Arda Guler delighted to be working with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid – “It’s a great opportunity” | OneFootball

It has been almost two weeks since Real Madrid returned for pre-season, and so far, things are going well under the guidance of Jose Mourinho in his second spell as head coach. Los Blancos defeated Alcorcon 1-0 in their first friendly of the summer earlier this week, although Arda Guler did miss a penalty in the frst half.

Guler is hoping to build on an impressive 2025-26 season from an individual standpoint, and his early 2026 World Cup exit with Türkiye has allowed him more time on the training pitch. As per the club’s official media channels (via MD), he admitted that he missed being at the club over the summer, and he’s excited to start the 2026-27 campaign in a few weeks’ time.

“I missed my home. I’m very happy to start working to always give a better version on the pitch. I have learned and improved a lot, but my enthusiasm has never changed. I want to win everything like the first day and make the Madridistas happy.”

Guler: Mourinho and his team have been very clear with us

Guler was also asked about how it has been working under Mourinho. A number of players expressed their excitement at the prospect of being managed by the iconic Portuguese manager, and the 21-year-old has admitted that he’s enjoying the learning experience.

“It’s a great opportunity to work with a legend like Mourinho. He and his team explain everything very clearly and are also very sincere off the pitch. In pre-season the most important thing is to work on the physical part but also to listen and learn what Mourinho asks of us to be able to do well on the pitch.”

There is a lot of hope within Real Madrid that Mourinho can turn things around after two dismal seasons, and if anyone can light a fire under the fire, it will surely be the Portuguese.