Florentino Perez Wants Jose Mourinho to Fix ‘Ruined’ Real Madrid Project

Perez wants Mourinho back at Real Madrid

Florentino Perez wants Jose Mourinho as Real Madrid coach next season, per The Athletic. The board prefers Klopp, Pochettino, or Scaloni.

Jose Mourinho has a €3m Benfica release clause amid Real Madrid links...

The Athletic reports that Jose Mourinho is Real Madrid president Florentino Perez’s preferred choice to become Merengues coach next season. Its understood the club’s management favors other candidates, setting up a tug-of-war.

Journalists David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana at The Athletic say Florentino Perez is personally leading the search for Real Madrid’s next coach.

Arbeloa, who replaced the sacked Xabi Alonso in January, is expected to be dismissed in June. Real Madrid are set to finish the season empty-handed for a second straight year, missing out on LaLiga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey.

Unlike Alonso’s appointment, which was led by general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, Perez has now taken control of the process. The president wants to rebuild what he sees as a broken project and views Mourinho as the right figure to bring competitiveness back to the Bernabeu.

 

While Mourinho is Florentino Perez’s personal choice, the club’s board is considering other candidates.

Based on information gathered, the coaching staff’s top pick is German Jurgen Klopp. But his methodical approach to building projects and his struggles managing dressing-room egos are viewed as obstacles.

Two Argentinians are also on the shortlist: Mauricio Pochettino, who is open to a Madrid move, and Lionel Scaloni. The current Argentina coach has already been approached by the club but won’t respond until after the World Cup.

Didier Deschamps’ name has also surfaced. He will step down from the French national team after the summer tournament, though his chances of landing the job look slim for now.

Given the situation, Mourinho looks like the logical option. The Portuguese is just a phone call away from returning to familiar ground and is viewed by the president as the only one who can restore the competitive edge lost this season.

Mourinho joined Benfica in September 2025 on a deal running until June 2027. The contract includes a cancellation clause of around three million euros that either side can trigger up to 10 days after the last official game of this season.

🚨 Jose Mourinho preferred candidate of Florentino Perez to become next Real Madrid head coach. Support not universal inside #RMFC but president driving process so 63yo strong contender. ~€3m break clause in Benfica deal. W/ @MarioCortegana @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/7FqeSOBh68

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) April 28, 2026

‘Special One’ Comeback Sparks Boardroom Split

A Madrid return would let Mourinho and Perez revive a partnership that delivered three trophies from 2010 to 2013, including LaLiga with a record 100 points in 2011/12. Yet there is no agreement inside the club on the 63-year-old coach.

Sources close to the club say several internal figures oppose his return. They point to the division he left in the dressing room and the well-known tension with then-captain Iker Casillas.