José Mourinho will officially begin his second spell as Real Madrid head coach on 13 July, but the Portuguese tactician is already confronting a significant logistical headache that threatens to derail his preparations before a ball has even been kicked.
The ongoing FIFA World Cup has decimated the club’s summer planning, leaving Mourinho with just 13 first team players available for the opening weeks of training at Valdebebas, a scenario that has sparked frustration behind the scenes, according to SPORT.
Squad split as international commitments bite
Despite boasting 29 players under contract, the 62 year old will commence work with a severely depleted squad, and even among those present, half face uncertain futures. Eduardo Camavinga, Gonzalo García, Raúl Asencio, Fran García, Franco Mastantuono and Thiago Pitarch are all understood to be under evaluation, with Mourinho expected to use the coming weeks to determine whether they feature in his long term plans or are moved on during the transfer window.
The seven players considered part of the club’s core project are Trent Alexander Arnold, Andriy Lunin, Álvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, alongside injured trio Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão and Rodrygo, all of whom will report for duty as the club’s medical staff continue to manage their rehabilitation.
Mourinho’s blunt verdict on World Cup disruption
The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager did not disguise his frustration when asked about the impact of international commitments on his pre season schedule.
“You want the truth? I want the Real Madrid players to lose and go on vacation,” he said bluntly. “Because I want the lads back for pre season.”
The remark, while surprising to some supporters, laid bare the tension between club and country that has intensified with this summer’s unconventional calendar.
Fifteen still competing as finalists face late return
A total of 12 Real Madrid players remain involved in the World Cup knockout stages and will only rejoin the squad once their nations are eliminated, with their arrivals staggered throughout July and early August. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Ibrahima Konaté, Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Marc Cucurella, Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Brahim Díaz, Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries are all still competing.
Federico Valverde and Arda Güler, whose nations have been eliminated, could return earlier and offer Mourinho some relief.
Yet the most significant concern lies ahead. The World Cup final is scheduled for 19 July, meaning any player reaching that stage would not return to club duty until approximately 10 August. With La Liga’s new campaign set to commence on 15 August, Mourinho faces the prospect of beginning the domestic season without several key figures.
A familiar problem for Pérez and Madrid
The disruption is not entirely unfamiliar to the club’s hierarchy. Last season, president Florentino Pérez cited the expanded Club World Cup as a contributing factor to Real Madrid’s difficult campaign. Now, the World Cup has once again thrown a wrench into Madrid’s summer, forcing Mourinho to construct his new project piecemeal while waiting for the majority of his squad to filter back to Valdebebas over the coming weeks.
For a manager known for his meticulous preparation and tactical drilling, the fractured pre season represents a considerable early test, one that will require patience, adaptability and perhaps a touch of the pragmatism that has defined his storied career.
