Jose Mourinho has launched a pointed critique at Real Madrid's fixture scheduling while preparing to face Inter Milan in the Champions League league phase opener at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. The Portuguese manager, who led Inter to their third and most recent European Cup in 2010, expressed surprise at the Italian club's failure to capture another title since then, despite their sustained excellence over the past six years.
Mourinho's comments came during his pre-match press conference as Real Madrid look to bounce back from a La Liga defeat at Real Betis. The former Inter boss suggested scheduling decisions may not be entirely neutral, remarking: "Maybe the person who made the fixture list was Italian." This latest complaint adds to Mourinho's ongoing frustration with how fixtures have been arranged for his side this season.
Tactical Continuity at Inter Impresses Mourinho
Despite his scheduling grievances, Mourinho reserved substantial praise for Inter's operational stability under successive managers. He highlighted how Antonio Conte, Simone Inzaghi, and Cristian Chivu have maintained a consistent tactical identity. "Inter have been a great team for six years," Mourinho explained. "The game model is the same. It's a team that can play with its eyes closed."
The Nerazzurri reached Champions League finals in both 2023 and 2025 but failed to win, making their European drought since 2010 one of football's notable paradoxes. Real Madrid, by contrast, remain Europe's most decorated club with 15 European titles, though they exited at the quarter-final stage in each of the last two campaigns against Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Squad Depth and Dressing Room Reaction
Mourinho confirmed Real Madrid will be without Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, and Eduardo Camavinga through suspension. The manager stressed that this disadvantage will not excuse any shortcomings, stating: "Tomorrow we will have three suspended players, but on the pitch it will always be 11 against 11."
Following the defeat in Seville, Mourinho noted positive signs in his squad's mental response. He observed that players were "dead in the dressing room in Sevilla, and then ready for the training session on Sunday," suggesting resilience within the camp. His stated priority remains clinical finishing, as Real Madrid created chances they failed to convert against Betis. The manager emphasized: "I want to win. I can tell you that I want to play well, but I don't want to play well as we did against Real Betis and then lose."
With eight games remaining in the Champions League league phase before qualification becomes secured, Mourinho's focus narrows to immediate performance and results. This fixture against his former club represents both a test of Real Madrid's European ambitions and a reunion with a tactical blueprint he helped construct fifteen years ago.
