‘Soap Operas’—Jose Mourinho Responds to Rumors of Potential Real Madrid Return

Jose Mourinho has been one of the names linked to the Real Madrid job following Xabi Alonso’s exit.

Jose Mourinho spent three seasons managing Real Madrid in the early 2010’s. | IMAGO/Pond5 Images

Amid the turmoil Real Madrid have experienced over the past week, José Mourinho shut down the speculation linking him with a return to the Spanish capital while describing the club’s situation as a “soap opera.”

Álvaro Arbeloa was appointed as Real Madrid’s new manager after the club parted ways with Xabi Alonso. Arbeloa will be in charge of Los Blancos the rest of the season, but there’s no certainty that he’ll still be at the helm for the 2026–27 season.

A number of high-profile managers have been linked with the Real Madrid job since Alonso’s departure, with Mourinho being one of them. Still, when asked about the possibility, the Benfica boss had a classic Mourinho response.

“Don’t count on me for soap operas,” Mourinho said, via AS. “There are good soap operas but they’re very long, if you miss one or two episodes you lose track. Don’t count on me, because I don’t watch soap operas.”

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Florentino Perez Reportedly Hatched ‘Mourinho Plan’

Florentino Pérez (left) is reportedly interested in reuniting with Jose Mourinho. | Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Mourinho shutting down any potential return to the Bernabéu dugout comes soon after Spanish outlets suggested that the Portuguese boss was Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s top choice to become the club’s new permanent manager.

In the hours following Alonso’s departure, El Partidazo de COPE reported that despite Arbeloa being in charge for the rest of the term, Pérez’s main desire was to bring back Mourinho next season.

According to Alfredo Relaño, Mourinho’s relationship with Pérez remains strong, detailing that it wouldn’t surprise him if the president pushed for the Portuguese to return for a second stint at the helm.

Mourinho joined Real Madrid ahead of the 2010–11 season and was given the mission to help Los Blancos put an end to Barcelona’s era of dominance under Pep Guardiola. Mourinho won three major trophies in his three seasons in the Spanish capital, leading Real Madrid to become the first team in La Liga history to register 100 points in 2011–12.

Failing to conquer the Champions League eventually saw Mourinho exit the club. However, he made three consecutive semifinal appearances, and he made sure to emphasize at the time that the previous 18 Real Madrid managers had achieved just five semifinal trips combined.

Although Mourinho has shut down a potential return to Los Blancos, he remains a deeply beloved figure for a large section of the fanbase and an inspiration to many, including current boss, Arbeloa, who’s repeatedly stated he considers himself “Mourinhista.”

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