Raul Asencio Excited for Mourinho's Return to Real Madrid

Raul Asencio can see it already.

The white shirt. The packed Bernabeu. And on the touchline, once again, Jose Mourinho – the man whose first spell at Real Madrid shaped the way an entire generation of young fans, and now players, saw the club.

The centre-back, one of the faces of Madrid’s new wave, spent his Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmelo, but his mind was clearly racing ahead to August. Between the roar of engines, he laid out his excitement about Mourinho’s return, the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Bernardo Silva, and his hopes for Spain at the 2026 World Cup.

“Those are characteristics that define me”

Speaking to ElDesmarque, Asencio didn’t bother to hide it: Mourinho’s comeback has lit a fire.

“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he said, the anticipation obvious.

Asencio grew up watching that first Mourinho era from the outside, a kid seeing Real Madrid morph into a snarling, relentless machine.

“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. Madrid are coming off two seasons in which Barcelona have owned La Liga. The title has slipped away twice. For Asencio, Mourinho’s edge is not a nostalgic throwback; it’s a weapon.

He sees the Portuguese coach as the figure who can drag Madrid back to the top of Spain.

“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: Mourinho’s 100-point league campaign still stands as a benchmark. Asencio wants that mentality back in the dressing room, and he wants to be part of the group that restores that domestic dominance.

Bernardo Silva on the horizon

The defender’s enthusiasm didn’t stop at the bench. It extended to the rumbling talk around one of Europe’s most gifted playmakers.

Reports have linked Bernardo Silva with a move to the Bernabeu, and while nothing is official, Asencio’s verdict on the Portuguese international was emphatic.

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

No frills, no caveats. Just the assessment of a player who knows exactly what it takes to elevate a squad already packed with talent.

For Asencio, the idea is simple: if Real Madrid want to reclaim everything, they need as much top-level quality as they can fit into that dressing room.

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

That word – “project” – keeps coming up around Madrid this summer. Mourinho in the dugout, potential marquee signings like Bernardo, a core of hungry younger players such as Asencio. It sounds less like a reset and more like a statement of intent.

Watching La Roja from afar

On the international stage, Asencio’s role is different. This time, he’s not on the pitch.

He is not part of Spain’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, despite previous call-ups from Luis de la Fuente. The defender remains on the fringes of La Roja for now, but there’s no bitterness in his voice when the national team comes up. Only pride.

“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 World Cup debutants Cape Verde, a fixture Asencio expects his country to handle with authority. It’s the kind of match that should set the tone, and he clearly believes Spain have the tools to go deep into the tournament.

So while he watches the World Cup from the outside, his eyes are already on the season that follows. On Mourinho’s first team talk. On the first challenge at the Bernabeu. On the possibility of lining up alongside Bernardo Silva in a Madrid shirt.

The engines in Montmelo will fall silent. The noise in Chamartin is only just starting.