Real Madrid secured a dominant 4‑1 victory over Real Sociedad in their rescheduled opening‑round La Liga fixture of the new season, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a hat‑trick. After the match, Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho attended the post‑match press conference and took questions from journalists.
On his feelings about returning to the Santiago Bernabéu
This game at the Bernabéu unfolded steadily. I do not like being overly tense or anxious before kick‑off. Obviously, I am enjoying being back here; the last time I was on this touchline was when I was in charge of Benfica. It was a tough contest. At moments we failed to cope with the opposition’s pressing. Real Sociedad did not create many chances in the first half, yet they scored from their only shot on target. They have excellent tactical organisation and a high‑calibre head coach. Their centre‑backs kept a wide distance between one another, which made it difficult for us to apply pressure. This was exactly the kind of match where I wished there was a cooling break to pause play. Without such an interruption, I could only implement tactical adjustments at half‑time. We netted three goals in the second half and could have scored four. Nevertheless, I must give credit to Real Sociedad for their performance. We displayed an outstanding level of football after the interval, especially Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior.
On comparisons between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé
I do not enjoy comparing players, but this guy (Mbappé) is truly phenomenal. I am delighted for Cristiano Ronaldo for making history. There are many World‑Champion‑winning players, yet only one man can stand eternal in football history — the player with the most goals, and he has written that chapter of history. Now Kylian Mbappé is hungry to make his own history at Real Madrid. I see a very high‑quality squad. Alongside Kylian’s individual output, the whole team performed brilliantly. We overcame first‑half difficulties and learned to fight as a unit: knowing when to wait, staying calm and keeping a compact shape. We took control of possession and raised our intensity after the break. I really liked our second‑half display.
On the boos heard before half‑time
We all know what the Bernabéu is like, and the players understand that too. This was our first impression upon our return. I appreciate this atmosphere; it comes from the club’s history and its high‑level expectations. Real Madrid possesses great players, so the fans always crave more. Fans occupy a different role compared to coaches and players. Supporters pay for emotional thrills, while we are in this position because we can remain composed amid hardship. We faced different troubles against RCD Espanyol as well, yet the squad is growing collectively in mental resilience. In the end we earned the three points we wanted, and the fans left knowing the direction we are heading in. What matters is helping them understand that going behind temporarily does not equal defeat. We were using ball possession to stabilise the situation. We have to read shifts in pressing tempo out on the pitch. Boos may ring out while we bide our time, but we must stay calm in the face of jeers. I tweaked two or three details during half‑time, and then we went on to win the game.
On Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal‑scoring record and how far Kylian Mbappé can go
Kylian is an incredible player, absolutely incredible. Whether he ends up scoring 50 or 60 goals, I cannot tell. I would rather he hit 40 goals, contribute for the collective and win trophies, than chase personal stats and bag 60 goals. I am very satisfied with him. The whole group is driving improvement forward. He cut his holiday short and returned two days early, which is a very positive sign. I kept him on for the full 90 minutes to see if he could notch a quadruple, and I substituted him off once Vinícius Júnior found the back of the net.
On what dissatisfied him most in this fixture
I dislike players staying out on the pitch to warm‑up during half‑time. I require everyone to head into the dressing‑room, so I sent them out to warm‑up ahead of schedule. By the 35th minute, my fitness coach already knew which players needed preparing. Later I opted to bring on Marc Cucurella in place of Javier Carreras, because Carreras was already on a yellow card and looked vulnerable in one‑on‑one duels against Takefusa Kubo. I like how we perform when things are not going our way, when we are under pressure, because we are still not ready for every scenario. Real Sociedad caused us plenty of problems through midfield. When doubts creep in, you must never panic. You will win the ball back eventually, so overall I am satisfied.
