Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho’s Stance on Managerial Reunion After Contract Revelation

José Mourinho offered a mischievously mixed response to talk of a return to the Real Madrid dugout amid conflicting reports about the club’s stance. The prospect of extracting Mourinho from his Benfica contract without a financial penalty is an intriguing wrinkle.

Mourinho returned to the Lisbon giants in September and steered them into the Champions League knockout stages with a dramatic victory against Real Madrid in January. As fate would have it, Benfica were paired with their Spanish counterparts for this month’s two-legged European tie.

Ahead of the first leg on Tuesday evening, Mourinho began the psychological warfare—this, after all, is a coach who considers the game to start and end in the press conferences on either side of the 90 minutes.

“I don’t want to fuel stories that don’t exist,” Mourinho told assembled media, before sprinkling the metaphorical gasoline around the room. “I have one more year on my contract with Benfica; it’s special because it’s an election period and we wanted to protect a new president. It has an easy-to-break clause. I have nothing against Madrid.”

The exact terms of that break clause ensure that Mourinho can leave Benfica to join another club without any financial compensation required should he depart within 10 days of the final match of the current season, according to AS. Whether either party would be willing to trigger that option is a matter of intense speculation.

Would Mourinho Return to Real Madrid?

José Mourinho came back to haunt Real Madrid. | Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

Mourinho was asked by one reporter this week whether any manager could ever turn down Real Madrid. “Yes, you can,” he smiled.

While AS claim that Mourinho is content with his current position at Benfica, a club who discarded him after less than three months right at the start of his managerial career, “a call from Real Madrid could change everything.”

Mourinho spent three grueling seasons in the Spanish captain between 2010–13. This spell produced one record-shattering league title at the expense of Pep Guardiola’s all conquering Barcelona but brought no Champions League glory. Madrid fell at the semifinal hurdle on three occasions, with a penalty shootout loss to Bayern Munich in the middle of that run the most agonizing.

Yet, that tenure is chiefly remembered for the toxicity which Mourinho inspired. Players were left in tears by his fearsome approach and a general sense of paranoia gripped the club as their manager repeatedly cried conspiracy against all referees.

“I did some things well and some things badly,” Mourinho conceded this week, describing his time as “difficult, intense and violent.” Yet, the passage of time may have washed away those dark memories.

Would Real Madrid Go Back for Mourinho?

According to Mourinho, he is tied to Madrid for life. “When a professional gives everything, there is a connection that lasts forever,” he beamed. “My feeling after these 12 years with the Madrid fans is the same as theirs: they respect me and hold me in high esteem. It’s fantastic for me.”

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is thought to share the same lofty opinion as the club’s supporters. The Independent claim that the club’s leader “never went off” Mourinho and still considers him to be “the best coach he’s had at the club.”

While that outlet report that other members of the hierarchy are “warming” to Mourinho, AS claim that he is not being actively considered.

This month’s two legs against Madrid not only give Mourinho the perfect stage to prove his worth but also another opportunity to butter up Pérez. “The last time we spoke was when I signed with Benfica,” he reflected. “He told me he was very happy because I had signed for a great club. He didn’t come to the last match; I hope he’ll be here tomorrow so I can talk to him. We’re great friends.”

Would Mourinho Return to Real Madrid?

Would Real Madrid Go Back for Mourinho?

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