coach of that team, and I really like the players I have.”
Stars, yes. But only within a collective that bleeds together.
Castilla, Thiago Pitarch, and the pathway
Mourinho also opened a window into the bridge between Castilla and the first team, with special praise for Álvaro Arbeloa’s work.
“Arbeloa has done a fantastic job in defense. Up front, the situation is different, and it hasn't been easy. He's done a fantastic job with the players. There isn't a single Castilla player I don't like.”
Then he turned to Thiago Pitarch, whose performances have clearly pushed him beyond the youth level.
“Thiago has shown he's no longer fit for the Castilla division. I like him a lot. He's part of this group of 21 players. We have Ciria, Cestero, and two goalkeepers on the bench because we don't have many options. When he's fit, he'll be part of the group and will get playing time.”
The detail was vintage Mourinho.
“I tell him his leg muscles are the same as mine, and he needs to put on a couple of kilos through hard work.”
A joke, but also a demand.
Freedom in attack, structure behind it
Asked about how much freedom his forwards enjoy, Mourinho didn’t pretend that genius comes from a whiteboard alone.
“When you have players of incredible quality, they make the coach look like a phenomenon. They do things that go beyond the everyday routine.”
Still, the creativity rests on a framework.
“We work on defense and attack. Today, the entire 45 minutes of training were dedicated to offensive organization. We worked on tactical formations and movement. When things get tough, they win matches. We have to give them space for creativity and for their ability to make decisions. We have to be organized. We're improving in that area.”
The balance is clear: structure first, freedom at the sharp end.
Endrick, Tchouameni and the injury line
On Endrick and Aurélien Tchouameni, Mourinho sounded cautious, almost protective.
“[Endrick] is the closest to returning. I don't want to take any risks with Betis. Like I said, he could be ready for Betis or for the first Champions League match.”
Tchouameni’s case is more delicate.
“The other situations are more complicated. With Tchouameni, we have to keep our emotions in check. I don't want him to be in and out, in and out again. I don't want to start the season in August with a situation like this. I hope to have Tchouameni fit again, and I prefer to wait a little longer.”
Short-term sacrifice for long-term stability.
International break fears
The looming international window drew a frown. Mourinho didn’t hide his concerns.
“International matches worry me. It's a long time. I'm less concerned about players who go with their national teams to play than those who are selected but don't play. Those are the ones I worry about the most.”
His relationship with Carlo Ancelotti gives him some comfort.
“My relationship with Carlo means I'm aware of the situation, and we'll exchange information. With Carlo, it won't be a problem. With others, where we don't have this level of trust, having players away for three weeks is very complicated.”
He knows the risks.
“Often, there are injuries while on international duty, and then when they return to their clubs, they lose the balance of the work they'd been doing for weeks, and then the injury happens. It is what it is, and there's nothing we can do about it.”
Faith in professionalism, but no illusions.
Managing problems before they arrive
Asked what is more difficult — managing the group or working tactically — Mourinho barely blinked.
“I don't feel that anything is difficult. I see it as natural. Problems are a natural part of life. We haven't had our first problem yet, but it's going to come. Whether it's tactical or related to team management, it's normal for it to happen. You have to see it as a natural occurrence and manage it as a natural one.”
Crisis, for him, is not an event. It’s a given.
Respect for Ancelotti and the leak question
On Ancelotti himself, Mourinho’s respect was absolute.
“Ancelotti is a great man in every way. He doesn't have a weak point. He's a great man at every level.”
Then came a very modern issue: starting XIs being leaked.
“If we go into tomorrow's match and the opposition doesn't know our lineup until an hour and a half before kickoff, I prefer that. But if our lineup starts today, it's not a big deal.”
The real danger, he said, comes only when he tears up the script.
“The worrying thing is when you make a lot of structural changes. If we played with three centre-backs, with Espi and Kylian together. If we do something that's outside of what the Málaga manager might expect, then yes, it's a concern. But the difference between Carreras and Cucurella isn't a big deal.”
One last detail summed up the mood inside the dressing room.
“The positive feeling about him not starting is that nobody has spoken about it. Not the players, not the kit men, not the doctors… But if he does start, it's not a big deal.”
On the eve of Málaga, Mourinho has his ideas fixed, his hierarchy clear, and his definition of greatness — Ballon d’Or or not — firmly anchored in the players he believes Real Madrid will miss when they’re gone.
