Real Madrid Legend Rules Out Mourinho, Klopp for Manager’s Job—Names Preferred Candidates

The former manager and sporting director assessed the current list of candidates.

José Mourinho is among the frontrunners to take over Real Madrid. | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Real Madrid legend Jorge Valdano has ruled out José Mourinho’s potential return to the Bernabéu this summer, calling the Benfica manager’s time in the Spanish capital “a closed chapter.”

With Madrid set for a second successive season without a major trophy, the club is poised for a summer of change. Álvaro Arbeloa looks highly unlikely to continue in his role as manager beyond the end of the campaign, having failed to right the ship following Xabi Alonso’s mid-season departure.

A number of candidates have been reported as being of interest to Madrid ahead of the off-season, with those regularly name-checked including Jürgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Didier Deschamps and Mourinho.

Mourinho initially appeared something of an outside bet to return to the club he led from 2010–2013, but the rumors surrounding the 63-year-old Portuguese have gained traction in recent weeks.

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez remains a fan of Mourinho, while Kylian Mbappé was spotted liking a post promoting the two-time Champions League winner’s return to the Bernabéu.

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Mourinho Not Coming Back, Says Valdano

José Mourinho and Jorge Valdano worked together from 2010–2011. | DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty Images

One man who isn’t convinced about a Mourinho second coming is Valdano. The 70-year-old former Madrid player, manager and sporting director—now a regular TV pundit in Spain—was quick to dismiss the idea of Mourinho as he ran through the list of candidates on Movistar Plus+ .

“Mourinho is a closed chapter at the club and I don't think he'll be coming back,” he said.

Valdano and Mourinho have history. The former Argentina forward served as director general under Pérez during Mourinho’s first Madrid spell and was one of several people to have clashed with the abrasive Portuguese manager.

He left his director’s role in 2011, citing “confusion of roles between his and that of the coach”, as he grappled for sporting control with Mourinho.

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Valdano Names His Preferred Choices

Mauricio Pochettino is the current USMNT manager. | Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Valdano also ruled out former Liverpool boss Klopp as a realistic candidate for Madrid.

He said: “Klopp needs a year to build a team, and I find it hard to believe that at a club like Real Madrid he can have just one year because results are needed first.”

Valdano was more positive when speaking about international managers Deschamps, stepping down as France boss after the World Cup, and Pochettino, who may not continue with the USMNT.

“Pochettino is a manager who has twice come very close to joining Real Madrid. And when that happens, it's because it's clear that he's a type of manager who is very attractive to the club,” he said.

On Deschamps, he added: “We are talking about a coach who is a world champion and could be a good fit for Real Madrid. We must remember that they have players like [Aurélien] Tchouaméni, [Eduardo] Camavinga, and Mbappé, and he is a coach who knows them and has managed them well.”