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, the defender stands at a crossroads: one of Europe’s biggest clubs on one side, a string of serious off-field mistakes on the other.
Mourinho walks into a storm
When Real Madrid stunned the game in June by bringing Jose Mourinho back on a three-year deal, the expectation was clear: trophies, authority, control. He returned to a dressing room full of stars and subplots.
The Vinicius Junior saga dominated the early weeks, with the Brazilian heavily linked to Arsenal before signing his new contract. That alone would have been enough drama for most summers.
But waiting for Mourinho behind the headlines was something more delicate, and more damaging for the club’s image: the case of Raul Asencio.
Drink-driving scandal in Gran Canaria
On August 16, at around 6:30am in southern Gran Canaria, police stopped Asencio at a breathalyser checkpoint while he was driving a Porsche Macan GTS. The routine check quickly escalated.
He failed both the initial and secondary breath tests.
Figures published by Spanish outlet Atlantico Hoy stated readings of 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. There was no grey area, no marginal call. The numbers were stark.
What followed was swift. Asencio was summoned to a fast-track trial and handed a €14,400 (£12,480) fine, calculated as €120 per day over four months. He also received an eight-month driving ban.
For a young defender trying to establish himself at Real Madrid, it was a brutal, self-inflicted setback.
Another case hanging over him
The drink-driving conviction is not the only issue clouding Asencio’s future.
The trial came just one day before he was due back in court over a separate legal proceeding, relating to the sharing of a sexually explicit video allegedly 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 the pair said to have forgiven him. The legal process, though, still marks his record and reputation.
For Real Madrid, it means dealing with more than just a traffic offence. It is about conduct, responsibility and what the club expects from anyone wearing its badge.
Madrid open disciplinary case
Inside Valdebebas, the situation has triggered formal action. According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid have opened disciplinary proceedings against Asencio over the drink-driving conviction.
The club will now decide how severe the internal punishment should be. That could mean a financial penalty or another disciplinary sanction before he is fully reintegrated into the first-team group.
Nothing is guaranteed. Reports have already suggested that Madrid even considered selling him in the summer, only for an injury to block any realistic chance of listening to offers. The patience in the boardroom is not unlimited.
Mourinho’s test of trust
Amid this, Asencio is said to be fully aware of the damage he has done. The same reports claim he has accepted responsibility for his recent behaviour and is determined to put it behind him.
He has reportedly held a personal meeting with Mourinho, promising to focus completely on his career, improve his football and leave his recent past where it belongs.
For the coach, it is an early test of his authority and judgement in his second spell at the Bernabeu. Does he believe the player’s remorse? Can he trust him in a squad expected to live under the brightest spotlight in world football?
Asencio wants a fresh start. Real Madrid will decide if he deserves one.
