Early crisis: 14 days put Mourinho before a frightening spectre | Goal.com
Portugal's José Mourinho, the head coach of Real Madrid, faces a worrying spectre just days before the new season kicks off, marking the "Special One's" return to La Liga after an absence.
Mourinho took charge of Los Blancos this summer, and the fans are relying heavily on him to drag the team back onto the trophy podium after two straight seasons without silverware.
According to the newspaper "AS", Mourinho's start at Real Madrid will not be easy. The fixture schedule leaves the team exposed to real danger.
Real Madrid will play four official matches in just 14 days. That represents a considerable physical burden on the players of a team that went through a traditional preparation period without any tours abroad.
What makes the task even harder is that some of Real Madrid's players, such as Cucurella, Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Konaté and Bellingham, will have only about one week to prepare for the first match, joining up on the 10th of this month. After years of chaos on the physical side, the spectre of injuries worries the club. The official opener comes on 22 August against Espanyol, before the team host Real Sociedad and Málaga on 26 and 30 August respectively.
The run of matches then concludes with a clash against Real Betis on 4 September.
To face what will be a physically gruelling season, the club strengthened its ranks in all positions. Florentino Pérez, in the midst of his election campaign, analysed last season and commented: "The reason for the poor season lies in the FIFA Club World Cup; we were unable to have a proper preparation period for the season, and we could not recover physically because of playing matches on Wednesdays and Sundays every week, and from there came the large number of injuries."
Fixing that ranked among the club's priorities during the summer. Real Madrid brought in Alexandre Croze, the distinguished Monaco doctor, to deal with the injury crisis the team suffered last year: 52 injuries, with Asensio the first to fall this season.
Mourinho got one of his requests: two players for each position. The arrivals of Cucurella, Konaté, Dumfries, Espí and Bernardo Silva met the coach's requirements, and the signings of Diomandé and Rodri remain possible.
The Portuguese knows the best way to face the demands of modern football is a large squad, one that can rotate players without losing harmony and the overall level.
For years, Real Madrid held its pre-season training camps abroad, with the United States the preferred destination in recent years.
Those trips reinforced the club's standing and got the squad away from the pressures of the capital. That has no longer been possible over the past few seasons.
Last year, the FIFA Club World Cup disrupted their plans. This year the reason is the World Cup. It has pushed the club to organise its preparations the traditional way, playing friendly matches in Europe.
Three matches remain, to be held over eight days: 8 August against Ferencváros, 12 August against Deportivo, and 16 August against Schalke.
That means Real Madrid will play seven matches during August, a schedule to rival the months when the team competes across La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.
The physical effort, then, must be managed carefully to avoid injuries. Huijsen, suffering from a muscle strain in his left thigh, and Asensio, out for about six weeks with a hamstring injury, were the first to be ruled out.
Four matches within 14 days at the opening of the league. Seven matches in August. This is how the new Real Madrid under Mourinho will begin the 2026-2027 season.
It is an exhausting fixture schedule, one that underlines the importance of physical fitness over the summer to achieve the main objective of the season: winning everything again.
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