Real Madrid wrapped up their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Schalke, and thoughts have already turned to the La Liga opener against Espanyol next Saturday.
Los Blancos come out of a pre-season without a single defeat. The early impressions on José Mourinho could hardly be more positive, all the more so because the coach only had his full squad at his disposal a few days ago, with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Thibaut Courtois, Marc Cucurella and Jude Bellingham reporting late.
Their commitment struck Mourinho hard enough that he wanted to say so publicly.
"I am pleased with those who arrived late," the Portuguese told Real Madrid's channel. "It is not easy to go straight into a high level of intensity as we work. And it is not easy for them to take part in a double training session in the morning and the evening, because they train in the morning with the group, and in the afternoon with the small group that has just arrived."
The same message circulates inside the club, according to Defensa Central. Mourinho has been deeply impressed by the professionalism of the whole squad and the sense of responsibility on show, and four players in particular caught his eye from the moment he watched them play their first minutes.
Mbappé, Courtois, Cucurella and Bellingham matter here for one reason. All four turned up at Valdebebas ahead of schedule, cutting short their holidays to return early.
Mourinho praised the gesture to president Florentino Pérez in person, and raised it with his coaching staff too, calling it a wonderful sign of these players' sense of duty.
Technical quality was never in doubt with this group. What Mourinho keeps coming back to is the hunger and enthusiasm they showed, two things even he did not see coming, and a welcome surprise days out from the new campaign.
A huge challenge awaits in his second spell at the Bernabéu. Mourinho knows it, and that is why he wanted to fire a message of optimism to the fans as the real business draws near.