Mourinho Does a U-Turn: The Special One Will Face the Bernabéu Press After All
José Mourinho changes his mind and will hold a pre-match press conference at the Bernabéu despite his touchline ban for the Real Madrid second leg.
José Mourinho said he wouldn’t have to face the press. Then he changed his mind. Classic Mou — never quite does what you expect, does he?
The Original Quip
When Mourinho got his marching orders late in the first leg at Estádio da Luz, he did what he always does: turned the situation into a bit of theatre. His initial take on missing the pre-match presser? He actually seemed relieved — noting the silver lining that he wouldn’t have to stand in front of journalists the day before the return leg.
Very him. Very on-brand.
Then Came the Change of Heart
Fast forward to the build-up to the Bernabéu second leg, and Mourinho has done a full 180. He will be speaking to the media after all. Those close to him say the reasoning is simple — he felt it was important to front up and protect his players ahead of such a massive fixture.
The UEFA ban means he can’t:
- Sit in the dugout
- Enter the dressing room
- Communicate with the team during the match
But he can hold a press conference, and he can watch from a box. Earlier there’d been whispers he might follow the match from the team hotel — but nah, that’s not happening. Mourinho wants to be there. Of course he does.
Why He Got Sent Off in the First Place
The dismissal itself was very Mourinho. Deep into stoppage time — which stretched to a whopping 12 minutes — he went after the fourth official, demanding a second yellow for Vinícius Júnior, who was already on a booking. Strategically, getting Vini suspended for the second leg would’ve been a right result.
It backfired spectacularly. He picked up a yellow for dissent, kept going, and got the red. On his way down the tunnel, he was still at it — pointing out which Real Madrid players were on disciplinary tightropes and which weren’t, making clear he knew the rulebook inside out after what he described as 1,400 matches on the bench.
He also, to his credit, acknowledged that Madrid deserved the win.
The Symbolism of the Return
There’s a layer to all of this that goes beyond the tactical chess. Mourinho is returning to the Bernabéu — a ground he knows intimately — but not as the gaffer. He left that job back in 2013. No PA announcement with his name, no place in the home dugout, no familiar corridors to stride down with that look on his face.
He comes back as the enemy. And he’s decided he wants to look it square in the eyes.
Whether his Fenerbahçe side can pull off the result is another matter entirely — but you can’t say the man doesn’t know how to make an entrance.