Mourinho, Inter and Champions League: Can he deliver again at Real Madrid?

There are few more fitting opponents for Jose Mourinho's return to the Champions League as Real Madrid boss than Inter Milan.

Sixteen years ago, Mourinho stood in the Santiago Bernabeu and lifted the trophy after leading Inter to a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the 2010 final.

It was his second Champions League triumph, after Porto in 2004, and the final match of his Inter reign.

Days later, he was appointed Real Madrid manager for his first spell at the club.

Now, after an absence of more than a decade, Mourinho is back in the Bernabeu dugout and Inter are the visitors on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

For Real Madrid, the match provides the first test of whether the manager they returned to can lead them back to Champions League glory.

When Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid in 2010, the brief was clear. He needed to challenge Barcelona, to win La Liga and, above all, deliver the club's 10th European Cup.

He did win trophies. Real lifted the Copa del Rey in 2011 and La Liga in 2012, while Mourinho's side also reached three consecutive Champions League semi-finals.

But they could not get beyond that stage.

Real were beaten by Barcelona in 2011, Bayern Munich on penalties in 2012 and Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Mourinho eventually left in 2013 without delivering the Champions League trophy Real wanted.

But he is adamant his previous spell should not define what happens this time.

"At Real Madrid, I'm going through two different periods," Mourinho said. "I ended working for Real Madrid in 2013... This is a closed chapter. This match against Inter has nothing to do with the past."

Mourinho has returned to a club that endured what he described as a "very complicated season" and where stability is now essential.

"What I've found at Real Madrid is what I've always found here," he said. "The best club in the world.

"Obviously in the Bernabeu, I've won the Champions League, I've lost a Champions League semi-final through penalties, but I've had the best and the worst in this stadium.

"I'm not thinking about this. I think that I'm the coach of Real Madrid and a Champions League game is going to happen."

But he also acknowledged the club needs to rebuild a stable foundation after a difficult campaign.

"Real is Real and at Real Madrid, you have to win," Mourinho added.

That pressure is nothing new to him. His appeal to Real Madrid lies partly in his experience of managing elite dressing rooms and, crucially, knowing what it takes to win the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe offered a similar assessment when asked whether Mourinho had been brought in to restore authority.

"Mourinho brings his whole career," Mbappe said. "He is a guy who knows how to win, to have a group around him and he knows about giving motivation to the whole group."

Real's preparations before their first Champions League game of the season have not been perfect.

They lost to Real Betis at the weekend, a result Mourinho believes came despite a strong attacking performance.

"We lost because we have not been able to translate offensive production into goals," he said.

When asked about the loss, Mbappe was keen to not overreact. His injury-time penalty was saved by Real Betis keeper, Alvaro Valles.

"The most important thing is to score goals and that is my responsibility," he said. "We are very relaxed."

The French forward also rejected the idea that Real's two trophyless seasons should create an additional burden for the new Champions League season.

"My experience with Real Madrid says I shouldn't think too long-term because a lot can change," he said.

"I want to think how I can be ready now, to help my team to win the game against Inter Milan and to start the Champions League in a good way."

Mourinho's connection with Inter remains strong.

"I would love to see people from Inter before and after the game," he said.

"But during the game, they won't see me as a friend," he added. "I want Real Madrid to win. This is football's nature."

Mourinho does not believe the match will decide the campaign as there are seven more league-phase games to come, but he knows every point matters.

"Tomorrow is not especially important as it won't decide anything. We have seven games and I think us and Inter will qualify and we might meet again in the future," he said.

"But every point is important and I'm sure a top team like Inter is trying to get points. We will try to win, of course we will," he added.

As Mourinho left the press conference, an Italian journalist stood up and gifted him a small garden sprinkler, wrapped in a bow.

It was to represent the 2010 Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona.

Mourinho's Inter reached the final, despite losing the second leg at Camp Nou. After the final whistle, Mourinho ran on to the pitch to celebrate with his players, and the Camp Nou sprinklers were turned on while Inter were celebrating.

The image of Mourinho celebrating as the sprinklers sprayed across the pitch became iconic, a lasting symbol of his unforgettable 2010 triumph with Inter.

More than a decade on, it is clear the impact he left on the club is still held in high regard by Inter supporters and journalists.

Sixteen years after that triumph, the club that gave him his greatest European night is now the first obstacle in his attempt to create another one.