Former Real Madrid striker recalls Jose Mourinho memories – “He made comments that I didn’t like”

There is not long to go until the 2026-27 season gets underway for Real Madrid, who have Jose Mourinho back at the helm for the first time in over 13 years. The Portuguese has been tasked with ending Los Blancos’ run without a major trophy, which dates back to the end of the 2024-25 campaign when they won their 15th Champions League.

There is a lot of hope that Mourinho is the ideal man to get Real Madrid back on track. A lot of current and former players have expressed their support in recent weeks, with the latest being Borja Mayoral during an interview with Marca (via MD). He recounted his memories of the Portuguese, starting with the positives.

“What I liked the most, above all, was training. They were very competitive and a lot of fun. Although my situation was not ideal, I really enjoyed training with him. Over time I was even surprised. From the conversations we had and some things he said to me before certain games, I felt that he valued my work. I remember that on one occasion he told me that I deserved to have played much earlier and he also spoke very highly of me in a press conference. That sticks with me. He was a close person. With Gonzalo Villar, Carles Pérez and the Spaniards he talked a lot about his time at Real Madrid. As I have always been very curious, I took the opportunity to ask him many things about his time at Madrid.”

Mayoral: Mourinho didn’t know how to lose

However, there were also negatives that Mayoral remembers, such as Mourinho’s inability to take defeat well.

“Maybe he didn’t really know how to lose, he made comments within the dressing room that I didn’t like. Not only towards me, but also towards other colleagues. I understand that he is a very competitive person and that in the heat we can all say things, but I believe that respect for people should always be above all else.”