Real Madrid Hold Talks Over Jose Mourinho Return
Real Madrid are in talks over the possibility of appointing jose mourinho as their next head coach. The move comes as the club is set to finish a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy, and any deal would need a €3 million release fee.
Mourinho and Madrid
Mourinho has been at Benfica since September, but his name is back at the center of Madrid’s coaching search. Jorge Mendes is working on his behalf, and the Portuguese coach is under contract through June 2027 with a clause that allows him to leave within 10 days of the end of Benfica’s season if the fee is met.
Madrid have already looked at Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, Massimiliano Allegri and Didier Deschamps. That wider search shows the club is still weighing options while it tries to settle on the next coach after a season that has not produced La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey.
Florentino Perez's choice
The Athletic reported last week that Mourinho was Florentino Perez’s favoured candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa was promoted from the club’s reserve team in January after the sacking of Xabi Alonso, which left Madrid with another change in the dugout before this latest round of talks began.
Mourinho’s previous spell at Madrid remains the benchmark for this conversation. Over a three-year stint, he won three trophies, including the 2011 Copa del Rey, the 2011-12 La Liga title with a record points total and the Supercopa de Espana in 2013.
Benfica release clause
The biggest practical hurdle is the fee. Madrid would have to pay about €3 million to release Mourinho from Benfica, where his contract also gives him a short exit window at the end of the season. That leaves the club balancing a familiar name against a clear cost before it can move any further.
Mourinho was sacked by Fenerbahce last summer before taking over at Benfica in September, and Madrid now face a straight choice between pushing ahead on a familiar track or turning again to one of the other candidates already considered.
