Thibaut Courtois says José Mourinho is calmer than he was at Chelsea, but still gives Real Madrid the authority they need. The goalkeeper also revealed that he ignored Mourinho’s message for two weeks before replying. Their reunion at the Santiago Bernabéu this summer came after they first worked together at Chelsea.

Courtois on Mourinho's evolution

Courtois’s view is less about nostalgia than change. Speaking to Madrid Universal, he said Mourinho is still demanding, but “compared to my recollection from 12 years ago, I think he’s slightly less intense.”

He added that the manager’s personality has not really shifted, only the edge around it. “His personality is still the same, and his presence is the same,” Courtois said. “He can make his presence felt throughout the room. You walk into a room, and as long as he’s there, you can feel his presence. I think that’s exactly what we need.”

Courtois also said: “It’s great, really great, I’m very happy. When he left Chelsea, we parted on good terms. It’s always good to work with him again; he’s an excellent coach.”

Madrid’s defensive run

The timing fits Madrid’s recent results. They have won all eight matches between the October and November international breaks, kept three clean sheets in their last five La Liga games and won 10 of 12 league matches this season.

Mourinho has made the defensive message explicit. “We won’t win titles if we don’t keep clean sheets. It’s not only about scoring goals,” he said. Madrid’s numbers under that message are hard to argue with: they are second in La Liga, while Courtois’s own league rating this season stands at 6.99.

The same pattern shows in Europe too. Madrid are second in their Champions League group and have a perfect 4-0 record, with Courtois rated 6.88 in the competition. Jude Bellingham also drew praise from the goalkeeper, who said he has “a very high opinion” of him and called him “an excellent player.”

The major dispute around Mourinho’s reported exit detail is not the point here. Courtois’s comments land more cleanly on the football itself, and on a Madrid side that is winning while conceding less. Madrid host their next league fixture after this run with the clean-sheet brief already clear.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →