Raul Asencio's Fight to Save Real Madrid Career

Raul Asencio’s fight to save his Real Madrid career is already under way. At 23, with a high-profile drink‑driving conviction and another court case hanging over him, the defender knows he is on his last warning at the Bernabeu.

Mourinho walks into a storm

When Real Madrid stunned European football in June by handing Jose Mourinho a three-year deal, the narrative was supposed to be about trophies, rebuilding and the Portuguese coach’s return to one of his most famous stages.

Instead, Mourinho walked straight into a series of off‑field fires. Vinicius Junior’s future dominated the early weeks, with the Brazilian heavily linked to Arsenal before finally signing his new contract this summer.

Yet even that saga was eclipsed inside the club by the situation surrounding Raul Asencio.

The young defender is at the centre of a major drink‑driving controversy that has left his future under serious scrutiny and forced Madrid to open internal disciplinary proceedings.

Drink‑driving case and heavy sanction

Asencio was stopped at a breathalyser checkpoint in southern Gran Canaria at around 6:30am on August 16 while driving a Porsche Macan GTS. Police deemed he was over the legal alcohol limit.

He failed both the initial and secondary breath tests.

Figures reported by Spanish outlet Atlantico Hoy state that Asencio registered 0.90 and 0.88 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air – more than three times Spain’s legal limit of 0.25 mg/l.

The response from the courts was swift. The Real Madrid player was summoned to a fast‑track trial and hit with a €14,400 (£12,480) fine, calculated at €120 per day over four months. He also received an eight‑month driving ban.

For a player still trying to establish himself at one of the world’s biggest clubs, the damage to his reputation is as significant as the financial and legal punishment.

Another legal battle

The drink‑driving trial landed just 24 hours before Asencio was due back in court for a separate case.

That second legal proceeding relates to the alleged sharing of a sexually explicit video recorded in 2023 by three of his former Real Madrid youth academy teammates.

Asencio is accused of showing explicit images of two female complainants to another person on his mobile phone. He has privately apologised to both women and paid them compensation, with reports indicating the women have forgiven him.

The legal process, though, still hangs over his name.

Madrid’s response: discipline before redemption

Inside the club, there is no illusion about the seriousness of the situation.

According to Defensa Central, Asencio recognises the gravity of his mistakes in recent years and is determined to draw a line under them. His focus, he has told those around him, is to get back to his best level for Real Madrid and for Mourinho.

That road will not be simple.

Madrid have already opened disciplinary proceedings over the drink‑driving conviction. The internal process will determine what punishment the defender faces before he can be fully reintegrated into the squad.

The range of sanctions is clear: a financial penalty, another form of disciplinary measure, or a combination of both. The club’s decision will hinge on its assessment of the seriousness of the offence and the image it wants to project under Mourinho’s new regime.

Trust to be rebuilt

The damage inside Valdebebas is not just legal or procedural. It is emotional and sporting.

Reports suggest Real Madrid even considered selling Asencio in the summer. An injury halted that possibility and kept him at the club, but it also underlined how fragile his position has become.

He is no longer simply fighting for minutes. He is fighting for trust.

That reality framed a key personal meeting with Mourinho. Asencio is understood to have sat down with the coach and promised to concentrate fully on his career, to improve his football and to work relentlessly to leave his recent past behind.

Mourinho has handled combustible dressing rooms and complicated personalities throughout his career. Now he must decide how far he is willing to go to back a 23‑year‑old defender who has already burned through much of his margin for error.

Asencio says he is ready to change. Real Madrid will decide how many more chances he gets.