Jose Mourinho praised young forward Carlos Espi after the striker’s late goal secured Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday.
The result gave Real Madrid their first three points of the season, having missed the opening round of the competition because several members of their squad had been involved in the later stages of the World Cup.
Speaking at his post-match news conference, Mourinho described Espi as a lively character and revealed that the pair spend much of their time together at the club’s training complex.
“Carlos Espi is a very funny boy. We live together in Valdebebas, and we have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. It’s me, my staff, him and Cucurella. He is a very funny person,” said the Real Madrid manager.
Mourinho also said the forward was enjoying an extraordinary period in his career, with the timing of his breakthrough adding to the occasion.
“Imagine that tomorrow is Carlos’ presentation ceremony. What a way to be presented in front of the president and his family! He is living a dream, but he does not work as if he were living on another planet. He works incredibly hard,” Mourinho added.
Espi also impressed his manager with his contribution before the decisive moment. Mourinho highlighted a piece of skill in which the forward received the ball with his back to goal and created an opportunity for Kylian Mbappe.
“Carlos had a great piece of football with his back to goal, setting the ball up for Kylian to face the goal. He is an excellent player,” Mourinho said.
How Real Madrid signed Espi
Mourinho explained that the club began considering Espi after learning that Gonzalo could move to Fulham. Calafat then presented a number of possible options, prompting discussions about the technical qualities Real Madrid needed.
“When we learned about the possibility of Gonzalo moving to Fulham, Calafat put some names on the table and we discussed their technical characteristics,” Mourinho said.
“After a detailed analysis, we are very happy to have him with us. We needed a player with his qualities for matches like this.”
Espi’s late intervention ensured Real Madrid began their campaign with a victory despite not participating in the first round of La Liga. Their opening fixture was postponed because a number of players had gone deep into the World Cup, leaving the club to start their league schedule in the second round.
Mourinho’s comments about Espi were also circulated in a social media post, including his description of the young forward as “a very funny boy” and his account of their shared routine at Valdebebas.
