Real Madrid’s pre-season officially begins today, with Jose Mourinho taking charge of training for the first time since his re-appointment.The 63-year-old is back for a second spell in charge at the Bernabeu, after Madrid president Florentino Perez turned to the Portuguese to lead a new charge for silverware after two seasons without a trophy — just like he did in 2010.But with some Madrid players still at the World Cup, Mourinho will have to wait to get the full squad together.So, what exactly have Real Madrid got planned over the next month before La Liga restarts in August?Why is pre-season different this year?Firstly, there is Mourinho’s arrival. Mourinho and his new coaching staff arrived in Madrid on Thursday. The group includes assistant coaches Joao Tralhao, Pedro Machado, fitness coach Antonio Dias, analyst Roberto Merella and goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.Former Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, 39, is also taking up an assistant role on Mourinho’s staff.“I am here to create a culture of work, responsibility, ambition and something I know very well: the honour of representing Real Madrid,” Mourinho told club media.“We are working a lot. It is not that I arrive here today and everything starts. We have been working hard for a long time with the club’s structure at different levels.”Another factor that makes this pre-season different is the schedule.In recent years, Real Madrid have held pre-season tours in the United States, favouring the commercial and financial opportunities. That option was considered again, but this year they will instead remain based at their training ground, while travelling for some friendlies.Two pre-season fixtures have already been confirmed. Madrid will play Fiorentina at the Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, Austria, on August 1. They will then play Deportivo de la Coruna at their Estadio de Riazor on August 8. That will be the 81st edition of Deportivo’s traditional annual friendly match, the Trofeo Teresa Herrera.Club sources say at least one more warm-up match should be arranged. One possibility is a behind-closed-doors friendly at their training ground against a local side.A third factor is the concerns Madrid have about how last summer’s Club World Cup affected the squad’s fitness levels over 2025-26.Madrid president Florentino Perez said in an interview with La Sexta in May that he believed their disappointing results and injury problems stemmed from that. It is a view shared by fitness coach Antonio Pintus, who will have a role under Mourinho.Who will be back in training from Monday?The players who were not called up for the World Cup. They have had just over seven weeks off since the end of last season.Their number includes goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, centre-backs Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio, left-back Alvaro Carreras, midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, winger Franco Mastantuono and striker Gonzalo Garcia.Camavinga was already back on Friday. Club sources — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment — say he was simply “eager” to return. Some players, such as Huijsen and Carreras, have already completed individual preparation work in recent weeks.During the first week of training, players are expected to go through several double sessions, as well as gym work.