José Mourinho’s Real Madrid preseason plans revealed with four friendlies and no U.S. tour

Real Madrid’s preseason officially begins Monday at the club’s Valdebebas training complex, and the schedule already carries plenty of intrigue. AS has learned that the club has lined up four preseason friendlies, taking advantage of the fact that its opening LaLiga match has been postponed.

Instead of beginning the league campaign on opening weekend, Madrid will kick off its domestic season Aug. 23 against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. That gives José Mourinho exactly 40 days to shape his new squad, with four friendlies scheduled across Spain and elsewhere in Europe. Club officials have not ruled out adding a fifth tuneup, although that would most likely be a closed-door scrimmage similar to last summer’s behind-the-scenes match against Leganés.

Austria trip comes before Deportivo showdown

The only confirmed preseason fixture until now was Real Madrid’s appearance in the 81st edition of the historic Teresa Herrera Trophy, officially announced Thursday. Madrid will face newly promoted Deportivo La Coruña at Riazor Stadium on Aug. 12.

That won’t be the club’s first preseason test, however.

On Aug. 1, Mourinho’s squad will travel to Austria for another friendly as preparations begin in earnest.

Austria has become a familiar preseason destination for Real Madrid in recent years, thanks in part to its cooler summer weather. In 2021, Los Blancos played AC Milan in Klagenfurt, a scoreless draw that marked David Alaba’s unofficial debut after joining from Bayern Munich.

Last summer, Madrid also traveled to Innsbruck, defeating Austrian club TGW Tirol 4-0 in its only preseason friendly before an unusually short summer caused by the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

Why isn’t Real Madrid touring the United States this summer?

All four preseason matches will take place in Europe because Real Madrid will not travel to the United States this summer.

The decision is tied more to the lingering impact of this year’s World Cup than to logistical concerns. It is not unprecedented for Madrid to skip an American tour, although the club has frequently visited the U.S. during previous preseasons.

In 2018, after the World Cup in Russia, Real Madrid opened Julen Lopetegui’s tenure with a three-game tour that included stops in Miami, the Washington, D.C., area and New Jersey.

Mourinho and club executives also discussed the possibility of holding a short training camp in northern Europe before deciding to remain at Valdebebas, which will once again serve as the team’s preseason headquarters.

The Portuguese manager is expected to spend this weekend in Madrid putting the finishing touches on preparations before officially returning to his office at Real Madrid City on Monday, 13 years after leaving the club.

What about the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy?

One question remains unanswered: the future of the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy.

The club has not staged its traditional preseason showcase since 2018, citing increasingly crowded summer schedules as the primary reason for its disappearance.

This year, however, the circumstances are different.

Because Real Madrid’s opening LaLiga match has been postponed following the World Cup, Mourinho’s side will not play a competitive match until Aug. 23 against Espanyol. That creates a window in the calendar that could allow the club to revive one of its most prestigious preseason traditions before the new season officially begins.

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