Mourinho begins his second mission
José Mourinho returns to LaLiga 4,854 days after his previous league match as Real Madrid manager. The Portuguese coach has not asked for time, patience or a gentle assessment of his rebuilt squad. Before his first competitive game, he has already established a simple standard: a season without a trophy cannot be considered a success.
Real Madrid’s first opponents will be Espanyol. The match will take place at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday, 22 August, with kick-off scheduled for 9:30 pm CEST. It will be Madrid’s first competitive fixture of the season, despite officially belonging to the second round of LaLiga.
“Finishing a season without any trophies at Real Madrid is not a successful season,” Mourinho said during his first full press conference since returning. “That is the reality of this club.”
The Portuguese coach admitted that Madrid’s preparations have not been perfect. Some players have completed 36 training sessions and played five matches, while others joined the group much later. Mourinho has been forced to prepare different programmes across the squad and acknowledged that another week of work would have been useful. He is not planning to build his first excuse around it.
“We are already tired of friendly matches,” he said. “I have great confidence in the players’ ambition, mentality and the passion they show every day. When we get on the plane, we will be convinced that we are coming back with the three points.”
Madrid will travel to Barcelona without Endrick. Mourinho confirmed that the Brazilian forward has suffered a minor muscular problem. Aurélien Tchouaméni will also miss the match despite returning to group training, as the midfielder still needs time to complete his physical preparation.
Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo, Raúl Asencio and Thiago Pitarch remain unavailable. According to AS, academy players Mario Rivas, Chema Cestero and Daniel Ciria will be included in the travelling group.
The list of absentees is long, but Mourinho also has several new options. Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande could all make their competitive Real Madrid debuts. Mourinho has inherited elite talent, received an expensive rebuild and immediately reminded everyone that potential alone does not count as an achievement at this club.
Espanyol have already started their campaign and did so impressively, beating Levante 3–0. Mourinho praised Saturday’s opponents, pointing out that they have worked under the same coach for a significant period, are well organised and play with ambition.
The Madrid coach refused to describe his feelings before the opening game as pressure. He called it adrenaline — something he actively wants and needs. Mourinho also made it clear that every player, regardless of status, will have to contribute defensively and place the needs of the team above personal ambition.
After two seasons without a major trophy, Real Madrid are beginning another attempt to return to the top. This time they are led by a coach who knows exactly how quickly patience disappears in the Spanish capital. Mourinho is not trying to escape those expectations. He has already told everyone how he wants to be judged.
Espanyol vs Real Madrid
Date: Saturday, 22 August 2026
Kick-off: 9:30 pm CEST
Stadium: RCDE Stadium
Competition: LaLiga, Matchday 2
Broadcast in Spain: Orange TV and DAZN
