Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
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Real Madrid appear to have closed the chapter on first-team signings for next season, but the club are still strengthening Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff.
Indeed, according to journalist Rodra (h/t Defensa Central), Los Blancos have brought in Fran Lapiedra, a former Valencia analyst who worked as part of Carlos Corberán’s coaching staff.
After many years at Valencia, Lapiedra is now moving to the Santiago Bernabeu and joining Mourinho’s team, having left Los Che a few weeks ago.
Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid with much of the same coaching structure he had used during his time at Benfica in Lisbon.
There are, however, some notable additions, including former midfielder Sami Khedira as a special assistant, reflecting Mourinho’s preference for having a former player close to the squad.
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
Jose Mourinho with his staff members. (Picture credit: X/@realmadrid)
Meanwhile, Florentino Perez’s trusted personnel, Antonio Pintus, has remained a part of the Portuguese tactician’s staff at the club’s request to oversee physical preparation.
Goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis, meanwhile, was left outside the first-team structure despite still having a contract with the club and has moved into another area without direct involvement with the senior squad.
Lapiedra will work under Roberto Merella, the first-team’s head of analysis.
His responsibilities will include analysing opponents and Real Madrid’s own performances, identifying tactical patterns and preparing audiovisual material that Mourinho and his staff can use when preparing for matches.
His arrival therefore strengthens a department that is expected to play an important role in Mourinho’s methodology.
Lapiedra brings extensive experience in professional football, particularly in La Liga. His career has been closely connected with Valencia for many years. He began working in the club’s academy before moving up to the first team in 2020.
He subsequently worked as an assistant coach and collaborated with figures including Mista before becoming part of Valencia’s first-team analysis department.
He later worked alongside Jose Bordalas during the 2021-22 season, followed by a spell with Gennaro Gattuso. He then became a regular member of the coaching staffs led by Ruben Baraja and, most recently, Carlos Corberan.
Lapiedra’s versatility is one of the qualities he can bring to Real Madrid. His work has extended beyond match analysis to studying training sessions and opposition teams.
During his time at Valencia, he was involved in tactical analysis and also had a presence on the bench, giving him practical experience in delivering relevant information to the coaching staff during matches.
His arrival could also strengthen Mourinho’s team’s knowledge of Spanish football and La Liga.
Merella remains Mourinho’s trusted figure in the analysis department and has a long working relationship with the Portuguese coach. Lapiedra, meanwhile, adds years of experience within Spanish football.
Carlos Espi of Real Madrid
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Real Madrid have registered their fifth signing of the summer with La Liga, with forward Carlos Espi now officially listed as a first-team player.
Espi joined Los Blancos from Levante, with the club signing him by activating his €25 million release clause.
The 21-year-old Spaniard’s signing was a personal request from manager Jose Mourinho, who sought the striker of the youngster’s profile, especially after Gonzalo Garcia’s departure to Fulham.
Having signed the youngster, Los Blancos could have registered the striker as a reserve team player for Castilla in Primera Federacion.
At just 21 years old, Espi is comfortably below the federation’s age limit for players who can be registered with a reserve team.
However, the Spanish capital giants have decided to register the striker directly with the senior squad.
The 21-year-old becomes the latest of the club’s new arrivals to complete his La Liga registration. And, as revealed by the club on Monday, he will wear the No. 19 shirt in the upcoming season.
With Espi’s registration completed, the club have registered five of their six new signings.
There is now just one Real Madrid summer arrival who has yet to be registered with La Liga: Ivorian defender Yan Diomande.
Yan Diomande of Real Madrid
Registration pending. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
The Merengues are expected to resolve his situation in the coming days.
Like Espi, Diomande is young enough to be registered with Castilla, despite being the most expensive signing in the club’s history at €140 million, including add-ons.
But he is expected to be registered directly with the first team as well, considering that he has already been given the No. 25 shirt.