Raul Asencio's Future at Real Madrid Under Mourinho's Watch

Raul Asencio is fighting for his Real Madrid future. Not with a spectacular tackle or a last‑ditch block, but with a promise: to grow up, to own his mistakes, and to claw his way back under Jose Mourinho.

The 23-year-old defender has become one of the most problematic dossiers on Mourinho’s desk since the Portuguese coach made his shock return to the Bernabeu in June on a three-year deal. Vinicius Junior’s transfer saga with Arsenal dominated the headlines, but inside the club, another storm was brewing – and it had Asencio at the centre.

Drink-driving scandal explodes

On August 16, at around 6:30am in southern Gran Canaria, police stopped Asencio at a breathalyser checkpoint while he was driving a Porsche Macan GTS. The tests left little room for debate.

He failed both the initial and secondary breath tests.

Figures published by Spanish outlet Atlantico Hoy revealed readings of 0.90 and 0.88 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air – more than three times Spain’s legal limit of 0.25 mg/l. For a young defender already under scrutiny, it was a brutal, self-inflicted blow.

The response from the authorities was swift. Asencio was summoned to a fast-track trial and handed a €14,400 (£12,480) fine, calculated at €120 per day over four months. On top of that, he received an eight-month driving ban.

And the timing could hardly have been worse.

The drink-driving trial arrived just one day before Asencio was due in court for a separate legal case, this one relating to a sexually explicit video allegedly recorded in 2023 by three of his former Real Madrid youth academy teammates.

Another case, more damage

In that proceeding, Asencio is accused of showing explicit images of two female complainants to another person on his mobile phone. The video was allegedly recorded by others, but his role in sharing the content dragged him into yet another serious controversy.

He has since privately apologised to both women and paid them compensation. Reports say the complainants have forgiven him, but the stain on his reputation remains, and Real Madrid have been forced to confront what to do with a talented player who keeps creating problems off the pitch.

Madrid open disciplinary proceedings

Inside Valdebebas, patience has limits. According to Defensa Central, Asencio knows exactly how badly he has damaged his standing at the club. He also knows this may be his last chance.

Real Madrid have already opened internal disciplinary proceedings against him over the drink-driving conviction. The club will now decide how severe his punishment should be.

That could mean a financial penalty. It could also mean another form of internal sanction before he is fully reintegrated into the squad. Nothing is guaranteed, not even his place in the dressing room.

The trust he once enjoyed has eroded. Reports suggest that Madrid even considered selling him this summer, only for an injury to halt any serious movement in the market. For a player once viewed as part of the club’s future, that is a stark warning.

Mourinho’s verdict will be decisive

Into this mess walks Mourinho, a coach who has built a career on demanding absolute commitment and discipline. Asencio has reportedly held a personal meeting with him, promising to focus entirely on his career, to improve his football, and to leave his recent past behind.

Words are easy. Mourinho will want actions.

The path back is clear but steep: accept the club’s punishment, prove his professionalism every day in training, and show that the headlines from now on can be about his defending, not his decisions off the pitch.

Real Madrid will not forget the last few months quickly. The question is whether Raul Asencio can convince them that this is the turning point, not the beginning of the end.