Mourinho sends clear message to Real Madrid squad after defeat to Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid faced their first major setback of the 2026/27 season this past Sunday, when they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

The Merengues firmly believe that they were left hard done by poor refereeing, with manager Jose Mourinho lashing out at the match official after the match.

Mourinho backs his players

And, according to journalist Ben Fernandes Santos, Mourinho has sent a clear message to his player: there is full confidence in the process and no intention of changing course.

The Portuguese coach remains fully committed to the project and believes his team will eventually turn the situation around.

That was the central message Mourinho delivered to his players after the match at the Metropolitano: complete confidence in the work being done and the belief that both performances and results will improve.

Real Madrid lost to Atletico Madrid in the derby. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

Mourinho was keen to prevent the defeat from creating doubts inside the dressing room.

The Real Madrid manager believes the project is still in its early stages and continues to trust both the individual quality within his squad and the team’s collective development.

He hinted at that approach publicly after the 2-1 defeat, saying: “I can only hug my players, who gave everything. We played a first half of great class and personality, and we could perfectly have won in the second half.”

Mourinho also stressed that his players had given everything, while particularly praising the personality they showed during the first half.

No change of direction after one setback

The defeat has inevitably increased the pressure on the Real Madrid players as well as the manager.

They head into the international break with questions over their performance and after losing their first major league test of the campaign.

Mourinho keeping trust in the process. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

External criticism has already begun to emerge, but the message inside Valdebebas is different.

Mourinho does not want one poor result to derail the work that has already been put in. He remains convinced by his squad and by the direction of the project.

His message to the players is therefore straightforward: keep working, keep developing and trust the process.

The Portuguese coach believes this Real Madrid team will respond when it has had more time to grow together.