After having an experienced coach like Carlo Ancelotti, I expect José to stabilise the group and get everyone on the same page. He pushes you to bring out your best level as a player, he'll try to understand each player, and find whatever it takes to make them function. Sometimes that might mean putting pressure on someone in midfield, sometimes it might just be giving them a hug. He's been at Real Madrid before, so he understands the dynamics of the club and he knows how things work. He'll come up with a plan to make it work.

A mandate from the top

Mourinho's return to the Santiago Bernabéu is no accident. Club president Florentino Pérez has handed him a direct mandate to reinstate defensive discipline and restore authority in the dressing room — a response to two consecutive trophy-less seasons that left the club searching for answers.

Mourinho arrives with significant transfer authority and full control over squad decisions, tasked with delivering results without delay.

Win-now transfer strategy

To support that mission, Real Madrid have sharply redirected their recruitment approach. The club have moved away from signing long-term prospects, instead targeting proven, experienced players capable of contributing from the outset.

Whether that bold approach returns Los Blancos to the summit of European football — or ushers in the kind of turbulence that has at times defined Mourinho's managerial career — remains a matter of fierce debate among supporters.