Carlos Espi scored a late goal to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Espanyol, prompting manager Jose Mourinho to praise the young forward’s character, work ethic and footballing ability.
The result, secured on Saturday in the second round of La Liga, gave Real Madrid their first three points of the season. They had not played in the opening round because several players were involved in the latter stages of the World Cup.
Speaking at his post-match news conference, Mourinho described Espi as an entertaining personality and said the pair had become familiar with one another while living at the club’s Valdebebas training complex.
“Carlos Espi is a very funny boy. We live together in Valdebebas, and we have breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Me, my staff, him and Cucurella. He is a very funny person,” said the Portuguese manager.
Mourinho added that Espi’s rapid rise had not changed his attitude, despite the attention surrounding his arrival and his decisive contribution against Espanyol.
“Imagine that tomorrow is Carlos’ presentation ceremony, and what a way for him 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 very hard,” Mourinho said.
The manager also highlighted a moment of technical quality from the forward before Real Madrid completed their comeback. With his back to goal, Espi controlled and laid the ball off for Kylian Mbappe, creating an opportunity for the France international to face goal.
“Carlos had a wonderful piece of football with his back to the goal, where he prepared the ball for Kylian (Mbappe) to be one-on-one with 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 be moving to Fulham. Juni Calafat then presented a number of possible alternatives, with the coaching staff discussing the technical qualities required for the position.
“When we learned about the possibility of Gonzalo moving to Fulham, Calafat put some names on the table and we discussed the technical characteristics. After a detailed analysis, we are very happy to have him with us. We needed a player with his qualities in matches like this,” Mourinho said.
Espi’s late intervention ensured Real Madrid left the fixture with all three points, having been forced to wait for their opening league appearance of the campaign. The victory also gave Mourinho an early indication of the contribution the young forward could make after joining the squad.
For Espi, the match provided a memorable start to life at Real Madrid, with his goal coming in front of the club’s president and family shortly before his presentation ceremony, as referenced by Mourinho.
The manager’s comments emphasised both sides of the player’s emergence: Espi is enjoying an extraordinary opportunity, but Mourinho believes his progress is being driven by disciplined work rather than by the excitement surrounding him.
