Portuguese coach José Mourinho once again faced the press without saying a word after Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal, in which the referee was involved in controversy and Vinícius was sent off. By not appearing in the press room, the coach resumed a practice that has accompanied him throughout his career: deliberate silence before the media when he believes that his statements could lead to sanctions or generate unnecessary controversy.
Throughout his career, Mourinho has alternated long press conferences with moments of total silence. From his first spell at Real Madrid, when in 2011 he let his assistant Aitor Karanka attend to journalists, to his second spell at Chelsea, where in 2013 he finished a press conference before a Champions League match, the whistle has been a communication tool. At Manchester United in 2018, the coach raised three fingers and exclaimed “respect” before leaving the room after a resounding defeat. In Rome and during his time in Italy, silence was manifested before matches against Inter Milan and Milan, and also after a defeat against Galatasaray in Turkey.
The last occasion of silence occurred on September 1, 2023, when Roma lost 1-2 against Milan and Mourinho chose not to address the media after a controversial referee decision. In September 2024, after losing 1‑3 against Galatasaray, the coach explained that he had waited 70 minutes while rival Okan Buruk showed up, and decided to leave due to the delay. “In my 24 years of career I have never run away from a press conference, especially after a defeat,” he said, emphasizing that his silence is not an evasion but a strategic choice.
In the current context, Real Madrid remains at the top of the LaLiga table, with the victory over Villarreal consolidating its position and highlighting Mourinho's ability to control the team's narrative without the need for words. The next phase of the Champions League and the next rounds of the league will test both the coach's tactics and his relationship with the media, but for now silence remains his most effective form of communication.