One sentence from Marc Cucurella captured just how much Real Madrid have changed under Jose Mourinho, back at the Santiago Bernabeu for a second spell. The Portuguese, he revealed, has held up his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo as the standard every player in the squad must follow.
Cucurella has returned to Spain after five years in England, arriving from Chelsea for 55 million euros. The Catalan full-back landed at the Bernabeu having won the Club World Cup with the Blues in the summer of 2025 and the World Cup with Spain, making him one of the standout signings in a revolutionary window that also delivered Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande.
Speaking in a special interview with the club's official channel "RMTV" after joining training at Valdebebas, Cucurella said: "Mourinho wants us to train the way Cristiano Ronaldo trains. In fact, he takes him as a reference for what a Real Madrid player should be."
The 27-year-old added: "Mourinho instilled a lot of confidence and reassurance in me. He told us on the pitch that we have to play what we are good at and to enjoy it, and to do what we all want, which is to win and achieve a great season."
None of this comes as a surprise. Ronaldo left an indelible mark at the club as its all-time top scorer, and he is also Mourinho's compatriot. The coach sees him as the ideal model of the professional mentality he wants to instil in a dressing room fractured by two seasons without trophies.
Pride poured out of Cucurella at the thought of wearing the white shirt. "It is a great honour. I do not think many people can say they have worn this shirt. We have seen great legends here. It is the biggest club in Europe, and being here today is a reward for all the effort I have put in throughout my career," he said.
Real Madrid now turn to their opening league match against Espanyol. A strong start would go some way to easing the disappointment of fans after the collapse of the Rodri deal, with the midfielder choosing Barcelona instead. Florentino Perez, meanwhile, has handed Mourinho the task of halting Barca's advance with the very strategy he used a decade ago.