José Mourinho hasn’t been back at Real Madrid for very long, but there is already something different about the way the club is carrying itself.
The easiest way to see it is on the scoreboard.
A 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad, highlighted by a Kylian Mbappé hat-trick, is the sort of result that makes life considerably easier for a manager. There aren’t many questions that can be asked after a performance like that, particularly when the team is playing with the confidence and attacking intent expected of a club like Real Madrid.
But according to Euan Jones, digital PR specialist at Casinos.com, the more interesting part of Mourinho’s influence has been happening away from the tactics.
“A 4-1 win with a Mbappé hat-trick gives Mourinho almost total control of the story before he’s even faced an awkward question, it’s very difficult to write a negative headline around that scoreline. The more interesting story is the man-management we saw in that game, substituting a scoring Vinícius and explaining it as wanting him to soak up the crowd’s affection after a tough season is a deliberate, feel-good moment, not just a tactical call.”
That’s Mourinho doing what Mourinho has always done.
He isn’t simply managing a football team. He’s managing the environment around it.
And perhaps most importantly, he’s creating enough goodwill that he doesn’t have to explain every decision as though he’s defending himself in court.
Mourinho Could Help Real Madrid Get Back to the Top
There is a reason this matters for Real Madrid.
The club isn’t short of talent. Mbappé, Vinícius and the rest of Madrid’s attacking options give Mourinho an embarrassment of riches going forward. The challenge is getting all of those pieces working together while avoiding the sort of internal and external pressure that can derail a season.
That’s where Mourinho’s approach could be particularly valuable.
Jones pointed to Mourinho’s decision to defend Vinícius after the forward had faced criticism, describing the manager’s “bullying” comments as a way of getting ahead of the conversation.
That’s an important distinction.
Instead of waiting for the media narrative to form and then responding to it, Mourinho is trying to determine what that narrative will be in the first place.
The same thing happened with Vinícius’ substitution.
Removing a player who is scoring isn’t normally the sort of decision that automatically produces a positive reaction. Mourinho found a way to turn it into one by explaining that he wanted Vinícius to enjoy the affection of the supporters after a difficult season.
It sounds simple.
But these small moments can accumulate.
If Mourinho can keep Madrid’s players confident, keep supporters onside and prevent every tactical decision from becoming a controversy, Real Madrid suddenly has a much better chance of maintaining consistency over a long La Liga campaign.
And consistency could be the difference between competing for the title and watching someone else lift it.
Strategy Can Take the Pressure Away From His Players
Perhaps the biggest benefit is that Mourinho is willing to make himself the story.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In fact, it might be exactly what this Real Madrid squad needs.
Jones put it particularly well:
“Few managers are as deliberate about shaping the narrative rather than just responding to it. Mourinho’s ‘bullying’ comments defending Vinícius last weekend got him on the front foot before the press could ask, and framing last night’s substitution around fan love did the same job, turning a potentially tense moment into a warm one.”
Mourinho has never been afraid of attention.
If anything, he seems comfortable operating in the middle of it.
That allows his players to operate with a little less noise around them. When something goes wrong, Mourinho can absorb the criticism. When something goes right, he can redirect the attention toward the players.
That protector-and-disciplinarian combination is potentially powerful.
Real Madrid’s stars don’t need to spend their time worrying about what the latest headline says about them. They need to train, play and perform.
Mourinho appears perfectly happy to handle everything else.
And that’s ultimately why his influence could extend well beyond his tactical decisions.
A manager who can control the mood around a team has already won part of the battle.
If Mourinho can continue doing that while Real Madrid keeps producing results, the club may finally have something it has been missing: a manager capable of making the pressure work for Madrid rather than against it.
Mourinho Is Already Winning the Battle Beyond the Pitch