Tensions are escalating between José Mourinho and the Real Madrid board after the club failed to deliver on several of his primary summer transfer targets—most notably Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernández.
According to Spanish journalist Ignacio Sánchez, the Portuguese manager expressed furious resentment to his inner circle, describing the collapse of the Rodri deal as “the biggest embarrassment a board of directors has suffered” throughout his managerial career.
Mourinho’s frustration dates back to the pursuit of Morten Hjulmand. The Portuguese coach explicitly requested the Danish midfielder immediately upon his return to Real Madrid, only to watch Hjulmand sign with cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid on a contract running through 2031.
Following the Hjulmand setback, Mourinho was assured for two weeks that Rodri’s transfer to the Santiago Bernabéu was essentially a done deal—before the Manchester City star suddenly pivoted to choose Barcelona, reaching a full agreement on personal terms with the Catalan rivals.
The managerial friction extends beyond the midfield. Since his first week in charge, Mourinho has demanded an elite, proven central defender. Instead, the board signed Ibrahima Konaté—a move Mourinho neither requested nor considers up to his tactical standards, according to Sánchez.
Sánchez added that Mourinho’s disappointment is profound and the tension within the club is palpable. Consequently, the manager requested to postpone his official press presentation to avoid either masking his anger or defending transfer decisions he does not support.
While these developments do not indicate that Mourinho is considering a resignation, they expose the first major internal crisis of his second spell at the club, arriving just before the start of the new season without the signings he deemed vital for his sporting project.
