{"id":13542,"date":"2026-04-28T21:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/13542\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T21:31:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:31:12","slug":"jose-mourinho-back-to-real-madrid-perez-favors-benfica-boss-to-replace-arbeloa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/13542\/","title":{"rendered":"Jose Mourinho back to Real Madrid? Perez Favors Benfica Boss To Replace Arbeloa"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Mourinho is reportedly the leading candidate to return to Real Madrid as head coach if Alvaro Arbeloa is sacked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Club president Florentino Perez is reportedly driving the pursuit of the current Benfica boss to lift the squad after a difficult campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With a manageable break clause in his contract, the ‘Special One’ could be set for a sensational second act at the Santiago Bernab\u00e9u.<\/p>\n

Mourinho in line for Bernabeu comeback<\/p>\n

Mourinho is being heavily linked with a sensational return to Real Madrid<\/a> as the club prepares for a managerial change.<\/p>\n

The potential appointment comes at a time when the club is seeking a proven winner to stabilize a project that has struggled for consistency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mourinho, who managed the Merengues between 2010 and 2013, has maintained a close relationship with Perez.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His availability is aided by a specific clause in his Benfica deal, which reportedly allows for a separation for a fee in the region of \u20ac3 million within ten days of the season’s end.<\/p>\n

Perez identifies Arbeloa successor<\/p>\n

The catalyst for this search was doubts over Arbeloa’s future as permanent manager at the Santiago Bernab\u00e9u.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Arbeloa was appointed head coach in January 2026 following the sacking of Xabi Alonso, but he has struggled to turn the team around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With Madrid set to finish a second successive season without a major trophy, Perez is likely to choose an elite, high-profile figure to restore the club’s competitive edge.<\/p>\n

While Arbeloa remains a respected figure within the club\u2019s infrastructure, the hierarchy believes the senior squad requires a more experienced hand to navigate the transition of young talents into world-class performers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perez views Mourinho\u2019s psychological approach and uncompromising standards as the ideal remedy for the squad\u2019s current lack of grit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The president is reportedly leading the hiring process personally, similar to his previous interventions during high-pressure periods for the club.<\/p>\n

Mourinho’s enduring legacy in Madrid<\/p>\n

During his first stint in Spain<\/a>, Mourinho famously broke the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona<\/a>, clinching the 2011-12 La Liga<\/a> title with a record-breaking 100 points and 121 goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His tenure was defined by a fierce, counter-attacking style and a mental resilience that saw Madrid reach three consecutive Champions League<\/a> semifinals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite a controversial exit in 2013, many supporters view his era as a turning point that restored Madrid\u2019s status as a global powerhouse.<\/p>\n

Not the only contender<\/p>\n

The final decision on Real’s next coach is expected to be announced shortly after the domestic seasons reach their conclusions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Arbeloa is expected to oversee the remaining fixtures before a formal announcement regarding the new leadership is made, though Mourinho is not universally the standout choice among the backroom figures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Argentina<\/a> boss Lionel Scaloni has also been linked with the post, along with Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, while The Athletic<\/a> has also reported that United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has been under consideration at the Bernabeu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jos\u00e9 Mourinho is reportedly the leading candidate to return to Real Madrid as head coach if Alvaro Arbeloa…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13543,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[4965,85,82,83,1236],"class_list":{"0":"post-13542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-madrid","8":"tag-benfica","9":"tag-laliga","10":"tag-madrid","11":"tag-real-madrid","12":"tag-uefa-champions-league"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}