Mourinho dismisses the issue of squad changes at Real Madrid after last season's problems


After being appointed as the new coach, Jose Mourinho tried to calm speculation regarding a major squad overhaul at Real Madrid. He emphasized that he wants to work with current stars rather than replace them. In the 'Beast Mode On' podcast hosted by Adebayo Akinfenwa, the Portuguese coach explained his plans ahead of the start of his work at Valdebebas on July 13. Mourinho rejected suggestions that he would make major changes to the dressing room after taking over. "I have read some things saying that Jose is coming here and will cut some of the best players who supposedly had problems during last season. No, no, I want these players, I want the best players," he said. Rather than making major changes, Mourinho believes his task is to build a stronger collective, especially after the problems that emerged in Real Madrid's dressing room last season. "Now I have to find a way to have a team and not have the problems that, I don't know, from what I read, they had in previous seasons," he added. For Mourinho, managing elite talent is a challenge that every coach must welcome. "The best problem a coach can have is to have the best players," he explained. He believes that managing a squad with limited quality is a much bigger challenge than balancing a dressing room full of top-level footballers with egos. "If you have problems with players who are not very good, that is a big problem," added Mourinho. One of Mourinho's most interesting comments concerns the ongoing World Cup. When asked what he hoped to gain from this tournament, he gave an answer that immediately caught the eye. "You want the truth? I want the Real Madrid players to lose and go on holiday. Because I want the kids to come back for pre-season," he said jokingly. Building physical fitness and tactical cohesion from the start is one of his top priorities. When asked about the best dressing room in his coaching career, Mourinho answered quickly, "Real Madrid." Mourinho admitted he struggled to fully engage with the early stages of the tournament, arguing that some of the uneven scores had caught him by surprise. "After ten minutes I was numb," he joked. "Scores of 7-1 or 5-1 should not happen in the World Cup." He expects the competition will become much more interesting once the knockout rounds begin. Among the strongest contenders, Mourinho highlighted England, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal, praising the depth of talent in the six countries while maintaining his belief that England always have the quality to compete for the title.