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See the full story · 1 sourcesReal Madrid icon Nacho backs Mourinho for success at the Bernabeu: ‘Great things are coming’
Speaking to AS in an interview, former Real Madrid captain and club legend Nacho Fernandez has backed new manager Jose Mourinho to lead the team back to the top after two underwhelming seasons.
Los Blancos have brought Mourinho back this summer after last season’s debacle when the team failed to win any trophy and struggled to perform at the expected level under both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Nacho backs Mourinho
Given the situation, where there has been a lot of tension in the dressing room and the lack of trophies, Nacho believes that Mourinho is the right man to lead Real Madrid back to the top.
The former Spanish international highlighted how the manager holds a special place in his career, having handed him his first-team debut with Los Blancos .
“Well, for me and my whole family, Mourinho is a special person. He’s the coach who has shaped my career, the one who gave me my debut, the one who gave me the opportunity…,” he said.
“I made my debut that day, but I’d already done preseason training with him. After that match at Mestalla, many more games with the first team followed. Mou will always be special to me.”
Mourinho is back at Madrid. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
Continuing, he added: “Regardless of the fact that he’s a great coach, which he is, for me and my whole family, he’s the coach, so to speak. What can I say? I wish him all the best in this second spell.
“I think a coach is coming in who’s exactly what Real Madrid needs right now, a bit of a challenge. I remember that period as one of the best of my life.
“I was also at a time when we were doing very well at Castilla. That’s where it all started for me at Real Madrid. And I’m very happy and very grateful, of course, to Mou.”
Talking about the changes that Real Madrid can expect to see with Mourinho in charge, Nacho explained:
“What I am sure of is that I don’t know if they’ll ultimately win titles, because this is football and it’s not easy, but he will definitely have the players fully committed, giving 100%.
“The intensity he brings to every training session and every match, having been on the inside, I can assure you it’s 100%. So, if the players and Mourinho can all pull together, I have no doubt that good things are coming for Real Madrid.
“Mou is a Real Madrid fan, he’s a Madridista. That’s what’s important; he knows perfectly well what it means to win and what it means to lose at this club. If the players are fully behind him, great things are coming for Real Madrid…”
The absence of veterans being felt
In recent years, Real Madrid have had to bid goodbye to several club icons like Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez, Luka Modric, and Nacho himself, something that the Spaniard believes has hurt the team.
Nacho left Real Madrid in 2024. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Dani Carvajal has also joined the list, having left the club this summer after his contract expired.
“Absolutely. I think without a doubt, and not just at Real Madrid. I believe that ultimately, at any club, it’s important to have homegrown talent, especially Spanish players, who have experienced what Real Madrid is all about since they were children,” he said.
“They teach you how to win, how to respect your opponent, how to always give your all, how to fight until the last minute. I think these things are fundamental, especially at a club with the demands of Real Madrid.
“And if you also manage to have foreign players, like you said, Modric or Kroos, who seem like academy graduates because after so many years they’ve become so ingrained in the club’s philosophy, it’s a consequence of all the titles we’ve won.”
On whether he will return to Real Madrid in the future in any capacity, Nacho replied: “Real Madrid is my home, that’s for sure. I can’t tell you exactly how, but whatever they need, I’ll be there without a doubt.
“I haven’t even thought about what I’m going to do, or how, or what I’m going to do after football. Madrid is my home, and I’ll be there for them whenever they need me.”
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