Real Madrid are in trouble. And when Real Madrid are in trouble, Florentino Perez always asks those around him, “Is there anything to be said for bringing back Jose Mourinho?” Why? Because hiring Mourinho worked once before. Kind of. Back in 2010, Madrid had been put in an unbearable position by Barcelona. They weren’t just being beaten by their most hated rivals, they were being embarrassed by them. So, Perez turned to Mourinho, the self-anointed ‘Special One’ who had just upset Pep Guardiola’s pass-masters – in every sense – on his way to winning a European Cup with Inter.
His first Clasico ended in abject humiliation, but Mourinho subsequently managed to get under Guardiola’s skin by somehow increasing the toxicity surrounding one of the most politically-charged and passionately-felt fixtures in world football – and to such an extent that it actually caused divisions within the Spain squad.
The atmosphere of animosity suited Mourinho’s cynical style of play down to the ground, and he ended Madrid’s painful three-year trophy drought by defeating arguably the finest team in football history in the 2011 Copa del Rey final, before ending the Catalans’ three-year reign as La Liga champions the following year.
By the summer of 2013, though, Mourinho was gone – and nobody was especially sad to see him go. Except for Perez. During an increasingly turbulent tenure, Mourinho had fallen out with pretty much everyone connected to the club – from players to the press – but Perez thought about reappointing the Portuguese as coach in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023 and now, according to The Athletic, he’s seriously considering it again.
So, is the right for Mourinho to return to Real? Or is this a disaster waiting to happen?
