Jose Mourinho talks Endrick, Dumfries and missing World Cup stars after Real Madrid 2-2 Fiorentina | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho took charge of Real Madrid for the first time since his return on Saturday, overseeing a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly.

Endrick and youngster Alexis Ciria put Los Blancos two goals up inside the first half at the Worthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, only for Roberto Piccoli and Moise Kean to level the game for the Italian side.

Speaking afterwards, Mourinho reflected on the outing and delivered his verdict on his makeshift squad.

Real Madrid with three faces

Mourinho was happy with Dumfries’ performance. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

The Portuguese coach analysed his team’s performance, pointing out how the team showed ‘three faces’.

“I liked everything. It was a Madrid with three faces: fresh, tired, and super tired. The fresh team played very well, and the 2-1 scoreline was far too short.

“The first half was of very high quality, and we could have been leading three or four to nil comfortably,” he said (h/t Real Madrid website).

“In the second half, the game became more physical against a typically Italian team with great physicality.

“After that, we saw Moise Kean playing in the area against two 18-year-olds, who had a great game and are growing, but physically, they are not yet at the level to handle someone like Moise,” he added.

He was quick to praise how his side responded when fatigue set in.

“The third face, which I also liked a lot, was the super tired face, but where the team knew how to be a team, control the game, and regain dominance,” he added.

Praise for Endrick and the youngsters

Mourinho reserved special mention for those who made the effort to feature despite limited preparation, with Endrick and Denzel Dumfries catching his eye.

“Dumfries and Endrick trained for three days and played more than 70 minutes. It’s a fantastic effort that, to me, signifies a willingness to give their all,” he explained.

Mourinho was also happy with the effort put in by the academy players, including Joan Martinez and Mario Rivas.

Mourinho is looking forward to having World Cup stars back in the team. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

“Joan and Mario are two kids with a fantastic future who displayed tremendous class as long as the game didn’t get too physical. I loved seeing the quality of the youngsters.”

New signing Carlos Espi, who only joined on Thursday, made his debut off the bench and nearly won it late on.

“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,” Espi told reporters.

Awaiting his World Cup stars

With several key players still on an extended break following the World Cup, Mourinho admitted he is eager to get his full squad together as soon as possible, including Vinicius Jr., who has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.

“I’m concerned about not having everyone, and I would like to have three weeks of work with the others. It’s not possible,” he said.

“On Monday, Vini Jr, Brahim, and Bernardo will arrive. Little by little, until the boys who played in the World Cup semifinals and final arrive, with the final being only Cucurella.”

Despite the challenges of a disjointed pre-season, Mourinho was satisfied with what he has seen so far. “I am very happy with the work of the boys from day one,” he concluded.