José Mourinho gets his wish: “I want Real Madrid players to lose”

José Mourinho’s second stint as Real Madrid manager officially begins July 13, when players report for medical examinations ahead of the team’s first training session at Valdebebas. After back-to-back trophyless seasons, preseason will be crucial as Mourinho looks to implement his ideas and prepare the squad for another campaign with the only objective that matters at Real Madrid: winning titles.

Mourinho wants Madrid men eliminated from the World Cup

To do that, the Portuguese coach wants his biggest stars back as soon as possible so he can begin working with the core of his squad.

In his second interview since returning to Madrid, this time on the Beast Mode On podcast, Mourinho didn’t hide his feelings.

“Honestly, I want Real Madrid players to lose (at the World Cup) so they can go on vacation and get back for preseason as soon as possible.”

His wish has already come true, at least in part.

Arda Güler, Fede Valverde and Antonio Rüdiger have all been eliminated from the World Cup, meaning they’ll be available for Real Madrid’s preseason preparations almost from the very beginning.

Still, it’s not entirely good news for Mourinho, as the majority of Madrid’s World Cup contingent remains alive in the tournament.

Güler and Valverde return earlier than expected

Turkey and Uruguay were among the biggest disappointments of the World Cup group stage.

Turkey crashed out in a group that appeared manageable alongside Australia, Paraguay and the United States. Uruguay also failed to advance after collecting just two points in a group featuring Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

The early exits allow Güler, who was visibly shaken after Turkey’s elimination, and Valverde, who was substituted in the 55th minute of Uruguay’s decisive match against Spain and openly showed his frustration with head coach Marcelo Bielsa, to join Real Madrid’s preseason during the second week of training, likely between July 20 and July 22.

Mourinho still waiting on several stars

Rüdiger’s tournament ended Monday after Germany suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Paraguay, one of the biggest surprises of this World Cup.

The Real Madrid defender began the tournament as a substitute before Nico Schlotterbeck’s injury opened the door for him. Rüdiger played 110 minutes in Germany’s Round of 32 defeat but couldn’t deliver another penalty shootout heroics like the ones he produced for Madrid against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in recent times.

Although he’ll report slightly later than Güler and Valverde, Rüdiger is still expected to return early enough to begin working with Mourinho during preseason.

For now, the players still keeping Mourinho waiting are Jude Bellingham with England; Vinicius Junior and Endrick with Brazil; Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté and Aurélien Tchouaméni with France; Marc Cucurella with Spain; Brahim Díaz with Morocco; Bernardo Silva with Portugal; and Thibaut Courtois with Belgium.

The upside for Mourinho is that nearly all of those players have been among the standout performers at this World Cup. The challenge now will be translating that international form back to Real Madrid, particularly from the high-profile attacking partnership of Mbappé and Vinicius.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that of this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.