José Mourinho Reveals Turning Down Florentino Pérez's Plea to Stay at Real Madrid as One of His Biggest Regrets

José Mourinho has confessed that rejecting Florentino Pérez's offer to stay at Real Madrid remains one of his greatest regrets, with the Portuguese coach having instead opted to return to Chelsea.

José Mourinho, currently at the helm of Turkish club Fenerbahçe, has reflected on his past decisions, revealing that turning down Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez's request to stay at the club is one of his biggest regrets. In an interview with CorSport, Mourinho recounted the conversation he had with Pérez, who had urged him to remain at the Santiago Bernabéu.

“Saying no to Florentino Pérez remains one of the big regrets,” Mourinho admitted. The Portuguese coach recalled Pérez's words, which had attempted to persuade him to stay: “He told me: 'Don't leave now, you've done the hard part and the good part is yet to come. Stay at Real Madrid'.”

However, Mourinho's desire to return to Chelsea, a club he had previously managed, ultimately led to his departure from Real Madrid. “But I wanted to return to Chelsea after 3 tough years in Spain!” Mourinho explained. Despite his success at Chelsea, Mourinho's decision to leave Real Madrid has clearly left a lasting impression on him.