José Mourinho has warned his Real Madrid players that trust is non-negotiable, as he emphasised the importance of trust between players and coach in his bid to build a new winning team for the Spanish side. Mourinho, who returned to the Santiago Bernabéu this summer 13 years after his first spell in charge, made the remarks while discussing his managerial philosophy and stating the “non-negotiable” rules for his squad to follow.
“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,” Mourinho told the Bet It Drives Show, as reported by ESPN. The veteran manager, known for his strict approach, also outlined the rules he expects his players to follow, insisting that even the club’s biggest stars must be disciplined. “There are rules that are not negotiable,” Mourinho said.
“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.” Mourinho said being a professional footballer extends beyond what happens on the pitch, stressing that players must make sacrifices if they want to reach the highest level.
“You are a football player 24 hours a day,” he said. “Everything reflects the job. What you eat, what you drink, how you sleep, even things in your private life. You cannot ski. You cannot ride a bike.” “You fall off your bike, and you don’t play three matches maybe, or maybe worse, maybe you break a leg … There are a lot of things that you have to give up to be a football player.
“If you feel it’s a hobby, you’re dead. There’s always a relationship between what you achieve and