New Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has joked that he hopes his players leave the FIFA World Cup early – not out of disappointment, but because he wants them back in training as soon as possible.
During his appearance on the Beast Mode podcast with Abedaya Akinfenwa, Mourinho was asked what he was most looking forward to in the ongoing tournament. The Portuguese coach replied with a laugh: “You want the truth? I want the Real Madrid players to lose and go on vacation. Because I want the guys back in preparation for the new season.”
Jose is set to take charge of Real Madrid in July, immediately after the FIFA World Cup. Several stars of the club are currently representing their countries in the tournament, including Kylian Mbappe (France), Vinicius Junior (Brazil), Jude Bellingham (England), Antonio Rudiger (Germany), Aurelien Tchouameni (France), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), Federico Valverde (Uruguay), Endrick (Brazil), David Alaba (Austria) and Arda.
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During the conversation, Mourinho admitted that he hasn’t been watching every FIFA World Cup match, saying he plans to focus more on the action once the knockout stages begin.
“Some matches, after ten minutes, I turn off the TV. I don’t like emotions. For me, the World Cup is a high peak. I know socially it means a lot for every country. It means that the world breathes soccer. One thing is the social side. And the other is the soccer side. Scores like 7-1 and 5-1 should not be possible,” he said at the World Cup.
While talking about the teams he believes can go far, Mourinho mentioned Portugal and England as teams capable of reaching the finals.
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