José Mourinho has officially started his second tenure as Real Madrid manager. According to Mundo Deportivo reporting, the Portuguese coach opened pre-season at Valdebebas on Monday morning, 13 July 2026. He began the day with medical examinations at the Clínica Sanitas facility before leading his first training session at 17:00.

Who Is in and Who Is Out on Day One

The training session features a reduced group of players by design. Several stars with World Cup commitments—including Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr, and Thibaut Courtois—remain absent and will return to the club on a staggered basis. Those present for the opening session include Eduardo Camavinga, Franco Mastantuono, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dean Huijsen, who are the first to work under Mourinho’s direction.

Mourinho is calling upon players from the Castilla squad to bolster numbers during these training sessions. This unconventional start to the pre-season stems from the complications of the World Cup calendar, meaning it will take weeks for the manager to see his full squad assembled.

The Backdrop to Another New Era

Mundo Deportivo notes that Mourinho’s appointment arrives following a period of instability at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso’s project lasted roughly a year, while Álvaro Arbeloa, who moved up from his youth-team role, provided only six months of stability before his departure. The club’s objective is clear: bring consistency and results to a squad that possesses individual talent but has struggled to win silverware regularly.

Mourinho has worked on the project since his confirmation following Florentino Pérez’s re-election as club president. Monday marks the transition from theory to practice. Reports leading into the pre-season have highlighted early recruitment activity and coaching staff moves, as reported by Football España, indicating the current direction of the club.

What Comes Next

Mundo Deportivo reports that no date is confirmed yet for Mourinho’s formal press presentation. Transfer activity remains an ongoing matter, with the source noting that both arrivals and departures are still possible, although the core structure of the squad is largely settled. True assessments of this new chapter will likely emerge once the international players return and the competitive season gets underway.