Jose Mourinho looks like he’s heading back to the massive time for a second spell at Real Madrid, and also you’d be forgiven for wondering why.
The ‘Special One’ has been getting less and fewer special in recent times as his managerial profession has spun downwards from Europe’s best sides to the likes of Roma and Fenerbache. But Madrid have had a disastrous time by their standards and are heading in the right direction for a second trophyless season in a row for the primary time in 20 years.
If there’s one thing President Florentino Perez cares about greater than anything, it’s winning.
That’s where he reportedly wants Jose to are available.
Madrid’s biggest successes over the past 15 years got here with Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti on the helm, two managers known for not overloading players with silly things like tactical instructions.
Perez tried to vary last 12 months by appointing a flowery modern coach in Xabi Alonso but sacked him as soon because the players decided they didn’t like being told where to face or learn how to play.
Perhaps Perez thinks going back to basics will mark the beginning of a brand new era of continental dominance for Madrid.
Mourinho was being coy when asked a couple of potential return this week.
‘My next goal is to get Benfica to the Champions League.’ he said.
‘If we win the following three matches, we’ll play in Europe’s biggest competition. That’s the one thing on my mind.’
Having fun with this? Read more in Metro’s football newsletter In The Mixer
Get punchy evaluation, transfer talk and previews of the most important games direct to your inbox every Friday. Enroll here.
Would Mourinho be successful back at Real Madrid?
Let’s get the ‘for’ column out of the way in which first.
Madrid’s players are higher than most other teams, so it only takes a little bit of motivation to show them from second place failures to league winners – Mourinho can probably still do this.
But even winning the league isn’t enough at Madrid, where the Champions League and type of play are king, and it makes the ‘against’ column much meatier. Mourinho has had mixed results wherever he’s been since his second spell at Chelsea resulted in tears in 2015.
On the pitch his teams are likely to look toothless and disjointed, and there’s a way that his type of play doesn’t work at the very best level any more – especially while you consider how difficult it’s to get the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe to do any type of defending.
That’s on the pitch, but it surely’s off the pitch where greater problems may lie.
Just this season Mourinho robustly defended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni after he was accused of constructing a racist remark towards Vinicius within the Champions League. Prestianni denied this, admitted he was being homophobic as a substitute and got a six-game ban from UEFA.
Would Vinicius accept a manager who this week backed Prestianni yet again?
‘If I were within the stands, I’d be applauding too,’ Mourinho said after fans celebrated the winger’s return to the pitch on Saturday.
Given Madrid’s success relies on players feeling the love, it’s hardly a match made in heaven.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the newest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Enzo Fernandez’s agent sends transfer message to Real Madrid
MORE: Real Madrid reply to Manchester United interest in Aurelien Tchouameni
MORE: Nicky Butt warns Manchester United over ‘phenomenal’ £70m transfer: ‘It’s an extended shot’