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'The poor guy came in below his best physically!' Jose Mourinho gives a brutally frank verdict on Bernardo Silva after his Real Madrid debut
Deepa Krishnaswamy | August 9, 2026 12:57 PM CST

Jose Mourinho gave his trademark straight-talking assessment of Bernardo Silva after the midfielder made his first appearance for Real Madrid. Even though Madrid recorded a 2-1 win over Ferencvaros in Budapest, the Portuguese coach was quick to underline the fitness issues affecting his new marquee signing.

Mourinho breaks down the tactical showing in Budapest

Real Madrid carried on with their pre-season build-up by grinding out a 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros at the Ferencvaros Stadion. Mario Rivas put Madrid ahead in the 41st minute, heading in an accurate delivery from Alexis Ciria after a corner. Soon after the interval, Carlos Espi made it 2-0 at the end of a smooth team move involving Arda Guler and Fede Valverde.

Speaking to Real Madrid TV after the game, Mourinho said he was pleased with the workout. "First of all, I want to thank Ferencvaros for this training session. It was a very good one. They have already played five Europa League games, as well as matches in their league, and you can see that they have a high level of intensity. It was very good."

Mixed reaction to the second-half display

The veteran manager was not as happy with the side's drop in structure after the break. "I liked the first half more. It doesn’t surprise me because we have been working more with those players. We had very good control of the game," Mourinho explained. "In the second half, with Vini and Bernardo, who don’t have many minutes, and with Endrick changing positions, we lost some of our organization. But it’s good."

Mourinho stressed that these pre-season mistakes are useful learning moments for his squad in what was his second friendly in charge after the 2-2 draw with Fiorentina. Looking ahead to the upcoming matches against Deportivo La Coruna on August 12 and Schalke on August 16, he pointed to the team's poor game management late on, saying: "You don’t finish the game by giving away a dangerous free kick like we did. You have to know what to do. Those small mistakes that accumulate in these games are good for me."

Frank verdict on Bernardo Silva

Much of the attention was on Bernardo Silva after his summer arrival from Manchester City on a two-year deal, but Mourinho quickly lowered expectations about the midfielder's current condition. "He is very important, but the poor guy is one of those players who benefits mentally from not doing anything during vacation, and he arrived for preseason at a fairly low physical level," Mourinho said. "He has to improve. But he is an incredible player."

After a demanding summer in which he represented Portugal at the World Cup before their round-of-16 exit against Spain, Mourinho explained how he altered Silva's position during the match to help manage his lack of sharpness. "During the game, I realized he was lacking a little physical strength, so I moved him forward to the No. 10 position. He can play there too. He can play in three or four positions," the manager said.

Praise for Vinicius Junior's renewal

On Vinicius Junior, Mourinho highlighted the positive development of the Brazilian extending his contract until 2032, bringing to an end months of uncertainty over his future at the club. "The most important thing is his contract renewal. It’s a joy for him and for all of us," the manager said, while also commenting on the winger's immediate physical condition. "With so few training sessions, these are players who come into a game with tired legs from training."

Although the winger was not quite at his explosive best in Budapest, Mourinho is convinced the fitness of his leading attackers will improve quickly. Wrapping up his post-match remarks, the coach looked ahead to the next fixtures and said: "I didn’t expect him to run 50 meters with the ball and score. He will surely be better on Wednesday, and even better on Sunday."


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