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Real Madrid News Jose Mourinho imposes strict new rules at Real Madrid with harsh fines – report Jose Mourinho has wasted little time imposing his methods at Real Madrid, with the Portuguese manager introducing strict rules around punctuality, training, recovery and nutrition. According to Jose Felix Diaz, as relayed by Defensa Central, Mourinho has made discipline a central part of his approach since taking charge. The manager believes changes to the team’s daily routine are necessary to create the work ethic he expects from a Real Madrid squad. One of the clearest examples is his approach to lateness, as Mourinho has abandoned the relatively small financial penalties previously used for players arriving late to training. Instead, the consequences now directly affect a player’s footballing involvement. Mourinho takes a harder line on training and recovery As such, any Real Madrid player who arrives late to training outside the permitted arrival time will be punished by being sent to the gym rather than joining the main session. Furthermore, the player will also miss the following match. “Mourinho has eliminated the €200 or €300 fines for being late to training because he considers them ridiculous for people who earn millions,” Diaz explained. The manager has also changed expectations surrounding injured players, as recovery is no longer something players will manage independently away from the club whenever they choose. “The days of getting injured and recovering wherever you please are over, and if you need to continue your recovery in the afternoon, you work at Valdebebas,” explains the senior journalist Furthermore, nutrition has come under similar scrutiny. Rather than players deciding what they want to eat, Mourinho has placed greater emphasis on following the club’s nutritional instructions. “The days when the nutritionist was at the players’ service are also over; now it’s the other way around. “They no longer eat what they want, but what they are told,” Diaz said. Real Madrid squad responds positively to Mourinho So far, Mourinho’s methods appear to have been well received inside the dressing room. The Real Madrid squad is convinced that the manager’s demands and tactical ideas are positive, with the majority responding by giving maximum effort during training and matches. That reaction will be particularly encouraging for Mourinho, as his objective is not only to introduce rules for the sake of discipline, but to establish habits that can change the team’s mentality. Fortunately, the early signs have pleased him, both at Valdebebas and during the matches. Real Madrid News Real Madrid poised for a financial boost on deadline day as ex-player closes in on Benfica move The transfer deadline day is finally here, but for Real Madrid, who have been quite active all throughout summer, are largely expected to remain unbothered. The club are handling only one or two deals on the departures’ side, with Manuel Angel soon expected to close his move to Fulham. That said, Real Madrid would be keeping an eye on one deal that might lead to a slight economic boost on the deadline day. Sergio Arribas closes in Benfica switch As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid will be keeping a close eye on Sergio Arribas today. The former Real Madrid youth player, who currently plays for Almeria, is reportedly closing in on a move to SL Benfica. With 25 goals and seven assists in La Liga 2 last season, Arribas has impressed greatly at Almeria and Benfica are keen on acquiring his services. The player hasn’t trained with the team, sparking rumours of a late departure. He does have a release clause worth €40 million, which makes the saga even more interesting. Real Madrid’s stake in the Arribas deal Real Madrid will be watching the saga closely as the club currently hold 50% of the player’s transfer rights. That means the club are entitled to half the proceeds of Arribas’ potential transfer value. With Arribas having a €40 million release clause, Real Madrid would ideally be hoping for a €20 million windfall. However, Benfica have no desire to match his release clause. The Portuguese giants are expected to negotiate and try lowering the overall deal value, which does also translate to a lower fee for Real Madrid. Almeria are expected to contest it and negotiate hard, knowing the club can only obtain half of the agreed deal value. So it will be interesting to see how things unfold as Benfica make a late attempt to sign one of La Liga 2’s most exciting players.