Madrid pauses differently after a derby. Real Madrid have been given four days away from Valdebebas following their 2-1 defeat to Atlético de Madrid in the seventh round of the Spanish championship, before José Mourinho begins a carefully divided international-break programme at the club’s training ground on Friday.
The rest period had been scheduled before the loss across the city, rather than being a reaction to it. Once the players return, however, Mourinho’s staff will separate the work according to individual needs: some members of the squad will receive additional recovery time, while others will follow tailored physical and technical sessions.
There are no club fixtures for two weeks, giving the coach room to conduct assessments and set specific plans for the next stretch of the season. The opportunity comes with an obvious limitation. Fifteen Madrid players have left for international duty, reducing the number available for the first-team sessions in the capital.
International absences reshape the work in Valdebebas
Vinicius Junior and Endrick are away with Brazil, while Kylian Mbappé and Eduardo Camavinga have joined France. Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold are with England, alongside further Real Madrid players representing their respective national sides during the window.
Mourinho intends to use the smaller group rather than simply wait for the internationals to return. Academy players will be brought into first-team training, allowing selected young footballers to work alongside the senior squad during the break.
The interval is therefore set to serve several purposes in Madrid: restoring those who need time after the derby, testing others ahead of the campaign’s continuation, and beginning preparations for the matches that follow the international calendar. In a quieter Valdebebas, the programme will be personal rather than uniform.
