Mourinho’s Return Ignites Excitement for Raul Asencio
Raul Asencio can feel it coming.
The Real Madrid defender spent his Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, watching cars roar around Montmelo, but his mind kept drifting back to another kind of horsepower: Jose Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu and the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Bernardo Silva.
The engines were loud. His excitement was louder.
Mourinho’s return lights a fire
Speaking to ElDesmarque from the paddock, Asencio made no attempt to hide how much Mourinho’s comeback has energised him.
“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he said, the words tumbling out like a player itching for pre-season to arrive.
This isn’t just another coach passing through for Asencio. As a kid, he watched Mourinho’s first spell at Madrid reshape the club’s competitive 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 line matters. Passion. Grit. Competitiveness. They are the pillars Mourinho built his first Madrid on, and they are the qualities Asencio now wants to embody at the heart of the defence.
Real Madrid have watched Barcelona dominate La Liga for the past two seasons. Mourinho walks back into a league where the balance of power has tilted away from the Bernabeu. Asencio sees in that a challenge, not a problem.
“I’m really excited to start with him at the helm. Yes, of course. He set the record, let’s go for it.”
The reference is clear: the points record, the relentlessness, the siege mentality. Asencio sounds ready to buy into all of it.
Bernardo Silva on the horizon
The conversation quickly moved from the touchline to the transfer market. Reports in Spain have suggested Bernardo Silva is edging closer to a move to Real Madrid, and Asencio did nothing to cool the noise.
“He’s very, very good, it would be a real boost for the team,” the academy graduate said, choosing his words carefully but offering unfiltered admiration for the Portuguese international.
Bernardo would bring experience, control and creativity to a midfield already rich in talent. For a defender like Asencio, that kind of signing doesn’t just excite the fans; it changes the way you see the season ahead.
The message from the dressing room is clear: the door is open.
“We’ll welcome anyone that comes with open arms and we’re sure that the project being built is incredible.”
That “project” now carries Mourinho’s imprint and, potentially, another Portuguese star in its core. The rebuild at Madrid is starting to take shape, and the players can sense the scale of it.
Watching La Roja from the outside
Away from club football, Asencio will watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 from a distance. He is not part of Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad, despite previous call-ups, but his connection to La Roja remains strong.
“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 hope.
Spain open their campaign against World Cup debutants Cape Verde, a fixture Asencio expects his national team to handle comfortably. It is the kind of game that can set the tone for a tournament, and he will be watching like millions of others, waiting to see if this Spain side can grow into contenders.
For now, though, his main battlefield lies back in Madrid.
A new Mourinho era. A possible marquee signing in Bernardo Silva. A defender who grew up watching that intensity from afar now preparing to live it from the inside.
The engines in Montmelo have fallen silent. At the Bernabeu, they are only just starting to warm up.
