Real Madrid became the primary beneficiary of the Spanish La Liga's individual awards for October: the league named Jose Mourinho as Coach of the Month and Kylian Mbappe as Player of the Month. Thus, both key awards for the reporting period went to the same club, underscoring the dominance of the 'Los Blancos' in the championship from late September to the end of October. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing official La Liga statements (primary source).
Coach of the Month: Mourinho Returns to the Elite
Jose Mourinho was recognized as the best La Liga coach for October. Under his guidance, Real Madrid secured three victories in three championship matches, with the success in the away El Clasico being particularly significant, as the Madrilenians beat Barcelona 2-1, handing the Catalans their first defeat of the current Primera season. In the other two rounds, 'Los Blancos' routed Villarreal (4-1) and narrowly edged out Sevilla (1-0). For the Portuguese specialist, this award is his first of the season and serves as confirmation that his return to Madrid has instantly shifted the balance of power in the championship.
Mbappe - Player of the Month
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who directly contributed to all three of the team's victories in the month, received the award for best player of October. The Frenchman scored twice against Sevilla and then secured a brace in the away El Clasico against Barcelona. In the voting for the player of the month, Mbappe surpassed Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Alex Grimaldo (Atletico), and Matias Dituro (Elche). In addition to Mourinho, the top three coaches of October included Pellegrino Matarazzo from Real Sociedad and Diego Simeone from Atletico.
El Clasico as a Turning Point
The key event of October was the away El Clasico in the 10th round at Camp Nou, which marked Mourinho's 18th Clasico as a manager and his sixth victory in the fixture. This success brought his personal record against Barcelona to a symbolic equilibrium — six wins, six draws, and six losses — while the Portuguese manager's unbeaten streak in the derby reached six matches. The victory ended Barcelona's nine-match winning streak in La Liga and reduced Real Madrid's gap behind the leaders. Notably, Andriy Lunin played in goal for Madrid, replacing the ailing Thibaut Courtois, and Mbappe's brace proved to be the decisive contribution to the 2-1 final score.
Table Position and What's Next
Following the October victories, Real Madrid holds second place in the Primera table with 30 points. Thus, Mourinho's team is not only maintaining its title challenge but has also significantly narrowed the gap to leaders Barcelona. In the next round, 'Los Blancos' will play at home against Celta Vigo; the match is scheduled for November 21. Previously, it was reported that in the chase for the 2026 Golden Boy award, Lamine Yamal yielded to his teammate, further highlighting the intense competition for individual honors in Spanish football.
