Mourinho sends message to Fradi after Real Madrid's Budapest victory

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho provided insights into his squad's current state following their victory in Budapest. He addressed the fitness of key players like Bernardo Silva and Vinícius Júnior, highlighting their need to build up physical condition after returning from holidays.

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Bernardo is a very important player, but poor him, he also just returned from vacation. He is the type of guy who benefits mentally from doing absolutely nothing during this period. Because of this, he arrived in quite weak physical condition, he still needs to improve. However, he is a fantastic player who can help us with ball circulation when playing deeper, as a six or an eight.

Mourinho described Bernardo Silva as a crucial player but noted his return from vacation left him in "quite weak physical condition." He believes Silva, who can play as a defensive midfielder or an 'eight,' will benefit from rest and needs to improve physically. Similarly, Vinícius Júnior, despite his contract extension being a "great joy," is also behind on training due to his break.

Mourinho managed expectations for Vinícius Júnior's immediate performance, stating he didn't anticipate the player making a 50-meter run and scoring a goal. He outlined a process for the player's recovery, expecting improvement by Wednesday and further progress by the next Sunday's match in Gelsenkirchen.

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The most important thing is Vinícius's contract extension. Obviously for him, but for all of us, it is a great joy. He still has little training behind him, just like Bernardo. We are talking about players who – as happened with the others a few weeks ago – arrive tired for the match and feel the training work in their legs. That's why today I didn't expect Vini to get the ball, run 50 meters with it, and then score a goal. It's a process: on Wednesday he will probably be in better condition, and next Sunday in Gelsenkirchen even better.

Looking ahead, Mourinho indicated a preference for a more compact squad of approximately twenty players. This would include accommodating players currently sidelined by long-term injuries, such as Rodrygo, Militão, and Mendy, whom he does not expect back in the coming weeks. He stressed the need for versatile players like Bernardo Silva, capable of filling multiple positions within this smaller framework.

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We want a small squad, with twenty players, plus those footballers who are currently out for a long time due to injury, like Rodrygo, Militão or Mendy. I don't expect to get them back in the next few weeks. In a twenty-player, small squad, we also need players who are capable of what Bernardo is: they can play in several different positions.