'The poor guy arrived at a low physical level!' Jose Mourinho offers brutally honest Bernardo Silva verdict after Real Madrid debut

Real Madrid continued their preseason preparations with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Ferencvaros at the Ferencvaros Stadion. Mario Rivas opened the scoring in the 41st minute, nodding home a precise cross from Alexis Ciria following a corner. Early in the second half, Carlos Espi doubled the lead after a slick collective move involving Arda Guler and Fede Valverde.

Speaking to Real Madrid TV after the match, Mourinho expressed satisfaction with the exercise. 'First of all, I want to thank Ferencvaros for this training session. It was a very good one. They have already played five Europa League games, as well as matches in their league, and you can see that they have a high level of intensity. It was very good.'

The legendary coach was less impressed with the lack of organization after the break. 'I liked the first half more. It doesn’t surprise me because we have been working more with those players. We had very good control of the game,' Mourinho explained. 'In the second half, with Vini and Bernardo, who don’t have many minutes, and with Endrick changing positions, we lost some of our organization. But it’s good.'

Mourinho emphasized that these preseason errors provide vital learning opportunities for his squad in what was his second friendly in charge, following a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina. Looking ahead to upcoming fixtures against Deportivo La Coruna on August 12 and Schalke on August 16, he noted the lack of late game management, adding: 'You don’t finish the game by giving away a dangerous free kick like we did. You have to know what to do. Those small mistakes that accumulate in these games are good for me.'

The spotlight was firmly on Bernardo Silva following his arrival from Manchester City on a two-year contract this summer, but Mourinho was quick to temper expectations regarding the midfielder's fitness. '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 preseason at a fairly low physical level,' Mourinho said. 'He has to improve. But he is an incredible player.'

Following an intense summer where he represented Portugal at the World Cup prior to their round of 16 exit against Spain, Mourinho explained how he adjusted Silva's role during the match to accommodate his lack of sharpness. 'During the game, I realized he was lacking a little physical strength, so I moved him forward to the No. 10 position. He can play there too. He can play in three or four positions,' the manager noted.

Regarding Vinicius Junior, Mourinho focused on the positive news of the Brazilian's recent contract extension until 2032, which put an end to months of uncertainty surrounding his future at the club. 'The most important thing is his contract renewal. It’s a joy for him and for all of us,' the manager stated, addressing the winger's immediate physical output. 'With so few training sessions, these are players who come into a game with tired legs from training.'

While the winger may not have been at his explosive best in Budapest, Mourinho is confident that the fitness levels of his key attackers will rise rapidly. The coach concluded his post-match thoughts by looking ahead to the upcoming fixtures in the schedule, noting: '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.'