Real Madrid News
Espi, Dumfries and Ciria talk Mourinho, team bonding and season ahead after Real Madrid 2-2 Fiorentina
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
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.
“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.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
