Jose Mourinho formally unveiled as Real Madrid manager behind closed doors

[p]The Portuguese manager, who began work with the squad when pre-season started ‌on July 10th, signed a contract until June 2029 in ‌the boardroom of Ciudad [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] alongside club president Florentino Perez and honorary ‌president Jose Martinez Pirri.[/p][p]For a club accustomed to spectacle, the silence ‌was almost the statement.[/p][p]Real are heading into the new LaLiga season after two consecutive years without a trophy, with Perez, recently re-elected but far from the untouchable figure ‌of old, facing growing scrutiny from an impatient ⁠fanbase.[/p][embed guid="78793f71-f06a-49d3-b164-d1e28070bc78" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2089694231438713160" social-type="twitter" /][p]Mourinho framed his return as something ‌more significant than a job.[/p][p]"[b]This is coming home. Emotionally, it's even better than ​the first time because back then it was a feeling of reaching the very top of the world, whereas now it's ​more emotional and heartfelt[/b]," Mourinho told the club's official television channel.[/p][p]"[b]I'm one of you; I always have been, and you can imagine what ⁠it means to me to ​work for Real Madrid. This is a maxim that everyone must follow: working for Real Madrid, which means working for you[/b]."[/p][p]Mourinho previously managed Real from 2010 to 2013, winning LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish ‌Super Cup during a combustible spell that brought silverware, confrontation and a lasting imprint on the club.[/p][p]Now he returns from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/benfica/zBkyuyRI/"]Benfica[/a] after Perez oversaw one of Real's most aggressive transfer windows in years, bringing in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cucurella-marc/QTynbZd3/"]Marc Cucurella[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konate-ibrahima/QJlbDbQe/"]Ibrahima Konate[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/espi-carlos/WURwLTen/"]Carlos Espi[/a], with a long-awaited multi-year contract extension for winger Vinicius Junior.[/p][p]The new signings are also expected to be presented privately in the coming days, following the same closed-door format used for Mourinho.[/p][p]The approach reflects a ‌club intent on shielding themselves before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/espanyol-QFfPdh1J/real-madrid-W8mj7MDD/?mid=l8fgco7b"]Saturday's LaLiga opener[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/espanyol/QFfPdh1J/"]Espanyol[/a] in ​Barcelona.[/p][embed guid="d2a50132-e5c5-4eb4-a631-f28e6ea322e6" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2089708959770742802" social-type="twitter" /][p]Mourinho said his task was not personal glory but rebuilding standards.[/p][p]"[b]Words ‌aren't enough... because it's like a mission[/b]," he said. "[b]I'm here to help everyone be better: players, staff... To create a culture of hard work, responsibility, ambition and something I know well, which is the responsibility and honour of working for Real Madrid[/b]."[/p][p]Once known as "The ⁠Special One", Mourinho returns with plenty ⁠to prove after 11 years ‌without a league title and four without a trophy.[/p]