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Mbeumo scores solo goal as United draw, while Mourinho begins another Madrid mission

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth From a news agency Context piece
  • The article recalls José Mourinho’s 2010 treble with Inter Milan before examining his return to Real Madrid 16 years later.
  • Mourinho faces Inter at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid begin their European campaign, with neither side matching its earlier continental success.
  • His task is to restore Madrid’s status among Europe’s elite after recent early exits, while Paris Saint-Germain seek a third consecutive Champions League title.

When José Mourinho left Inter Milan for Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, he was at the height of his powers. He had led Inter to an historic treble, winning Serie A in the final week of the season and lifting the Coppa Italia before beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu.

Inter had not won the trophy since 1965. Their victory made them the first Italian club to complete the treble. The day after the final, Mourinho said it was likely his last match in charge. About a week later, his appointment at Real Madrid was finalized.

Sixteen years on, and beginning his second spell in Madrid, Mourinho opens the record 15-time European champions’ campaign against Inter at the Bernabéu on Tuesday. Neither the coach nor the Italian club has reproduced that level of European success. Inter reached two further finals, losing to Manchester City in 2023 and suffering a heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final.

My attraction to Real Madrid is due to its history, its frustrations in recent years and its expectations to win.

· José MourinhoMourinho gave the explanation in 2010 for his attraction to Real Madrid, and the article says it remains relevant to his return.

Mourinho did not take Madrid beyond the semi-finals. Since leaving in 2013, he has largely competed in Europe’s lower-level competitions, guiding Manchester United to the Europa League in 2017 and Roma to the Conference League in 2022.

Madrid president Florentino Pérez brought him back this summer after two seasons without a major trophy. Mourinho’s central task is to return the club to Europe’s summit. He has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter, and only five coaches have lifted the trophy more often. During his first Madrid tenure, he helped disrupt Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona dominance in Spain but could not deliver the club’s 10th European Cup. Carlo Ancelotti later won three Champions League titles with Madrid across two spells, while Zinedine Zidane won three in successive seasons. Madrid’s trophy run has weakened over the past two years, with elimination by Arsenal in the 2025 quarter-finals and Bayern Munich in last season’s last 16. Mourinho must now show that he and Madrid can again compete at Europe’s highest level, while also trying to stop Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain from retaining the trophy for a third straight year.

I’m glad my work had some positive impact, but the titles belong to Carlo, Zidane, the players, and the fans.

· José MourinhoMourinho responded to Florentino Pérez’s view that he helped lay the foundations for Madrid’s later European trophies.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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