Mourinho takes the first step towards Real Madrid return: “There is total and absolute conviction”

A month and a half ago, he was not part of the plan, but the truth is that his name has always been hovering around the offices at Valdebebas, especially after Jorge Mendes offered Real Madrid’s hierarchy the chance to sign José Mourinho. Over that period, the stance has gone from: “It is impossible for Mourinho to come back,” to acknowledging that the operation is now under way.

Is Mourinho really coming back to Madrid?

As this newspaper has reported, the first step was taken by the coach, but the second – and seemingly decisive – one has come from the Madrid hierarchy, who now see Mourinho as the only valid option to rebuild a team and restore balance to a dressing room that looks badly lost. There is no agreement or signed commitment for now, but both sides already know what the other wants. It is a matter of time – specifically, the time left until the end of the club season for both teams.

The groundwork at club level has already been done, and now Florentino Pérez and Mourinho must reach an understanding again to avoid the problems of the past in the day-to-day running of a team as complicated as Real Madrid. There is total and absolute conviction that the current Benfica coach is the right man to rein in a dressing room that is out of control. There is no doubt about the coach’s ability to do it.

In recent times, the relationship between Real Madrid and Mendes has returned to normal, which paved the way for the offer mentioned above, alongside the one involving Bernardo Silva. That first step has led to the beginning of an understanding between Real Madrid and the Portuguese coach.

Rui Costa’s Benfica are already working, as AS reported, on finding a replacement, with Amorim the leading favorite. Mourinho’s release price is set at €3 million – about $3.2 million – an affordable figure, especially given Los Blancos’ need to solve the crisis they are facing.

Over the past decade, Zidane and Ancelotti have both returned, and both comebacks ended in success. Now, unless something changes suddenly, the third return is already in motion. Everything depends on a conversation between coach and president, but the reality is that the feeling toward Mourinho has changed completely. What remains to be seen is how the current Benfica coach’s return would fit into the daily demands of a team as exacting as Real Madrid.

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