When Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan for Actual Madrid in the summertime of 2010, after main the Italian outfit to Champions League glory, he was on the peak of his powers.
The Portuguese coach claimed an historic treble with Inter, clinching Serie A within the final week of the season and lifting the Coppa Italia.
Inter beat Bayern 2-0 within the Champions League remaining at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium, profitable the trophy for the primary time since 1965 and changing into the primary Italian staff to win the treble.
The day after the ultimate Mourinho stated it was doubtless his final match in cost and round every week later his appointment at Actual Madrid was finalised.
Now 16 years on, and starting his second stint at Madrid, Mourinho kicks off the report 15-time Champions League winners' European marketing campaign in opposition to Inter on Tuesday on the Bernabeu.
Neither the veteran coach nor Inter have been capable of reproduce that degree of European success since.
Inter have reached the ultimate on two subsequent events, crushed in 2023 by Manchester Metropolis after which thrashed by Paris Saint-Germain within the 2025 showpiece.
Mourinho was unable to assist Actual Madrid previous the semi-finals and after leaving the membership in 2013 has primarily spent his time competing in decrease ranges of European competitors.
The 63-year-old led Manchester United to the Europa League in 2017 and gained the Convention League with Roma in 2022.
– Again on prime –
Fished out of the relative wilderness by Madrid president Florentino Perez this summer season after two seasons and not using a main trophy for Los Blancos, Mourinho's foremost activity is to return the membership to their European throne.
Solely 5 coaches have gained the trophy extra occasions than Mourinho, who additionally lifted it with Porto in 2004 to kickstart his profession and earn him passage to Chelsea and Europe's largest leagues.
"My attraction to Actual Madrid is because of its historical past, its frustrations lately and its expectations to win," stated Mourinho in 2010, though the identical holds true now, after a outstanding interval of success ended.
In his first reign Mourinho helped disrupt Pep Guardiola's Barcelona's dominance inside Spain however was unable to assist Madrid finish their await a tenth European Cup.
That got here underneath his successor Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed three with Madrid over two spells on the membership.
Zinedine Zidane additionally lifted the trophy 3 times in consecutive seasons, with Madrid profitable six in a outstanding 10-year spell.
Perez credit Mourinho with constructing the foundations for these trophies.
"I'm glad my work had some constructive impression, however the titles belong to Carlo, Zidane, the gamers, and the followers," stated Mourinho.
Madrid's grip on the trophy has loosened in the course of the previous two years, knocked out within the quarter-finals by Arsenal in 2025 and final season they have been eradicated by Bayern Munich within the final 16.
Mourinho's problem is to show each he and Actual Madrid nonetheless can rule amongst Europe's elite, and stopping Luis Enrique's PSG retaining it for a 3rd yr working.
"Ending with out trophies at Actual Madrid shouldn’t be a profitable season," stated Mourinho in August.
The coach's second stint at Madrid began easily with three wins from three video games, however on Friday they fell to their first defeat, 1-0 at Actual Betis.
Inter's go to to the Spanish capital will likely be an early check of whether or not Mourinho can restore Madrid's European fortunes, in opposition to the membership with which he final reached the top of the competitors.
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