A Frenetic Start to Mourinho's Tenure
Since taking charge of Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho has already spent a week working with his new squad. As the calendar moves forward, the Portuguese coach is entering a much more demanding phase with the 2026-27 season set to begin in late August.
Diario AS reports that the time left for the team to get ready is shrinking fast, with only 30 days until the first match of the new season. Mourinho’s task is to set the stage for a successful campaign, but he will have to make do without several key players still recovering from the World Cup and their summer breaks.
Not all of the top names are at training yet. Arda Guler and Federico Valverde are already present, but Antonio Rudiger is expected to arrive soon. The team will also welcome Denzel Dumfries, their first official summer addition, whose inclusion adds a new possibility to Mourinho’s defensive strategy.
Dumfries will be pushing to earn a spot in the starting line-up, particularly against players like Trent Alexander-Arnold. With him on the pitch, Mourinho can start to shape his system before the team plays their first competitive games in the next few days. The upcoming match against Alcorcon will be the first test under the new manager.
But the absence of several big names, like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Ibrahima Konate, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Marc Cucurella, could limit the manager’s options during this time. These players are unlikely to be available for most of the matches, meaning there will be little time to get them fully involved in the new system.
With so many challenges and only a month before the next season kicks off, how quickly Mourinho can build a strong, functional team will determine whether the beginning of his Real Madrid journey is successful or difficult.