Jose Mourinho has been identified by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as the man to lead the Spanish giants forward, with current head coach Alvaro Arbeloa set to depart at the end of the season, according to reports from fourfourtwo.com.
The Spaniard, who took over from fellow countryman Xabi Alonso in January, is on track to deliver a second-placed La Liga finish identical to Alonso's table position at the time of his departure. According to a report from The Athletic, the decision on who will become Real Madrid's next head coach is led by club president Florentino Perez. During this process, Jose Mourinho has emerged as Perez's favoured candidate to assume the role as Real Madrid's head coach, setting the stage for a managerial return after the 63-year-old's last stint with the club ended in 2013.
Perez is reportedly frustrated with the failing Real Madrid project, which has now yielded two successive trophyless seasons, and believes Jose Mourinho can solve the club's issues. This insistence on a Mourinho return has been met with some opposing voices, but a Perez-led decision on the next Real Madrid manager may eventually render them silent.
It was previously reported that Jose Mourinho's tactical discipline, the presence of nostalgia, and his ability to shield the Real Madrid players from external criticism made the Portuguese coach an alluring figure for the Spanish side. It has also become somewhat common for Real Madrid to welcome back returning managers to the club – notably, both Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti made comebacks in the years following their respective departures.
The Portuguese coach is currently under contract until June 2027 with his current club Benfica; however, there is reportedly a clause in the region of €3 million that allows either party to break the deal up to 10 days after the season's final match. Mourinho led the Spanish side to a record-breaking La Liga title win in the 2011-12 season, but tensions with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo — who ranked at No.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest finishers in football history — were rumoured to be the cause of his demise. During that legendary campaign, Mourinho set the record for the most La Liga games won in a season with 32, the most away wins in a season with 16, and a record points total.
Real Madrid return to La Liga action this weekend against Espanyol, hoping to stop rivals Barcelona from lifting the La Liga trophy.
