Who will be Real Madrid's coach next season is a question many people have asked since January, when Álvaro Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso: few predicted that the former Real Madrid Castilla manager would remain for longer than half a season, unless a miracle happened (and it didn't). Two names have been tossed around for months, with current USA manager Mauricio Pochettino sounding like the most likely choice, while Head of Global Football for Red Bull GmbH Jurgen Klopp being the fantasy choice.
But a new name has been sounding more and more loudly, to the point that The Athletic reports today that he is Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez's preferred choice: José Mourinho.
They say that, according to multiple anonymous sources, Pérez will have the final decision on which manager to bring in, in contrast to the hiring of Alonso last year to replace Carlo Ancelotti, a process which was led by the general manager Jose Ángel Sánchez with the green light by Pérez.
Mourinho has a €3 million exit clause from Benfica
Mourinho currently coaches Benfica, returning to the first team he coached 25 years ago after one year at Fenerbaçe and three at Roma, a team that has remained unbeaten in the Primeira Liga, but has nearly impossible chances to win the league, seven points behind Porto with only three games remaining. His contract in Portugal ends in June 2027, but has a €3 million exit clause to break the deal up to 10 days after the final match of the season, which will be on May 16.
Mourinho trained Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013: he won a league title with a point record and a Spanish Cup, but was less successful than expected and didn't manage to win Champions League, a pending subject that Mourinho will want to fix if he is appointed next season.
However, Mourinho has always been a divisive figure at the club, and still now there is some internal opposition to his potential appointment. Not that it wouldn't matter much, as according to The Athletic's sources, Pérez wants to have control in the decision for their next coach...