Spanish giants Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho are reportedly finalizing a deal to make the 63 year old the club’s next head coach.
According to multiple sources, Mourinho is the only candidate currently in negotiations with the club, with a deal expected to be announced in the next 24 hours. If the two sides do reunite, it will mark the first time Mourinho has patrolled the sidelines at the Bernabeu in 13 years.
Former player Wesley Sneijder told reporters “Real Madrid are one of the teams that needs a great coach, but also a manager capable of controlling incredible players with very strong personalities. I think he’s the ideal person for that role right now, and they need to sign him. If they sign him, it will be a very good decision.”
According to Fabrizio Romano, the two sides have been in direct contact over the last few weeks. Following the weekend, the talks intensified, with club president Florentino Perez expected to approve the deal at any moment.
Mourinho has been serving as manager of Benfica in Portugal since September. There is however a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for a fee of 3M euros up to 10 days after their final match of the season. Benfica is currently scheduled to play against Estoril Praia on Saturday in their season finale.
During his previous stint with the club, the famed manager won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup before jumping ship to the Premier League. He’s since had runs with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahce.
With both on field and off field struggles dominating the headlines of late, Real Madrid are looking for a professional who can restore the team’s image in ways beyond just the X’s and O’s of coaching. While the dressing room antics will certainly be a priority, Mourinho will also need to get Real back to their winning ways.
This season marks the second consecutive year where Real Madrid have been held trophy-less, which has left a sour taste in the mouth of executives and fans alike.
While the deal appears to be essentially ratified at this point, expect a formal announcement of the signing to come next week after Mourinho’s obligations in Portugal are wrapped up.
Photo: Ronnie Macdonald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.