Mourinho 'surprised' by Inter's Champions League drought, blames 'an Italian' for fixture list
Quick summary
José Mourinho expressed surprise at Inter Milan's long UEFA Champions League title drought and blamed fixture scheduling for damaging Italian clubs' European hopes.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceReal Madrid coach José Mourinho is ‘surprised’ that Inter have not won the Champions League in recent years and hints that he’s not quite happy with the Merengues’ match schedule: ‘Maybe the person who made the fixture list was Italian.’
Mourinho spoke to reporters on Monday, the eve of a Champions League match against his former club, Inter.
The Portuguese tactician first released an interview to Sky Sport Italia and then sat down in front of reporters for a classic pre-match press conference.
“Inter have been a great team for six years,” Mou told Sky via Gazzetta.
“From Conte to Inzaghi and Chivu, the game model is the same. It’s a team that can play with its eyes closed. The only surprise in recent years is that he has never won the Champions League.”
Lautaro Martinez scored a brace for Inter in their 3-2 win over Napoli on Saturday.
“It is important to have strong play and always put them in the best conditions to do well,” Mourinho said.
“Mbappé and Lautaro are two different but equally important players for their teams. Tomorrow we will have three suspended players, but on the pitch it will always be 11 against 11. Maybe the person who made the fixture list was Italian.”
SEVILLE, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 04: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid takes a penalty kick which was saved by Alvaro Valles of Real Betis Balompie during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 04, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) During his pre-match press conference, Mourinho was asked whether he has a good relationship with Inter coach Cristian Chivu, one of his ex-players at the Stadio Meazza.
“He’s been my player; we’ve worked together,” he replied, via Marca.
“We went through so much together, good and bad. Who did you talk to to find out if I have a bad relationship with him? With whom?”
Real Madrid lost their most recent league game away at Real Betis.
“I want to win [tomorrow]. I can tell you that I want to play well, but I don’t want to play well as we did against Real Betis and then lose,” Mourinho said.
KLAGENFURT, AUSTRIA – AUGUST 01: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid, speaks with Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid during the pre-season friendly match between Real Madrid and Fiorentina at Woerthersee Stadion on August 01, 2026 in Klagenfurt, Austria. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images) “We are in a phase where we’ll play eight games, and the goal is to qualify [for the next phase]. I want to focus on this single game.”
How did Real Madrid players react to their first season loss?
“I saw them the way I wanted to see them. Dead in the dressing room in Sevilla, and then ready for the training session on Sunday,” Mou said.
“We are convinced we had a good game. The goals we missed are not customary. We have well-known problems, but this is it. We’ll play to compete.
“I’m the Real Madrid coach, and we have a very important Champions League game tomorrow. I think we will both qualify, and it is possible to be in both in the future. Every point is important. Inter come here to seek points.”
Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga are suspended tomorrow, so Mourinho was asked whether Trent Alexander-Arnold can play in central midfield against Inter.
“I’m not going to comment on it. Sorry,” Mourinho said.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – AUGUST 8: Endrick of Real Madrid during the match between Ferencvarosi TC and Real Madrid at Groupama Arena on August 8, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images) “I could talk and do a lot of rounds. The three [Bernardo, Camavinga, and Güler] won’t be there. The algorithm has decided. The question is obvious; I expected it. But there we are. We have five options, and we can talk about all of them, but in the end I’m not going to say anything.”
Endrick is expected to be available, but is far from his best shape.
“He’s prepared to play five or ten minutes maximum,” Mourinho concluded.
“Yesterday, he trained for the first time with the rest of the team, and he hasn’t played since Budapest. He’s not in shape for more, but we have space on the bench. He’ll play in attack, not as a left wing-back or in central midfield. He’ll play on the left or right wing, as a No.9 or No.10.”
READ MORE: Video: Inter star Dimarco trains with knee bandage before Real Madrid clash
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What happened
Speaking to the press, José Mourinho questioned why Inter Milan have not won the UEFA Champions League since 2010, calling the drought surprising for a club of their stature. He also criticised the Italian fixture calendar, blaming 'an Italian' figure for a schedule that he says disadvantages Serie A clubs in European competition. Mourinho's comments touch on both Inter's underperformance at the top level of European football and the structural challenges Italian clubs face in balancing domestic and continental commitments.
Chance analysis
Mourinho's remarks highlight two persistent storylines in Italian football: Inter's failure to convert domestic dominance into Champions League success, and the fixture congestion that has long haunted Serie A clubs on European nights. The fixture-list complaint is a familiar refrain from Italian managers, and Mourinho's pointed blame on a domestic decision-maker adds political weight to the debate. For Inter, the underlying message is uncomfortable — a serial Scudetto contender is still measured against continental benchmarks they have not met in over a decade.
No direct impact on Inter or upcoming matches, but the comments reinforce scrutiny on Inter's Champions League credentials and Serie A's scheduling disadvantages.