Mourinho left Madrid in 2013 but said he maintained a close relationship with the club, president and board before being approached again at the end of last season.
“They told me: ‘We know you, you know us; you know the club, the culture and the people. We know how you work. We want you to rebuild the team. We need you.’”
Mourinho admitted he had been settled at Benfica but could not turn down the opportunity to return to Madrid.
“I was happy at Benfica, happy in Portugal. I had left my country so many years ago that, when I returned to Benfica, I felt very comfortable. But Real Madrid is Real Madrid.”
The Portuguese also stressed that his ambitions for Madrid must remain realistic despite the club's expectations.
“I like to aim high, but always with my feet on the ground. One of the things I felt when working at some clubs was that things were not approached realistically.”
“There is talent, teamwork, ambition and empathy; however, you have to play with ambition, but with realistic ambition.”
Mourinho also explained his approach to managing players, saying communication and trust are central to his methods.
“I always like to maintain great communication with the players. Many times I tell them: ‘This is my idea for this match, this is my strategy, this is how I analyse it with my assistants, this is how we want to play.’”
“But more important than the way I want to play is what they feel. ‘Do you feel you can do this for me? Do you feel you can fulfil the tasks I give you? If not, give me your opinion.’”
The Real Madrid boss recalled advice from one of his university professors that has influenced his approach.
“As one of my good university professors used to say: ‘You don't train footballers, you train men.’ Then the man is a footballer, but first and foremost he is a man.”
Mourinho also warned players that football requires commitment away from the training ground.
“Football, deep down, is not a job, it is a way of life. If you consider it a hobby, you are finished.”
“You are a footballer 24 hours a day. Everything affects your work: what you eat when you are not at the club, what you drink, how you sleep and even aspects of your private life.”
The Portuguese believes some rules should never be broken, but he encourages players to trust their instincts during matches.
“If you have to arrive at nine o'clock, it is nine for everyone. If you arrive at 9:15, even if you are a superstar, you simply cannot do it.”
“But during the match, if a player — thanks to his talent, creativity or intuition — breaks the rule and takes a risk to try something different, I love that.”
Mourinho also has a particular definition of a genuine superstar.
“Those who I really call superstars never have a problem with ego, because those who create problems with their ego, for me, are not superstars.”