Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifiers have suffered another setback following an injury to striker Paul Onuachu, with Victor Osimhen already sidelined.

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Jose Mourinho has dismissed the idea that he carries a Champions League debt from his first spell at Real Madrid as he prepares for his second stint’s European opener against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, Mourinho was asked whether he felt indebted to Real Madrid over failing to win the Champions League during his first tenure, with the Portuguese insisting his two spells should be treated separately.

“No, it is two different spells,” Mourinho said. “When I left in 2013, we won what we won and lost what we lost, and we gave it our all. And that was that. What I need to do now has nothing to do with the past.”

The Champions League remains the only major trophy Mourinho failed to win during his first Real Madrid spell between 2010 and 2013.

Reflecting on the club’s progress since then, he said: “Back in 2010, we weren’t even reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League and it had been ages since we’d played in a semi-final. Now we’ve won six Champions Leagues in a little over a decade.”

Mourinho’s return has already suffered its first setback, with Real Madrid losing 1-0 to Real Betis in LaLiga on Friday.

The Portuguese tactician acknowledged the club’s demand for immediate results but stressed the need for stability.

“We want to win every match, every competition,” he said. “But you have to work to accomplish stability. Stability. Stability … Structure.”

“So Real Madrid need to reach that stability that is so important to achieve something great. But Real Madrid are Real Madrid, you need to win here no matter what.”

Real Madrid, who have won the Champions League 15 times, will host Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in their opening European fixture.

Mourinho won the competition with Porto and Inter but could not deliver the trophy during his first Madrid tenure. He now returns to the competition with the club seeking its first Champions League title since 2024.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has defended his performances while rejecting comparisons between himself and Barcelona’s Raphinha and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé.

Nigeria’s Falconets begin their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign on Monday when they take on Spain in a highly anticipated Group F opener at the Arena Sosnowiec in Poland.

Belgium joins a growing list of national associations, including England and Italy, that have withdrawn their backing for Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March 2027.