Real Madrid begin Mourinho era with pre-season rebuild after trophyless year

Real Madrid have launched a new pre-season campaign under returning coach Jose Mourinho as the Spanish giants attempt to recover from a barren 2025-26 season.

Florentino Perez has turned to Mourinho in a bid to revive the club’s fortunes after Real Madrid ended last season without a single trophy – a failure widely regarded in Spain as unacceptable for the 14-time European champions.

The Portuguese manager has begun shaping his squad ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, with a structured programme of medical tests, training sessions and friendly fixtures designed to restore intensity and competitiveness to the team.

Preparations begin at Valdebebas

Real Madrid’s pre-season officially started on 12 July 2026 at the club’s training complex in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of the Spanish capital.

The early sessions are taking place without players who either featured in the 2026 World Cup or remain involved in the latter stages of the tournament. Those still on international duty have been granted additional rest before reporting back to the club.

At Valdebebas, the available squad members first underwent medical examinations and fitness assessments, a routine step that allows Mourinho and his staff to gauge the physical condition of each player after the summer break.

The opening days of work are focused on building core fitness and laying down the tactical concepts that are expected to define Mourinho’s second spell in charge at the Bernabeu.

Fiorentina friendly to open match schedule

Real Madrid have already confirmed two warm-up fixtures as part of their pre-season schedule.

The first will see them travel to Austria to face Italian club Fiorentina in a friendly match on 1 August. The game is set to be played at the Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, offering Mourinho an early opportunity to test his ideas against Serie A opposition.

This encounter is expected to serve as a first glimpse of how the Portuguese coach plans to rebuild the side, particularly once some of the World Cup participants begin to reintegrate into the squad.

Historic Teresa Herrera Cup date in La Coruna

Madrid’s second confirmed pre-season match will take place in Galicia, north-west Spain, where they will face Deportivo La Coruna at the Riazor stadium in the 81st edition of the Teresa Herrera Trophy.

The Teresa Herrera Cup is one of Spain’s oldest and most traditional summer tournaments, and the meeting with Deportivo will provide Real Madrid with a more competitive test as the start of the La Liga season approaches.

The fixture is expected to attract strong local interest, with Deportivo keen to measure themselves against elite opposition and Madrid looking to fine-tune their form under Mourinho.

Possible Leganes clash still to be confirmed

Between the Fiorentina and Deportivo fixtures, Real Madrid may add another friendly to their programme.

The club is considering a match against Leganes, to be played behind closed doors or with limited attendance at the Valdebebas training complex, often referred to as Real Madrid City.

However, the club has yet to officially confirm whether this game will go ahead, with scheduling likely to depend on player availability following the World Cup and the coaching staff’s assessment of the team’s workload.

Pressure on Mourinho to deliver

The detailed pre-season plan underlines the pressure on Jose Mourinho to oversee a swift turnaround at a club where expectations remain exceptionally high.

After a “season cero” – a term in Spain used to describe a trophyless year – the new campaign is being framed as a fresh start, with Mourinho tasked with restoring Madrid’s winning mentality and re-establishing them as contenders on all fronts when the 2026-27 season gets under way.