“Jose Mourinho is a serious candidate for next Real Madrid manager”

Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid is one of those ideas that has never fully disappeared. It pops up in discussions whenever there are issues in the Bernabéu dugout, and while it feels unlikely to many, it’s never seen as completely impossible.

Former Barcelona and Spain defender Miguel Angel Nadal has now added fresh fuel to that thought, telling BetBrothers.es that Mourinho should be viewed as a “serious” candidate to return to the Bernabeu.

“Mourinho knows the club,” Nadal said. “He is getting older like everyone, but I think it is a serious option for him to return.”

Why Mourinho still fits the Real Madrid conversation

Nadal’s argument is not just nostalgia. He believes Madrid have drifted in recent years, even with a squad packed with young talent. He pointed to a loss of solidity, saying the team has been “let down in many games” where it looked capable of doing more.

For Nadal, Madrid need more than a tactician. They need a coach with weight, authority and enough personality to handle the demands of the club.

“There aren’t many coaches who could get the whole squad in the right condition to demand the maximum,” he said.

That is where Mourinho comes in. His first spell in Madrid was turbulent, intense and trophy-winning. It was also unmistakably Mourinho. For a club that often measures coaches by presence as much as plans, Nadal sees the logic.

“I thought it was difficult to imagine Mourinho returning,” he added, “but today I see him as one of the serious candidates.”

Simeone and Atlético still feel inseparable

Nadal also discussed Diego Simeone, saying it remains hard to picture him leaving Atlético Madrid, especially for Chelsea. He described Simeone’s bond with the club as “special and unique,” while suggesting Italy once felt more likely than England.

On the Champions League, Nadal was blunt. Atlético have a chance, but he sees Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain as the stronger favorites. Simeone’s team faces Arsenal on Wednesday in the first leg of the semifinal.

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