‘I think other coaches are better equipped’
Real Madrid is closer than ever to seeing a José Mourinho return at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the details of the Portuguese’s appointment set to be finalised after the end of the Spanish league season.
For the club and its president Florentino Pérez, who went on the attack against his critics on Tuesday evening and from the club’s members demanded a fresh mandate, the current Benfica manager coach is the first choice.
The 63-year-old manager has one more game in charge of Benfica this season.
His team is still unbeaten in the Portuguese top flight, but currently placed to finish third.
Mourinho is likely to deal directly with Pérez over the terms of his appointment, The Telegraph reported.
But with Benfica, who have “The Special One” under contract until the summer of 2027, there will have to be an agreement.
On that front no problems are expected, however.
That said, while Mourinho is on the verge of a Real Madrid return, some 13 years after the last of his three seasons at the club, a legend of the club is strongly against it.
‘Personal opinion and nothing more’
Club legend Iker Casillas on Tuesday caused a stir on social media by expressing his strong opposition to the Portuguese’s potential return to the Santiago Bernabeu bench.
The former Spanish international, 44, used his official account on X (formerly Twitter) to weigh in on the rumours.
Casillas was emphatic in his remarks regarding the type of manager the club needs ahead of Alvaro Arbeloa’s possible departure.
“I have no problem with Mourinho. He seems like a great professional to me. I don’t want him at Real Madrid. I think other coaches would be better equipped to coach at the club of my life. Personal opinion. Nothing more”, the former club captain wrote.
In spite of the tense relationship they shared during Mourinho’s time at the Bernabeu, which ended with the goalkeeper being benched and causing a social rift within Madrid, the former goalkeeper wanted to separate the professional from the personal.
Casillas acknowledged the value of “The Special One” as a manager before clarifying that his words didn’t stem from past animosity.
Rather, he insisted, they came from a purely sporting perspective on what the club needs now.
Two years without a title ‘a cause for concern’ at Real
The legendary goalkeeper’s comments weren’t limited to the name of the future coach, as in a separate post, he also analysed the current state of the Madrid.
In recent seasons he was critical of the team’s performance, pointing out that the lack of major trophies in the Bernabeu trophy cabinet is a warning sign for the board led by Florentino Perez.
“When Real Madrid goes two seasons without winning a title, it’s cause for concern”, he said.
At the weekend, Real Madrid were beaten 2-0 in El Clasico, which confirmed Barcelona as La Liga champions for a second successive year.
While Arbeloa will still be hoping to finish the season strongly, with matches against Real Oviedo, Sevilla and Athletic Club to come, a firm decision is expected on who will lead the ‘Los Blancos’ next season.
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