\u201cMourinho wanted someone who was charismatic and had a strong presence in the dressing room,\u201d says a source with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment, like all those cited here.<\/p>\n
Khedira won seven titles in his five years at the Bernabeu \u2014 including a La Liga title, the 2013-14 Champions League and two Copas del Rey \u2014 appearing in 161 competitive matches. He was a regular during Mourinho\u2019s three seasons in charge. One player from that time recalls his \u201ccool demeanour\u201d, adding that he \u201calready possessed that leadership quality of giving instructions and organising the team\u201d.<\/p>\n
The midfielder was one of those players who showed extra commitment to improving his game, and who was especially attentive to analysis sessions and opposition reports at a time when this was not as widespread as it is now. A source close to Mourinho says the coach admired the former Germany international\u2019s \u201cstrong character and will to win\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\n Sami Khedira played under Jose Mourinho during his first spell at Real Madrid (David R. Anchuelo\/Real Madrid via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The role he has now at Madrid is his first in coaching. In a 2024 interview with AS<\/a>, Khedira said that despite obtaining his coaching licence, he saw himself as being better suited to a football administration role \u201cdeveloping long-term strategies within a club or federation\u201d. But sources close to him say that \u201cwith this combination \u2014 Jose and Real Madrid \u2014 you cannot say no. He didn\u2019t think about it for a second\u201d.<\/p>\n Mourinho brought other assistant coaches with him from his previous job at Benfica, including Joao Tralhao and Pedro Machado. Khedira has a support role, playing an active part in organising drills and developing training sessions.<\/p>\n But he has other responsibilities that are focused on improving the group dynamic and standards within the team.<\/p>\n Khedira is fully aware of the demands placed on Madrid players, which he spoke about in an interview with German outlet Kicker in 2017, as his Juventus team prepared to face the Spanish club in the Champions League final (which Madrid won 4-1).<\/p>\n \u201cAt Madrid, the managers appreciated me and treated me 100 per cent fairly, but in the public eye I never got that recognition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I played 10 good matches, that was to be expected, but if the 11th wasn\u2019t so good, the criticism came straight away and people started questioning whether I was good enough for Madrid. It really got on your nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n At his first pre-match press conference of the new season on August 21 (which served as an unofficial introduction for Mourinho, given no presentation was held<\/a> \u2014 despite Madrid\u2019s longstanding tradition of doing so), Mourinho said Khedira was \u201ca great asset to his team\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cHe\u2019s a good link with the players; he\u2019s played here before and knows the mentality. He has the relationship \u2014 I wouldn\u2019t say a \u2018good\u2019 one, but the relationship an assistant needs to have with the players.\u201d<\/p>\n A Madrid first-team player, meanwhile, told The Athletic: \u201cTraining sessions are led more by the coach, but Sami prepares a lot of things, gives his opinion and is highly respected by everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Other voices close to the players described Khedira as \u201can advisor\u201d to the team, with one adding: \u201cWhen he needs to show character, he does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs he\u2019s still in good physical shape, he takes part in some drills, and some players joke with him, saying he could still play for the team,\u201d said a source familiar with Madrid\u2019s training sessions.<\/p>\n \n Sami Khedira, right, with the rest of Jose Mourinho\u2019s coaching staff (Antonio Villalba\/Real Madrid via Getty Images)<\/p>\n After leaving Madrid, Khedira moved to Juventus, where he spent five and a half seasons before retiring at the end of 2020-21 at Hertha Berlin. He did not cross paths with his former coach, but the two kept in touch \u2014 and Khedira has often shown his affection for Madrid and Mourinho on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n Following his retirement, Khedira spent several years working as a pundit and commentator in Germany. At that press conference on August 21, Mourinho said Khedira told him in their call during the World Cup that he would be ready to start the very next day at Madrid, if he were needed, despite being at the tournament in North America in an official capacity with FIFA.<\/p>\n Khedira began work at Madrid in early July. Players who did not participate in the World Cup were due back on July 13, with others returning later, depending on how far their national teams had progressed at the tournament.<\/p>\n With Khedira, Mourinho has brought back a role he was the first to introduce. When he arrived in 2010, former Madrid defender Aitor Karanka, now the Spanish football federation\u2019s technical director of development, joined his staff.<\/p>\n This continued after Carlo Ancelotti\u2019s arrival in 2013. The Italian was assisted by Zinedine Zidane in his first season and another of the club\u2019s legendary former players, Fernando Hierro, in his second.<\/p>\n In an interview with Marca in 2021, Khedira said he thought it was a joke when he was told Mourinho wanted to call him after the 2010 World Cup. He described Mourinho as \u201cthe best thing that ever happened to me\u201d.<\/p>\n Now, after the 2026 World Cup, they are back together again.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2285510161-scaled.jpg\")
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