Raul Asencio's Battle to Save His Real Madrid Career

Raul Asencio’s fight to save his Real Madrid career is already under way, and it starts not on the pitch, but in a courtroom and a manager’s office.

This is the storm Jose Mourinho walked into.

Mourinho’s return, and a problem waiting for him

When Real Madrid stunned European football in June by bringing Mourinho back on a three-year deal, the headlines focused on the dugout drama and the future of Vinicius Junior, who flirted with a move to Arsenal before signing a new contract.

But behind the transfer noise, another story was waiting for the Portuguese coach. A 23-year-old defender, once seen as a long-term piece of Madrid’s back line, had driven himself to the edge of the club’s patience.

Raul Asencio had become a disciplinary problem of the highest order.

A Porsche, a checkpoint, and a damaging number

At 6:30am on August 16, in southern Gran Canaria, police stopped a Porsche Macan GTS at a breathalyser checkpoint.

Behind the wheel: Raul Asencio.

Both the initial and secondary breath tests showed he was driving under the influence. According to Spanish outlet Atlantico Hoy, the readings came back at 0.90 and 0.88 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air. Spain’s legal limit is 0.25 mg/l.

More than three times over.

There was no way to dress it up. No way to hide it. The incident immediately escalated beyond a routine traffic stop. For a player representing Real Madrid, it became a full-blown scandal.

Fast-track justice, heavy punishment

The response from the authorities was swift. Asencio was summoned to a fast-track trial, where the court handed down a €14,400 fine, calculated at €120 per day over four months.

He also received an eight-month driving suspension.

The timing could hardly have been worse. The drink-driving case reached its conclusion just one day before Asencio was due to appear in court again, this time over a separate legal matter involving the sharing of a sexually explicit video allegedly recorded in 2023 by three of his former Real Madrid youth academy teammates.

According to the allegations, Asencio showed explicit images of two female complainants to another person on his mobile phone. He has privately apologised to both women and paid them compensation, and they are said to have forgiven him.

The legal system has dealt with him. Now comes the judgment that really shapes his future: that of Real Madrid.

Inside Valdebebas: consequences and second chances

According to Defensa Central, Asencio knows exactly how much damage he has done. He understands the scale of his mistakes in recent years and the risk they pose to his career. He also knows that Real Madrid do not easily forget when a player drags the club’s badge into controversy.

The hierarchy at Valdebebas has already opened disciplinary proceedings over the drink-driving conviction. The club is assessing the seriousness of the offence and weighing up the internal punishment.

That could mean a financial sanction. It could mean another form of disciplinary action before he is allowed to fully reintegrate into the squad. Nothing is off the table.

Reports suggest Real Madrid even considered selling him this summer, only for an injury to block any realistic move. The message is clear: his margin for error is gone.

Face to face with Mourinho

Against that backdrop, Asencio has taken his case directly to the man now in charge of his footballing fate.

He has held personal meetings with Mourinho, during which he is reported to have promised to focus completely on his career, to improve his football, and to leave the chaos of his recent past behind him for good.

Mourinho has managed volatile dressing rooms before. He has dealt with young players on the brink, those who either grow up quickly or disappear just as fast. He will see both the risk and the potential in Asencio.

For the 23-year-old, this is the line in the sand. The legal punishments are set, the club’s internal process is under way, and the possibility of a sale has already been floated once.

Now comes the hardest part: convincing Real Madrid that Raul Asencio is worth the trouble, and that the next headlines he makes will be written on the pitch, not in a courtroom.