Jose Mourinho talks Champions League ambitions, referees and Endrick ahead of Real Madrid vs Inter Milan | OneFootball

Real Madrid will get their 2026-27 Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday at the Bernabeu, as they host Inter Milan in their opening match of the league phase. It will be a special occasion for Jose Mourinho, who faces off against the side he won the competition with in 2010 – and in the stadium he did it.

As per MD, Mourinho spoke to the media on Monday during his pre-match press conference. He started by making it clear that he wants Real Madrid to begin the league phase with three points against his former club.

“I want to win. I could tell you that I want to play but we played well against Betis and we lost. So I want to win. We are in the first phase in which we have eight games to qualify and I think we are going to do it. So I want to win.”

Mourinho was asked about the refereeing controversy from Real Madrid’s defeat to Real Betis on Friday, and he could not contain his bewilderment at some of the decisions made by the officiating team.

“We lost to Betis because we didn’t translate our offensive production into goals. But why hasn’t the penalty been replayed? Why doesn’t the VAR know the rules, or does it not want to enforce them? Why? If the VAR has not ordered a replay because he did not know the rules, he has to go home – and if he has not wanted to, it is even worse.

“And why hasn’t the VAR called the referee? It’s a strange thing. I want to go in the direction of honesty and think that I didn’t know the rules but if this is the rules, it can’t be the VAR. Because what is going to happen is that, in the coming months, if something like this is repeated, the penalty will be taken again. And I want to make it clear that we didn’t lose because of that because we could have missed the replay, but as a football coach I want to know why it hasn’t been repeated. Another thing I want to know is why Vinicius, who was the captain, can’t approach the referee to ask for explanations.”

Mourinho reveals Champions League ambitions with Real Madrid

Mourinho failed to win the Champions League during his first spell in charge, falling agonisingly close in his final season in 2013. He is desperate to get it done this time around, although he is not thinking too far ahead at this stage.

“Obviously at the Bernabéu I won a Champions League and lost a semi-final on penalties and I had the best and worst memories in that stadium but I don’t think about that. I think I’m the coach of Real Madrid and that tomorrow we play a match that doesn’t decide anything and is not a knockout round. Both we and Inter are going to qualify. I see that there may be a possibility that we will face each other when things get more serious.

“I closed my job at Real Madrid in 2013 winning and losing what we have done. And that has been closed and this has nothing to do with what has happened. In 2010, a semifinal has not been played for many years and now many have been played in recent years and that has not changed me. If you ask me if I have the illusion of winning the Champions League with Madrid, obviously yes, but separate from the context of what happened in previous years.”

Mourinho was asked about his midfield selection headache for the match against Inter, although he refused to give much away.

“I’m not going to comment on it. I’m sorry. I’m honest and I’m not going to comment, sorry. I don’t know if the calendar algorithm speaks Italian or not, but it has chosen it that way and you have to deal with it like this. We have three, four or five options and we can talk about all of them here but in the end I’m not going to tell you anything.”

He also confirmed that Endrick will be in the squad to face Inter, having recovered from an injury he suffered during pre-season.

“Tomorrow he can be ready to play five minutes, ten maximum and that’s it. He trained yesterday for the first time with the team. He hasn’t played since the friendly in Budapest, and he doesn’t have the conditions for more, but as we have so much space on the bench, he is there and maybe he has to go five or ten minutes on the pitch.”