Mourinho Benches Bernardo Silva Despite Personally Pushing Florentino to Sign Him

Mourinho was the driving force behind Bernardo Silva’s move to Real Madrid, but the Portuguese midfielder has suddenly found himself out of the starting XI — even when his manager needs creativity.

José Mourinho personally pushed Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez to sign Bernardo Silva this summer, but the Portuguese coach has now made a surprising decision regarding his compatriot.

Bernardo arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu after leaving Manchester City and choosing Real Madrid over Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. Mourinho had been instrumental in convincing the midfielder to make the move, viewing him as a player capable of adding intelligence and creativity to his midfield.

Mourinho had even made it clear that Bernardo was a player he had wanted for a long time.

“He gives us everything. He is a midfielder today, but he can play as a No. 10, on the right wing, or come inside. He can play anywhere,” Mourinho said previously, highlighting the Portuguese’s versatility and footballing intelligence.

Yet Bernardo’s situation has changed considerably.

Mourinho chooses other options

Despite being one of Mourinho’s personal transfer requests, Bernardo has struggled to establish himself as an automatic starter.

The Portuguese midfielder was left on the bench for the Madrid derby against Atlético, with Mourinho opting for a more physically balanced midfield.

Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were preferred in the deeper positions, while Arda Güler was given a more advanced role. Bernardo therefore had to wait for his opportunity from the bench.

The decision was particularly notable because Mourinho had previously considered Bernardo one of his key options for controlling games through possession.

Real Madrid had also been weighing up the choice between Tchouaméni’s physical presence and Bernardo’s ability to keep the ball and create.

From Mourinho’s priority signing to a rotation player

Bernardo’s first weeks in Madrid have therefore been more complicated than expected.

The midfielder started the season as a regular, but his role has gradually decreased as other players have impressed. Recent reports indicate that Valverde and Tchouaméni have increasingly become Mourinho’s preferred options in the double pivot, while Güler has also established himself as an important part of the midfield structure.

That does not necessarily mean Mourinho has lost faith in Bernardo.

The 32-year-old remains one of the most technically gifted players in the squad and his versatility gives the manager another option when Real Madrid need greater control and creativity.

Mourinho himself has described Bernardo as a player he has admired “from always” and insisted that his signing was based on the belief that he was Real Madrid level.

For now, however, the situation is an unusual one: the manager who personally pushed Florentino Pérez to sign Bernardo Silva is also the man deciding that the Portuguese midfielder does not always belong in his starting XI.

And with competition for places only getting tougher, Bernardo will now have to fight his way back into Mourinho’s plans.