Full Breakdown
Mourinho Criticizes Bernardo Silva’s Fitness After Real Madrid Debut
8/9/2026, 8:00:54 PM
Pre-season friendly shows mixed start
Bernardo Silva made his Real Madrid debut in a 2-1 pre-season win over Hungarian side Ferencvaros in Budapest, entering at halftime. The Portuguese midfielder, who joined on a free transfer after his Manchester City contract expired in June, featured in the second half of the match.
Tactical adjustment to mask fitness concerns
During the second half, Mourinho moved Silva forward to the No. 10 role, noting he “lacked a little physical strength” but could operate in three or four positions. The shift was intended to compensate for the midfielder’s reduced sharpness while still exploiting his technical abilities.
Outlook for the upcoming schedule
Real Madrid will open their La Liga campaign away to Espanyol on August 22, with Mourinho’s first competitive home match slated four days later against Real Sociedad.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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 pre-season at a fairly low physical level,” — Jose Mourinho
- “During the game, I realised he was lacking a little physical strength, so I moved him forward to the No. 10 position,” — Jose Mourinho
- “The most important thing is his contract renewal,” — Jose Mourinho
