José Mourinho has described Inter Milan as the best team in Italy despite his Real Madrid side defeating the Nerazzurri 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Mourinho made the assessment during his post-match press conference at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid secured three points in their opening Champions League fixture.
The Portuguese coach, who previously led Inter to an historic treble, praised the Italian club’s squad, ambitions and head coach Cristian Chivu.
Mourinho’s verdict came despite Real Madrid emerging victorious in a high-tempo encounter in which Inter created sustained pressure and enjoyed long periods of possession.
Mourinho said Inter remain clearly ahead of their domestic rivals and pointed to their recent European consistency as evidence of their strength.
He highlighted the club’s appearances in two Champions League finals over the last four or five seasons, describing the squad as strong enough to challenge for European football’s biggest prize.
The Real Madrid manager also singled out Chivu for praise, saying the Romanian coach has built a strong relationship with his players.
Mourinho’s assessment is particularly notable because he made it immediately after overcoming Inter in Madrid.
His comments also underline the gap between judging a team over one match and assessing its overall strength across a season.
Inter enter the 2026/27 campaign after another highly successful domestic season.
The Nerazzurri won the 2025/26 Serie A title, securing their 21st Italian league championship after beating Parma 2-0 at San Siro.
The club also won the Coppa Italia, completing a domestic double during Chivu’s first full season in charge. Serie A subsequently named Chivu its Coach of the Season, while Federico Dimarco received the league’s overall player award and Lautaro Martínez was recognised as its best forward.
Inter’s recent record includes:
- 21 Serie A titles.
- The 2025/26 Serie A championship.
- The 2025/26 Coppa Italia.
- Two Champions League final appearances in recent seasons.
- A squad Mourinho believes has the quality to compete for the Champions League.
Those achievements provide the context behind Mourinho’s strong assessment of the Italian side.
Although Mourinho praised Inter, his own team ultimately claimed the result.
Real Madrid defeated Inter 2-1 at the Bernabéu after Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde scored in the first half.
Inter responded through Carlos Augusto in the second half and continued to threaten an equaliser, but Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced important saves to preserve the victory.
Mourinho described the encounter as an unusually open contest and acknowledged that his team needed a major contribution from Courtois.
The result gives Real Madrid an important early advantage in the Champions League league phase, while Inter leave Spain without points despite a performance that earned significant praise from their opponent.
Mourinho’s comments carry additional significance because of his history with Inter.
The Portuguese manager guided the club to the 2009/10 treble, winning Serie A, the Coppa Italia and Champions League in the same season.
That experience gives Mourinho a particularly informed perspective on Inter’s football culture and expectations.
His latest comments also come at an important stage for Chivu, who is attempting to maintain Inter’s domestic dominance while pushing the club toward another deep Champions League run.
For Mourinho, however, Inter’s defeat in Madrid did not change his broader judgment.
Inter’s immediate objective will be to turn their strong performance in Madrid into points in subsequent Champions League fixtures.
Mourinho’s assessment suggests he sees the Italian champions as a serious European contender rather than simply a strong domestic side.
For Chivu, the challenge will be to convert that potential into another sustained Champions League campaign while defending Inter’s domestic crown.
Real Madrid have already demonstrated that Inter can be beaten, but Mourinho’s post-match verdict indicates that one defeat has not altered his view of the Nerazzurri’s standing in Italian football.
