Portuguese coach José Mourinho, currently at Benfica, has emerged as the leading candidate to take over Real Madrid next season amid the turmoil at the Santiago Bernabéu this campaign.
Real Madrid started the season with Xabi Alonso at the helm, but he was dismissed after losing the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona. Álvaro Arbeloa took over but failed to turn things around, leaving the club trophyless once again. The club is now searching for a figure capable of restoring discipline to the dressing room, especially after recent altercations between stars like Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde.
Multiple reports indicate that Mourinho, who previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, has seen his stock rise significantly with the club’s board for a second stint.
The debate over the new coach has naturally spilled into the media. Prominent journalist Paco González, speaking on the “El Partidazo” program on Cadena COPE, voiced his strong opposition to Mourinho’s return. According to Mundo Deportivo, González said, “I don’t want Mourinho back at Real Madrid because he is a bully.”
He continued, “I know there are many Mourinho fans lately, but he’s still a man who has spent the last ten years coaching low-tier teams, not winning, and he is no longer the dynamic coach he was when he arrived from Inter Milan and won the Champions League. He is a man managed by Jorge Mendes.”
González added, “Florentino Pérez didn’t end things well with Mourinho either [during his first spell]. At that time, my relationship with Florentino was very good, and he didn’t offer Mourinho a contract extension.”
He concluded, “Mourinho left the dressing room divided, with Casillas acting like a spy and Ramos wearing Özil’s shirt. On top of all that, he is a bully, just like Piqué [the former Barcelona defender]. I don’t like Mourinho because he is a bully, and I don’t like bullying.”