Antonio Pintus will remain as Real Madrid’s physical trainer under José Mourinho, according to reports in the Spanish press relayed by Managing Madrid, with the club’s board having pushed to keep him in place despite the new head coach reportedly wanting his own appointment in the role.
Board Overrules Mourinho on Physical Trainer
Pintus made his return to the club after Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso last winter, and the board moved to retain him when Mourinho came in. The Portuguese coach appears to have had little say in the matter – the club hierarchy simply decided Pintus would stay, and that was that.
The outcome is rather different for goalkeeper trainer Luis Llopis. Mourinho did get his way there, appointing his own person for the role, though Llopis will remain at the club in a different capacity rather than being shown the door entirely, per the same reports.
A Pattern of Compromise Taking Shape
The Pintus situation points to a broader dynamic in how this Madrid project is being assembled. Mourinho has been given room to reshape certain parts of his backroom – installing his preferred goalkeeping coach – but the board has drawn a clear line at the physical preparation role, which Pintus has occupied with considerable institutional weight since his return to the club.
It is worth noting that these are reports from the Spanish press rather than any official club communication, so the finer details of how the arrangement was negotiated remain unconfirmed. What is clear is that Pintus and Mourinho will be working alongside each other next season, whether or not that was Mourinho’s first preference.
What to Watch Next
The identity of Mourinho’s chosen goalkeeper coach has not yet been confirmed, and the rest of the backroom picture is still coming into focus. How Mourinho’s training methods integrate with Pintus’ established conditioning approach will be one of the more quietly significant subplots of the early weeks, particularly given the broader rebuild Mourinho is steering at the club.
