Inside Real Madrid's plan to bring back Jose Mourinho with unfinished business, mutual respect and Barcelona battle all factors

Jack Otway
Fri, 01 May 2026 10:53:55 +0000

Back in 2010, Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was furious.

Having watched his side falter in Europe again, and having seen Barcelona dominate Spanish football under Pep Guardiola, he knew something needed to be done to stop the tide turning further.

After returning to Real for a second time, Perez had spent big. In 2009, they pulled off one of the biggest transfer windows in history, with A-listers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema all joining. Having witnessed Barcelona ascend to the summit inspired by Guardiola's genius, spending lavishly was their way of closing the gap.

The 2009/10 season was, however, ultimately a case of what might have been. Manuel Pellegrini was appointed but Real could only finish second in LaLiga, despite amassing 96 points. Barcelona, with 99 to their name, were crowned champions.

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Real also suffered a humiliating exit from the Copa del Rey, with minnows Alcorcón winning 4-1 on aggregate, while it was Lyon who ended their dreams of Champions League glory. Though they possessed Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema, it was clear Barcelona were simply in a league of their own.

Perez, furious at his side underachieving, swiftly cut Pellegrini lose. It rapidly became apparent who was being eyed next.

At the time, Mourinho was arguably the biggest manager in the world. His finest moment came on May 22, 2010, where his Inter side overcame Bayern Munich to win the Champions League and secure a historic treble.

Mourinho had also seen his stock rise after getting the better of Guardiola's Barcelona in the last four. They won 3-1 at the San Siro before narrowly losing just 1-0 at the Nou Camp, despite facing Lionel Messi and being reduced to 10-men following a red card for Thiago Motta.

His defensive style of play was at loggerheads with Real's identity but Perez didn't care. He needed a big name and, that year, nobody was bigger than Mourinho. The Portuguese was at his pinnacle, his powers at their peak.

Mourinho was fully aware that some supporters were against his appointment. The Portuguese had famously worked at Barcelona as a translator for the late, great Sir Bobby Robson. Images of him clad in their iconic blue and red colours remain out there to this day.

Mourinho wasted no time in addressing concerns over his Barcelona past, and his style of play.

"I am Jose Mourinho and I don't change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects," he famously said in his first press conference.

Relations between Mourinho and Barcelona had long crumbled by this point. He was, after all, deeply unhappy after missing out on the Nou Camp job in 2008 - despite impressing directors with his plan for the club. Guardiola, his nemesis, was chosen on that occasion.

Mourinho had also caused a storm by the wild way he celebrated on the pitch after Inter had ended Barcelona's dream. He sprinted onto the field, gestured to the Gods and batted away Victor Valdes' valiant attempts to stop him.

When asked about that rivalry early on, he said: "I am not anti-Barcelona. I am coach of Real but Barça doesn't worry me. My only concern is to grow Real.

"If I am hated at Barcelona, it is their problem but not mine. Fear is not a word in my football dictionary."

Mourinho's first season at Real saw them miss out on both LaLiga and Champions League glory. Barcelona's brilliance endured, with the Catalan titans beating their fierce rivals in the semi-finals of Europe's elite competition.

A cup triumph in the Copa del Rey was significant, however, with Cristiano Ronaldo powering home the winning goal against Barcelona in 2011.

It would prove to be a turning point. The following year, Real blew their rivals away to win LaLiga. They won a staggering 32 of their 38 games, scoring a remarkable 121 goals. Players such as Ronaldo, Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria all helped them knock their biggest rivals off their lofty perch.

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But just 12 months later, things came to an end.

After three years, Mourinho hadn't won the Champions League. In 2013, Barcelona restored order by claiming LaLiga - having led the season from start to finish. In Perez's eyes, it was time for a change.

Mourinho had also sucked the life out of the dressing room. There had been a high-profile row with Iker Casillas, with the club's legendary goalkeeper accused of leaking team news - which he always denied. There were also explosive arguments with Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo as well.

Fast-forward to now, however, and a sensational comeback could be on the cards. 13 years on from his bitter exit, there's now talk of a remarkable return.

Like in 2010, Real are trailing Barcelona. Hansi Flick's men may not be in contention to win the Champions League, but the LaLiga title is already virtually assured. Barring a late collapse, they'll get that crown over the line.

Similarly, Real are a team stacked with big egos. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are all magnificent footballers but their brilliance, together at the same time, is yet to yield significant silverware.

Alvaro Arbeloa has steadied the ship since replacing Xabi Alonso, but results have ultimately disappointed. Perez, never one to rest on his laurels, knows change is needed. And Mourinho, it seems, is the Chosen One to bring the glory days back to the Bernabeu.

There are several factors at play here. Most significantly is the fact that Mourinho and Perez have long remained close.

Perez liked the Portuguese coach for the way he ruffled feathers, confronted Barcelona head-on and stamped his authority on the squad. He was in charge, not the players. Just how things should be.

Mourinho has said in the past that the pair are 'friends' and frequently 'talk and exchange text messages'. Furthermore, he once went as far to say they 'love' each other.

In October, when Mourinho was appointed Benfica manager, Perez sent him a message of support. Lines of communication, seemingly, are very much open.

There is also a sense of unfinished business fuelling the desire from both sides to make a deal possible.

Mourinho, after all, laid the foundations for the success that Real enjoyed in the years after his departure.

Carlo Ancelotti won the Champions League in 2014, with Zinedine Zidane guiding the Spanish giants to the prestigious prize three years in a row between 2016 and 2018.

Much of that success was due to players he signed, or evolved, during his stint in the dugout.

It was Mourinho who first coaxed the best from Ronaldo at Real. He netted 33 goals in his first season in Madrid under Pellegrini. In his three years under Mourinho, those figures rose to 53, 60 and 55.

There is a feeling within the Bernabeu that despite Mourinho's stock falling in recent years, he still possesses the magic of old.

Imagine Belligham with more discipline. Imagine Vinicius adapting for the team. Imagine Mbappe scaling the heights that Ronaldo did all those years ago.

Mourinho's authoritarian style of management could leave players fearing for their futures, or their positions. He is one of just a handful of managers whose name carries both fear and excitement, in equal measure.

But, it must be stressed, that he’s not the man he once was.

The aura that followed Mourinho through his peaks at Inter Milan and Real Madrid has, in recent years, dimmed.

His spell at Manchester United delivered silverware but also familiar tensions, while his time at Tottenham ended without a trophy and with questions over his approach.

Even at AS Roma, where he did lift the Europa Conference League, there were signs that his methods no longer guarantee sustained dominance at the very highest level.

Football has evolved. High-intensity pressing, fluid positional play and data-driven coaching now define the elite game. Mourinho, once a tactical innovator, has at times appeared reactive rather than revolutionary.

The question for Perez is not whether Mourinho can still command respect, he can, but whether he can still outmanoeuvre the very best in a sport that has moved on without him.