Espi, Dumfries and Ciria talk Mourinho, team bonding and season ahead after Real Madrid 2-2 Fiorentina | OneFootball

Real Madrid kicked off the Jose Mourinho era with a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in Austria, and the friendly proved a memorable occasion for several members of the squad.

Debutants Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi both featured, while academy youngster Alexis Ciria capped a standout display with a goal.

All three spoke to RMTV after the match, sharing their views on the performance as well as Jose Mourinho, among other things.

Dumfries proud of his debut

Dumfries was happy with his debut. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

Summer signing Dumfries started the match and played 75 minutes, and the Dutchman was delighted to get his Real Madrid career underway.

“I felt good, and I am very proud to debut with Real Madrid. It was a great experience, this first match, and now it’s time to work hard for more games,” he said.

The versatile defender, deployed out of his natural position, explained that Mourinho has already made his demands clear.

“It’s the first match, and I’ve just returned to training, but Mourinho asks me to work hard and show my worth. It wasn’t my natural position, but it was a good friendly match. I can play in different positions, and I’m used to it, though I usually play on the right,” he added.

He was also full of praise for his new teammates, while acknowledging the squad needs time to gel.

“It’s incredible. We’ve been together for a week, and we need more time. That’s what the pre-season is for, but everything’s good. There’s a lot of quality in the team.”

A solid debut for Espi

Perhaps the happiest man of all was Carlos Espi, who made his debut just 72 hours after signing, coming off the bench in the second half.

“Debuting today with Real Madrid is unique. It’s an enormous pride, and I’m very happy. It’s indescribable, everything has happened in just two days: I signed, trained, and now I’ve already debuted,” the forward said.

Espi also revealed the instructions handed to him by Mourinho upon his introduction.

“Since the score was tied, he told me to stay in the box, try to bring balls down, and play into space. To give my all,” he added.

A dream night for Ciria

The real star of the show, though, was academy graduate Ciria, who marked his first-team debut with the second goal of the game.

Mourinho was happy with the performances of academy stars like Ciria. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

“At first, I was a little nervous, but once I stepped onto the field, the nerves went away because I was doing what I love. When the ball came to me, everything else disappeared, and once I saw it go in, it was such a relief,” he said.

The youngster shared a touching moment involving his father before the match.

“Just before, I was talking with my father in the locker room, and he sent me a childhood photo and said: do it for this and for the whole family, who loves you like no one else and will always support you.”

Ciria, who impressed on the left wing, revealed the simple message Mourinho gave him. “To be myself, to have confidence, play without pressure, and enjoy myself. Playing alongside Carreras and Valverde made it so much easier.”

For Mourinho, such promising contributions from his youngsters, combined with the debuts of his new arrivals, offer plenty of encouragement as Real Madrid continue to build towards the new campaign.