Raul Asencio Excited for Mourinho’s Return to Real Madrid
Raul Asencio’s eyes light up at the mention of Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid defender, taking a brief detour from football at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in Montmelo, could not hide his enthusiasm for what awaits him back in the capital.
He has seen this movie before – first as a boy, now as a protagonist.
Mourinho’s return, Asencio’s moment
Speaking to Spanish media, Asencio described Mourinho’s second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu as a project he cannot wait to step into.
“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he said, the anticipation clear.
Asencio grew up watching the Portuguese coach reshape Real Madrid, and those memories still drive him.
“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 crux of it. Mourinho’s edge, his obsession with duels and details, fits the profile of a centre-back who wants to impose himself, not just survive. For a defender trying to cement his place in a squad that has gone two seasons watching Barcelona rule La Liga, this is a chance to align his own identity with that of the new-old boss.
Asencio knows exactly what is at stake. Real Madrid want their title back. Mourinho, once again, is the man trusted to drag it out of Barcelona’s hands.
“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 obvious: the standards, the points tallies, the relentlessness of that first tenure. Asencio wants back in on that level of demand.
Bernardo Silva talk adds fuel to the project
The defender’s excitement does not stop at the touchline. Out on the transfer front, the name on everyone’s lips is Bernardo Silva.
Reports suggest the Portuguese playmaker is expected to join Real Madrid, and while nothing has been made official, Asencio’s verdict on the potential signing is emphatic.
“He’s very, very good, it would be a real boost for the team,” the academy graduate said.
No drama, no dressing it up. Just a simple assessment from a defender who knows what it is like to chase players of Bernardo’s calibre around a pitch. A player like that changes the rhythm of a side, the tempo of games, the mood in a dressing room.
Asencio stressed that the group is ready to embrace any elite arrival as the club builds around Mourinho’s blueprint for the new season.
“We’ll welcome anyone that comes with open arms and we’re sure that the project being built is incredible.”
There is a theme running through his words: belief. In the coach, in the recruitment, in the idea that Real Madrid are constructing something powerful again.
Watching La Roja from the outside
Away from club football, the conversation turned to the World Cup and Spain’s chances at the 2026 tournament. Asencio will not be there. He has been called up before by Luis de la Fuente but has yet to establish himself as a regular.
That does not cool his attachment to La Roja.
“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 fan’s voice wrapped in a professional’s perspective. He knows the level required, he knows how hard it is to break into that squad, and he knows what it would mean for the country if they go deep into the tournament.
Spain open their campaign against World Cup newcomers Cape Verde, and Asencio expects them to handle that assignment comfortably. The real tests will come later, but for now, he watches, he supports, and he waits for his own battles to resume.
Back in Madrid, a new season under Mourinho is drawing closer. A defender shaped by the first era now steps into the second, with the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Bernardo Silva and the weight of a club demanding its throne back.
The lights at Montmelo will go out. The lights at the Bernabeu are about to come on.
