José Mourinho's second spell in charge of Real Madrid began the way so many of his sides have ended up before: two goals to the good, in cruise control, and then unable to hold on. Real Madrid let a 2-0 lead slip against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt, Austria, drawing 2-2 in Mourinho's first match back at the helm.
The game, played at the Wörthersee Stadion on Saturday evening, was Real Madrid's opening fixture of preseason. Endrick put the Spanish giants ahead in the 12th minute with a left-footed finish from inside the box, and academy forward Alexis Ciria doubled the lead 12 minutes later, scoring on his first-team debut.
Marca's account, cited by ONE, described the opening 45 minutes as unmistakably Mourinho's Real Madrid: "serious, combative, uncompromising, competitive and committed." Endrick in particular was singled out for his hunger and intensity, even if his eagerness occasionally got the better of his decision-making.
It did not last. Roberto Piccoli pulled a goal back for Fiorentina in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-1, and the Italian side kept pushing after the restart. Moise Kean, introduced from the bench, headed in the equaliser in the 58th minute to complete the comeback.
According to Marca's report, relayed by ONE, Mourinho "looked gloomy" during the water break as his side's control of the match evaporated — a visible read on a manager who built his reputation on precisely the kind of discipline that went missing after half-time. The Portuguese watched his team, in the paper's words, "lose absolute control" and "completely fall apart."
Real Madrid also handed debuts to two other new arrivals on the night: wing-back Denzel Dumfries and midfielder Carlos Espí both featured for the first time in Real Madrid colours, part of the squad Mourinho is assembling for his return to the touchline at the Santiago Bernabéu.
It was a low-stakes result — a mid-summer friendly rather than anything with points attached — but the split personality of the performance will not have escaped Mourinho, whose sides have historically prized exactly the control and management of games that disappeared once Fiorentina found their rhythm.
Real Madrid's preseason schedule continues in the coming weeks as Mourinho works towards his first competitive match back in charge, with the closing exchanges in Klagenfurt offering an early reminder of the work still to do before the new season begins in earnest.
