Mourinho draws the line with Asencio: “You represent Real Madrid 24 hours a day”

José Mourinho praised Raúl Asencio’s commitment in training and during his rehabilitation, but refused to soften his assessment of the defender’s conduct away from Valdebebas. The Portuguese coach stressed that representing Real Madrid is a full-time responsibility. The club have opened disciplinary proceedings against the player.

Asencio has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol following an incident in Gran Canaria on 16 August. Breath tests recorded readings of 0.90 and 0.88 milligrams of alcohol per litre. The general legal limit for drivers in Spain is 0.25 mg/l.

The defender admitted the offence three days later during an expedited court hearing. He was fined €14,400 and banned from driving for eight months.

Mourinho was asked about the situation during his press conference before Real Madrid’s match against Real Betis. He did not dismiss the incident as a private matter, but he also declined to make a final judgement on the player before the club complete their internal process.

MOURINHO PRAISES HIS WORK

The Real Madrid coach made it clear that Asencio’s daily work at Valdebebas has met the professional standards expected of him.

“Inside Valdebebas, I would say he is an exemplary professional,” Mourinho said. “When he was fit, nobody trained more or better than him. Now that he has been injured for several weeks, he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. His dedication to his recovery is extreme.”

Mourinho nevertheless separated the defender’s attitude towards his sporting duties from his conduct outside the club. Working hard during rehabilitation does not require Real Madrid to overlook behaviour capable of damaging both the player’s reputation and that of the institution.

“I AM NOT HAPPY”

The Portuguese coach then set out the standards attached to representing Real Madrid.

“A Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 12 months a year,” he said. “Everything you do away from your professional environment still affects Real Madrid. It can damage the prestige of a club that is untouchable. I am not happy.”

Mourinho added that everyone makes mistakes, but repeated problems have to be viewed differently.

His position was firm without being reckless. The coach did not excuse the defender because of his work inside the training ground. He also stopped short of announcing a sporting punishment before Real Madrid had concluded their own proceedings.

REAL MADRID OPEN DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

Mourinho confirmed that the club have opened a disciplinary case against Asencio. Until a decision is reached, he will continue to regard the defender as a member of his squad.

“The club have opened proceedings and, as the coach, while the case remains open, I see him as a Real Madrid player,” Mourinho explained.

Any formal consequences will be determined by the club. Mourinho’s responsibility was to establish the standard inside the dressing room: strong performances in training do not remove personal accountability, but sporting decisions should not be made before the internal process has run its course.

Asencio is currently unavailable because of an injury. Mourinho expects him to remain sidelined for at least another two weeks. The defender continues to work on his recovery while awaiting the outcome of the club’s disciplinary review.

SEPARATE CASE ENDS IN ACQUITTAL

Mourinho made his comments before the conclusion of separate legal proceedings concerning the disclosure of sexually explicit recordings. A few hours later, Spanish media reported that Asencio had been acquitted after the prosecution withdrew the charge against him. The two women involved had previously formally forgiven the defendants.

That case must not be confused with the drink-driving conviction. Asencio admitted the traffic offence, was convicted and received the penalty imposed by the court.

Mourinho’s response showed that Real Madrid do not intend to treat every action outside football as irrelevant to the club. He gave Asencio credit for his work at Valdebebas, but placed the standards and reputation of the institution above the interests of any individual player.