Mourinho’s secret weapon could be heading to Real Madrid with him
The Portuguese coach is close to returning to the Bernabéu, although one major staffing decision is still being negotiated.
Real Madrid’s expected reunion with José Mourinho is continuing to take shape, with more details emerging about the agreement the Portuguese coach has reportedly reached with the club.
If everything proceeds according to Florentino Pérez’s plan, Mourinho is expected to sign a two-year contract with the option for a third season. That extension would reportedly become automatic if he wins LaLiga during his first two years in charge.
Mourinho is also preparing to bring several of his closest collaborators with him to Madrid. Among them are assistants Joao Tralhao, Pedro Machado, and Ricardo Formosinho, along with analyst Roberto Merella. One key issue, however, still remains unresolved: whether fitness coach Antonio Dias will also join the staff, as Mourinho hopes.
Mourinho’s trusted fitness specialist
Physical preparation has become a particularly sensitive issue at Real Madrid in recent seasons.
Club executives reportedly decided to move on from Xabi Alonso in large part because they believed the team’s conditioning levels were below the required standard under fitness coach Ismael Camenforte. Although Álvaro Arbeloa was ultimately handed the team, Madrid’s leadership wanted Antonio Pintus, one of Florentino Pérez’s most trusted figures, to remain heavily involved in the physical side of the squad.
Like goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis, Pintus is viewed internally as a club figure rather than simply a member of the coaching staff.
The current plan is for Llopis to continue working with Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, but negotiations are ongoing over Mourinho’s desire to put Dias in charge of fitness preparation.
Despite being only 43, Dias has built a formidable reputation in European soccer circles. Nicknamed “The Doctor” and “The Professor” because of his extensive theoretical knowledge and analytical approach, he became one of Mourinho’s most trusted allies during their time together at Benfica, where the team earned a reputation for its relentless intensity and elite physical conditioning.
From Porto to Mourinho’s inner circle
Dias began his career development at Porto before receiving his first major opportunity from coach Nuno Espírito Santo in 2012 at Rio Ave.
From there, the pair worked together at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham, Al Ittihad, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest before Mourinho eventually persuaded Dias to join him at Fenerbahce.
The veteran coach quickly became fascinated by Dias’ methods, viewing him as one of the key pieces in his long-term planning. Mourinho later brought him to Benfica and now hopes to do the same at Real Madrid.
Nuno Espírito Santo once explained just how influential Dias had become within his coaching structure during their time together at Valencia.
“When we have an idea of how we want the team to play, we need the right type of players,” Nuno said. “I told Antonio: ‘At Valencia, we need to play this way. To do that, we need super athletes. Your responsibility is to give them to me.’ And he does it better than anyone.”
Nuno also praised Dias’ constant search for innovation in sports science and conditioning.
“He always looks for ways to evolve physical preparation and make it complement our style of play,” he said. “He gives you the confidence to demand the maximum from players every day and every game because you know they’ll be physically capable of delivering.”
That final staffing decision now appears to be the last major detail Mourinho wants resolved before officially beginning his latest chapter at Real Madrid.
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