Jose Mourinho handed first defeat of second Real Madrid spell by ex-Tottenham player he gave debut to

Sep 5, 2026 - 00:30
Jose Mourinho handed first defeat of second Real Madrid spell by ex-Tottenham player he gave debut to

Troy Parrott came back to haunt Jose Mourinho seven years after the Portuguese manager gave the striker his Premier League debut.

In 2019, Parrott was introduced for his top-flight Tottenham Hotspur bow during a 5-0 win over Burnley.

Troy Parrott of Real Betis Balompie celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Spanish league, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Real Betis and Real Madrid at La Cartuja stadium on September 4, 2026, in Sevilla
Parrott has enjoyed a brilliant last year or so
Getty

At the time, he was 17, and Mourinho, after the game, gave him the match ball and hugged the forward.

But he came back to haunt Mourinho on Friday evening as Betis shocked Los Blancos.

Parrott came off the bench to score in the 81st minute as Betis beat Real Madrid at home.

The 24-year-old is a recent arrival from AZ Alkmaar, and this was his first goal for his new club.

He had only been on the pitch for four minutes, and the goal came from a corner.

The ball was swung into the box, and the initial header was saved by Thibaut Courtois, but there was Parrott to tap home.

Real Madrid had a late equaliser ruled out, and Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty, but it was the man who Mourinho saw some talent in all those years ago who scored the winner.

Parrott haunts Mourinho

Despite giving him his Premier League debut, Mourinho was soon demanding more from Parrott.

Speaking in 2020 about Parrott playing in the Under-21s, he said: “I was so happy with the way he performed, and I’m not speaking about his goal. I told him before the game: ‘Every time you play with the kids of your age, you have to show your colleagues why you are the privileged one.’

Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (L) chats with Tottenham Hotspur's Irish striker Troy Parrott (C)
Parrott was handed his senior Spurs debut by Mourinho
AFP

“Because it was something he was not doing. Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, ‘I shouldn’t be here’ or, ‘I am too good to be here.’

“I had exactly the same words with Scott McTominay. He was not loved in his age group because he was not there with the right frame of mind. The moment we started changing that lots of things started changing for him.

“Troy cannot go there [the under‑age teams] with discontent, contempt. It is a process. So everything goes very, very well.

“But this is a world where lots of people don’t even know if Troy has long hair or short hair, or is blond or is dark.

“They don’t even know that, and they speak about Troy, Troy, Troy. There was a guy behind me on the bench the other day: ‘Play Troy, play Troy.’ I don’t think he knows Troy.”

In the end, they both departed the club, with Parrott thriving in the Netherlands after some unsuccessful loan spells in the UK.

Troy Parrott celebrates his winning goal for Real Betis against Real Madrid in LaLiga
Parrott is off the mark for Betis
Getty

Mourinho reacts to Real Madrid defeat

After the game, Mourinho couldn’t believe that his side didn’t win.

He said: “We did a great job tonight. We were very good, unbelievable offensive work, so many chances created, the CBs were imperious. We did a great job.

“Sometimes you lose, and you don’t even know why. There’s no explanation.

“Tonight was all Madrid. We shouldn’t even be happy with a draw tonight; this should’ve been a win.

“We were completely dominant. So many shots on target, so many chances created; it’s a shame.

“I don’t know why we lost tonight. I genuinely don’t. We played so well, so well.

“The players’ attitude was fantastic, and we did everything to win. Congrats to Betis; they won the lottery.”

 Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, talks to the team during the Spanish league, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Real Betis and Real Madrid at La Cartuja stadium on September 4, 2026, in Sevilla
Mourinho has suffered his first defeat as Real Madrid boss in his second tenure
Getty

The statistics show that Real Madrid racked up an xG of 3.16 with eight shots on target.

Alvaro Valles enjoyed a stunning game, including a penalty save very late on.

However, it was controversial as there was a Betis player encroaching in the area.

Before that, Carlos Espí had a goal chalked off; Barcelona now have the chance to go three points clear at the top of the table when they play Valencia on Sunday.

What's Your Reaction?

Like Like 0
Dislike Dislike 0
Love Love 0
Funny Funny 0
Angry Angry 0
Sad Sad 0
Wow Wow 0