Jose Mourinho insists that trust between player and manager is key to getting the best out of a team as he looks to get Real Madrid back to the top of their game.

Mourinho returned to the Bernabeu after a 13-year absence and has made a strong start so far, losing just two of his eight matches in charge (W6).

Despite that, Madrid sit six points behind runaway leaders Barcelona, who have a 100% record so far, and went into the break on the back of a controversial 2-1 loss to derby rivals Atletico Madrid.

Mourinho is tasked with bringing some silverware back to Los Blancos, after they failed to get their hands on a single trophy last season and also struggled domestically in 2024-25.

"Don't betray me," Mourinho told the Bet It Drives Show when asked about trust and management.

"When I say don't betray me, of course, I'm speaking about football. Don't betray me, and I'll always be there for you.

"There are rules that are not negotiable. If you report at 9 a.m., it's 9 a.m. for everybody. If you arrive at 9.15, even if you're a superstar, you just can't. I don't accept it.

"But another thing is giving them freedom to express themselves."

 

 

 

 

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Madrid started last season with Xabi Alonso at the helm, but he was sacked in January and replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.

He then left his post at the end of 2025-26, with Madrid opting to turn to a more familiar figure to try and stop Barcelona's dominance.

During his first spell between 2010 and 2013, he won one LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.

"After two seasons where the biggest club in the world didn't have the best results and a little 'divorce' with the fans, the club contacted me," he said.

"They told me 'We know you. You know us. You know the club, you know the culture.

"We need you. We need you to rebuild. We need you to start again an amazing decade that the club had. We need a person with your profile'."