Jose Mourinho praises Dumfries and highlights three aspects of Real Madrid.

José Mourinho made his debut as coach of Real Madrid last Saturday in a friendly match that ended in a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina. The game took place at the Worthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, where the Merengues, featuring young players Endrick and Alexis Ciria, took a two-goal lead in the first half. However, the Italian team managed to equalize with goals from Roberto Piccoli and Moise Kean.

The Portuguese coach analyzed his team’s performance, stating that the squad showed “three faces.” “I liked everything. It was a Madrid with three faces: fresh, tired, and super tired. The fresh team played very well, and the 2-1 score was too short. The first half had very high quality, and we could have easily gone ahead by three or four to nil,” Mourinho said. He highlighted that the second half became more physical, facing an Italian team with great robustness, noting that Moise Kean had an advantage over the young defenders, who are still developing physically.

Mourinho also praised the way his squad reacted to fatigue, stating that the third face, “super tired,” was admirable. “The team knew how to control the game and regain dominance,” he added. The coach also made a point of recognizing the effort of players like Endrick and Denzel Dumfries, who, despite limited preparation, managed to participate in the game for over 70 minutes. “Dumfries and Endrick trained for three days and gave everything. It’s a fantastic effort that demonstrates the will to give their all,” he emphasized.

The Portuguese coach also praised the performance of the academy’s young players, such as Joan Martinez and Mario Rivas, who showed a promising future. The new signing Carlos Espi, who joined the club only on Thursday, made his debut and nearly scored at the end of the match. “I am the happiest man in the world. I was in Madrid for less than 72 hours, trained, and made my debut,” Espi told reporters.

With several key players still on an extended break after the World Cup, Mourinho expressed his desire to gather the full squad as soon as possible, including Vinicius Jr., who has been linked with a move to Arsenal. “I am worried about not having everyone and I would like to have three weeks of work with the others. It is not possible,” Mourinho lamented. He indicated that next Monday, Vinicius Jr., Brahim, and Bernardo will join the group, while he awaits the arrival of the players who participated in the semifinals and final of the World Cup.

Despite the challenges of a disjointed pre-season, Mourinho expressed satisfaction with the work done so far. “I am very happy with the work of the boys since day one,” he concluded.