Rumors linking José Mourinho as one of the leading candidates to take over the Real Madrid bench next season continue to generate opinions both for and against. One of the harshest criticisms has come in a column by Mark Doyle, published on Goal.com.
The piece lays out the reasons why a return for the Portuguese coach to the Santiago Bernabéu would be ill-advised, taking into account his poor current footballing form and the way his first spell in charge of the club ended. It is a gamble in which Florentino Pérez appears willing to risk everything.
“Real Madrid would be crazy to re-sign José Mourinho! His potential return to the Bernabéu reflects Florentino Pérez’s desperation,” reads the headline of the article by Goal.com’s editor-in-chief.
Captura de pantalla 2026-04-29 190715
“Mourinho is no longer King Midas: he still generates controversy but no longer trophies. He has gone 11 years without winning a league title, and his most recent silverware was the 2022 Conference League, which reflects his current level despite his two Champions Leagues,” Doyle explained.
“Mourinho is nothing like the last two Real Madrid managers to win the Champions League: Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. He is far more aggressive and confrontational, and his constant intensity ultimately led to a premature end to his first spell at the Bernabéu,” he recalled.
“During an increasingly turbulent period, Mourinho had fallen out with practically everyone connected to the club — from players to the press — yet Pérez considered reappointing the Portuguese coach in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2023, and now once again,” he concluded.
