Madrid, Aug 18 (IANS) Jose Mourinho was officially presented as the new coach of former La Liga winner Real Madrid at a private ceremony at the club's Valdebebas training ground in Madrid on Tuesday.

Although Mourinho was confirmed for a second spell at the club at the start of the summer and has been leading training sessions since the start of preseason, he had not previously been formally presented by the club.

"This is like coming home," Mourinho said in comments published on the Real Madrid website, reports Xinhua.

The Portuguese coach's first spell between 2010 and 2013 saw the club win one La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, but he insisted his return was "even more special than the first time because then it was about reaching the top of the world, and now it's a more emotional and heartfelt experience."

"It's like a mission," he said. "It's not about being worried about myself or whether I'm going to earn a lot or a little. I'm here to help everyone be better: players, staff... To create a culture of work, responsibility, ambition, and something I know well, which is the responsibility and honour of working for Real Madrid."

"I'm one of you, I always have been, and you can imagine what it means to me to work for Real Madrid. This is a principle that everyone must follow: Work for Real Madrid," he concluded.

Real Madrid kicks off their new season at home to Espanyol on Saturday.

Mourinho takes over

With many of Real Madrid's first-team players, such as Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, still at the World Cup, Mourinho will not be able to train with the full squad for some time. However, he told Real Madrid TV that work had begun long before Monday's opening session. "It's not like I arrived here today and everything starts now. We've been working hard for a long time with the club's structure at different levels," he explained.

Mourinho returns to the club 13 years after leaving in June 2013 and said he was delighted to be back.

"This feels like a mission. It's not about worrying about myself or whether I'll win a lot or a little. I'm here to help everyone become better: players, staff, and to create a culture of work, responsibility, ambition, and responsibility."

"It's not about working at Real Madrid; it's about working for Real Madrid, and that is the spirit with which I am here."

"Obviously, I would like to have all the players here, but you have to look at it positively. It's about getting to know the boys I'll be working with and giving them the opportunity to get to know me," explained Mourinho, who will include several players from Real Madrid's B team, Real Madrid Castilla, in the early training sessions.

--IANS

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