The renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano indicated that José Mourinho welcomes a return to Real Madrid for a second stint, despite acknowledging the immense work it would require to bring the Royal Club back to its winning ways.
The “Special One’s” name has been linked to the Real Madrid job following his successful spell with Benfica, especially since Mourinho is familiar with the inner workings of the Santiago Bernabéu and is one of the few capable of restoring the missing discipline to the Los Blancos’ dressing room.
Perhaps the events of the Benfica-Real Madrid match, and how Mourinho defended Gianluca Brestiani against Vinicius Junior’s accusations of racial abuse, contributed to the Portuguese coach’s diminished chances of succeeding Álvaro Arbeloa, but he remains a viable option.
In any case, Romano explained that Mourinho will leave Benfica at the end of the season after his relationship with most of the Portuguese club’s players deteriorated, especially after his statements attacking some of them and expressing his wish never to see them in the club’s jersey again.
Mourinho is very interested in the option of returning to coach Real Madrid if the opportunity arises. He believes he can turn things around at the Bernabéu and lead the club back to winning ways after two years without titles.
However, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has not yet made a decision regarding Mourinho’s return. At the moment, he prefers other options, most notably Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of the US national team.
The Argentine has previously welcomed the opportunity to coach the Spanish giants, while Jürgen Klopp is also on Pérez’s shortlist. Pérez is still undecided about whether to dismiss Arbeloa or give him another chance, although it seems likely that the former Real Madrid right-back will leave at the end of this season.
Mourinho coached Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, leading the club to reclaim the long-absent Spanish league title, as well as challenging Barcelona during its best historical period, and laying the foundation for the generation that won 4 Champions League titles, before leaving to return to Chelsea despite Perez’s attempts to keep him at the time.
