Mourinho’s Return Sparks Excitement for Raul Asencio at Real Madrid
Raul Asencio leans into the noise of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and talks about something even louder in his life right now: the return of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid.
Engines scream around Montmelo, but the centre-back’s mind is already at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mourinho’s return lights a fire in Madrid
Asencio doesn’t hide it. Mourinho’s second coming has hit the dressing room with a jolt.
“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he told ElDesmarque, the words tumbling out with the enthusiasm of someone who grew up watching the Portuguese on the Madrid touchline.
He remembers that first era clearly. Not the trophies or the headlines, but the edge.
“I was little and I saw it, how the team changed, the competitiveness he introduced to the club, the passion and grit … I think those are characteristics that define me as a player.”
That is the hook for him. Mourinho as a mirror, not just a manager. A mentality that Madrid feel they have missed in a league where Barcelona have dictated the last two seasons.
Asencio knows exactly what is at stake. The title has been in Catalan hands for too long for Madrid tastes, and he sees Mourinho as the man to drag the club back into a bruising, relentless fight.
“I’m really excited to start with him at the helm. Yes, of course. He set the record, let’s go for it.”
There’s no hedging there. Just a defender ready to throw himself into a project that promises confrontation, intensity and a very clear target: reclaim La Liga.
Bernardo Silva talk adds to the buzz
As if Mourinho’s return were not enough, the transfer noise around Bernardo Silva has added another layer of intrigue to Madrid’s summer.
Reports in Spain suggest the Portuguese playmaker is close to the Bernabeu. Asencio chooses his words carefully, but the admiration is obvious.
“He’s very, very good, it would be a real boost for the team,” the academy graduate admitted.
For a defender, the idea of training every day against a player of Bernardo’s craft is not a threat. It’s a challenge. It raises standards. It changes training sessions. It changes games.
Asencio makes it clear the dressing room door is wide open to that kind of quality.
“We’ll welcome anyone that comes with open arms and we’re sure that the project being built is incredible.”
Mourinho on the bench, a potential Champions League winner in Bernardo Silva in the squad, and a young centre-back desperate to be part of a harder, sharper Madrid. The outlines of this “new project” are starting to take shape.
Watching La Roja from the outside
Away from the club swirl, there is the small matter of a World Cup. Spain head to the 2026 tournament with expectations, as always, pressed onto their shoulders. Asencio will not be there.
He has been in Luis de la Fuente’s plans before, called up but never quite cemented as a regular. This time, he watches like millions of others: from a distance, but not detached.
“From here, as a Spaniard and as an admirer, I support the team, I wish them the best, that they reach the final and can win and celebrate together.”
No bitterness. Just a clear desire to see La Roja go deep into the tournament.
Spain open against Cape Verde, debutants on this stage. Asencio is blunt about what he expects: a comfortable start, a statement win, the kind of opener that settles nerves and reminds everyone of Spain’s pedigree.
So his summer is split in two. One eye on the television, following his national team. The other fixed on Valdebebas and the Bernabeu, where Mourinho’s shadow is already stretching across the training pitches and the prospect of Bernardo Silva adds another spark.
Engines fade at Montmelo. For Raul Asencio, the real race is only just beginning.
