Jose Mourinho's first game back as Real Madrid's head coach ended in a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in a preseason friendly held in Klagenfurt, Austria on August 2. [1, 2] Real took an early 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Endrick in the 12th minute and Alexis Ciria. [1, 3, 4, 2] Fiorentina fought back in the second half with goals from Roberto Piccoli and Moise Kean to level the score. [1, 3, 4, 2]
New signing Carlos Espí made his debut as a substitute after joining Real Madrid just days before the match. Espí missed a late chance to win the game with a header but expressed excitement, saying, "I'm the happiest man in the world. I haven't even been at Madrid for 72 hours, and I've trained, and made my debut ... [Mourinho asked me] to be myself, and get into the box." [1, 4]
Denzel Dumfries, another recent addition to the squad, played around 70-75 minutes despite having trained with the team for only three days before the match. [1, 4, 2] Mourinho praised the squad's effort and described the game as showing "three faces" of the team: "fresh, tired, and super tired," reflecting different phases of energy during the match. [1, 2]
Several key players, including Vinicius Jr, Brahim Díaz, Bernardo Silva, and others who took part in the recent World Cup, were absent but are expected to rejoin training starting August 3. [1, 2] Mourinho noted, "Nothing yet. The good ones are missing," highlighting the squad's incomplete status for the friendly. [2]
Mourinho's previous stint as Real Madrid manager ran from 2010 to 2013. This marked his first match since returning to the club in 2026. [1, 4, 2]
Real Madrid will continue their preseason campaign with upcoming friendlies against Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke. The team is scheduled to play their La Liga season opener against Espanyol on August 23. [1]
Training with a fuller squad is expected to begin August 3 as World Cup participants return. The club hopes to build on Mourinho's return ahead of the competitive season kick-off later this month.
