Mourinho brings back the ‘bunker’ ahead of the trip to Rome

Mou is bringing back his “bunker”: before Real Madrid’s trip to the Italian capital on Tuesday, the team will prepare for the match at Valdebebas, following a method associated with José Mourinho. The club is returning to a practice Mourinho introduced for the Champions League, one that could become the norm this season.

In European football, visiting teams often train at the stadium where they are due to play. Mourinho was the first to break with that custom at Real Madrid. His successors later dropped the practice, before Álvaro Arbeloa returned the club to the traditional routine, including for the trip to Estádio da Luz.

Mourinho, however, has not always followed that rule. Last season, while in charge of Benfica, he trained at the opponents’ stadium on visits to Real Madrid and Chelsea. For Benfica’s other European trips, the team instead prepared for matches at Seixal, in keeping with that philosophy.

Back at Real Madrid, Mourinho is restoring that approach. The team will train at Valdebebas before travelling to Rome, preparing at its own training ground rather than at the match venue.