'He is the type' - Jose Mourinho launches astonishing attack on Bernardo Silva after Real Madrid debut

Jose Mourinho gave a brutal assessment of Bernardo Silva after the Portuguese made his Real Madrid debut as Los Blancos beat Hungary’s Ferencvaros 2-1 in Budapest.

Mourinho watched on as Mario Rivas and Carlos Espi put the La Liga giants 2-0 up at the Groupama Arena before Kenan Kodro pulled one back for the hosts.

Several first-team players started the match, with new signing Denzel Dumfries, captain Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga all getting the nod from the start.

Mourinho made wholesale changes during the second half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Vinicius Junior, fresh from signing a new six-year deal, all getting a run out.

Meanwhile, Silva made his Real debut, completing the full second half, but it’s fair to say Mourinho thinks he has a way to go before he reaches the fitness level required.

"Bernardo is a very important player," Mourinho said after the match. "He is the type of player who completely switches off mentally, and does not do anything during the holiday period, and he came back with much lower physical fitness, and it needs to be developed.

"But Bernardo is a wonderful player who gives us excellent build-up with the ball, whether he plays in a deeper position or in midfield (the 6 or 8 position). During the match I saw that he lacks physical strength, so I moved him to the 10 position, and I brought on Cestero to give more stability there. The 10 position is another spot where Bernardo is comfortable."

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The Real Madrid boss was also keen to emphasise how Bernardo is the type of player who is "excellent" to work with for coaches due to his versatility.

"He is the type of player who can play in 3 or 4 positions, and this is excellent for any coach," he added.

"Especially since we want a small squad consisting of only 20 players, in addition to the injured such as Rodrygo, [Eder] Militão, and Ferland [Mendy], whom we will not be able to recover in the coming weeks."

Mourinho addresses Vini Jr contract renewal

The Portuguese then addressed Vini Jr’s contract renewal, describing how all parties are pleased that the Brazilian has decided to stay with the Spaniards despite transfer interest from Arsenal.

“The most important thing is his contract renewal,” he explained. “It’s a joy for him and for all of us. With so few training sessions, these are players who come into a game with tired legs from training.

“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.”

Next up, Real face Deportivo La Coruña on August 12 before taking on Schalke four days later.

Mourinho’s side get their 2026/27 La Liga campaign underway against Espanyol on August 22.