Raul Asencio Embraces Change at Real Madrid Under Mourinho

Raul Asencio can feel Real Madrid changing around him. And he likes it.

The young centre-back, still carving out his place in the first team, cut a relaxed figure in the paddock at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in Montmelo, but his mind was clearly elsewhere: on Valdebebas, on the Bernabeu, and on a new era under Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho’s return lights a fire

Asencio grew up watching Mourinho’s first spell in Madrid. Now he is preparing to live it from inside the dressing room.

“Now, with Mourinho’s new project, I think it’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to starting,” he told ElDesmarque, the words coming with the eagerness of someone who has waited a long time for this kind of challenge.

He remembers the shock to the system the Portuguese coach once delivered to the club.

“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 appeal for a defender like Asencio: a coach who thrives on conflict, intensity, and defensive edge. For a Real Madrid side that has watched Barcelona dominate La Liga for the past two seasons, that mentality suddenly feels like a weapon again.

Asencio made it clear he is ready to buy in completely.

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

The target is obvious: drag the league title back to the Bernabeu and restore that relentless, us-against-them aura Mourinho once cultivated.

Bernardo Silva on the horizon

The conversation in Montmelo didn’t stay on the touchline for long. Transfer talk followed, as it always does with Madrid, and Asencio did not hide his admiration for one of the names dominating the rumor mill: Bernardo Silva.

Reports suggest the Portuguese playmaker is edging closer to a move to the Spanish capital. Asencio didn’t confirm anything, but his verdict on the Manchester City star was emphatic.

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

For a defender, the idea of training every day against a player of Bernardo’s technical level and intelligence is as appealing as lining up alongside him on matchday. Asencio framed it as part of a broader push to strengthen a squad being reshaped for Mourinho’s demands.

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

No fanfare, no grand declarations about galacticos. Just a simple message from inside the camp: the door is open, the bar is high, and reinforcements are expected.

Watching La Roja from the outside

If the club picture feels exciting, the international one is more bittersweet for Asencio.

He is not part of Spain’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite previous call-ups under Luis de la Fuente. The breakthrough into the national team has not yet become a permanent step. For now, he watches as a supporter.

“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 La Roja to handle with authority. It’s the kind of game that can set the tone for a tournament, especially for a side still trying to reconnect with its old aura of inevitability on the biggest stage.

Asencio will follow it from afar, juggling his role as fan with his own fight for prominence at Madrid. A new coach, a possible superstar arrival, a title to reclaim.

For a defender who sees himself in Mourinho’s “passion and grit,” the real race this summer isn’t at Montmelo. It’s for a place at the heart of a project that suddenly feels like it’s accelerating.