Raul Asencio Excited for Mourinho's Return at Real Madrid

Raul Asencio can feel the wind changing at Real Madrid, and he likes it.

The young centre-back took a brief detour from pre-season thoughts to attend the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix at Montmelo, but even in the roar of Formula 1 engines, his mind kept drifting back to the Bernabeu, to Jose Mourinho, and to a possible new teammate named Bernardo Silva.

Mourinho’s return lights a fire

Speaking to Spanish media, Asencio made no effort to hide his excitement about Mourinho’s comeback and the new project taking shape in Madrid.

“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he said in an interview with ElDesmarque.

For Asencio, this is not just another coaching change. He grew up watching Mourinho’s first spell at the club, when the Portuguese coach dragged Madrid into an era defined by edge and intensity.

“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 blend of steel and ambition is exactly what Madrid need as they try to wrench La Liga back from Barcelona, who have dominated the last two seasons. Asencio is convinced Mourinho’s mentality can tilt the balance again.

“I’m really excited to start with him at the helm. Yes, of course. He set the record, let’s go for it.”

The message is clear: Mourinho’s standards are the bar, and the dressing room knows it.

Bernardo Silva on the radar

The conversation quickly moved from the dugout to the pitch. Specifically, to one of Europe’s most gifted midfielders.

Reports in Spain suggest Bernardo Silva has already agreed a move to Real Madrid, and while nothing is official, Asencio sounded like a man already picturing the Portuguese international in white.

“He’s very, very good, it would be a real boost for the team,” the academy graduate admitted.

No drama. No dressing it up. Just the blunt recognition that a player of Bernardo’s calibre would instantly raise the level of an already elite squad.

Asencio underlined that the door remains wide open for any player who can help Mourinho’s project take shape.

“We’ll welcome anyone that comes with open arms and we’re sure that the project being built is incredible.”

It is the kind of line that captures the mood around the club: confident, ambitious, and convinced something big is brewing.

Watching La Roja from afar

There is one stage Asencio will not step onto this summer: the World Cup with Spain.

He is not part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, despite previous call-ups that hinted at a possible long-term role. For now, he watches from a distance, but never indifferently.

“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.”

Spain open their campaign against tournament newcomers Cape Verde, a fixture Asencio expects La Roja to handle with authority. While his own path to the national team pauses, his backing does not.

So Asencio waits. For Mourinho’s first team talk. For clarity on Bernardo Silva’s future. For Spain’s World Cup journey to unfold.

His own story at Real Madrid is only just beginning, and he clearly intends to live it at Mourinho’s tempo.