Updated: 1 May 2026 16:43 BST |
5 min read
Jose Mourinho insists he has had no contact with Real Madrid despite speculation linking him with a dramatic return to the club.
The Portuguese is Real president Florentino Perez’s preferred choice to replace Alvaro Arbeloa in the Bernabeu hot seat, according to The Athletic.
Arbeloa – who succeeded Xabi Alonso as head coach in January – is widely expected to leave Los Blancos at the end of the current campaign, with Real on course to finish without a trophy for the second season in a row.
With just five games to go in La Liga, Real are currently 11 points behind league leaders Barcelona, while the club were also beaten by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and Spanish second division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16.
And therefore Perez is understood to be considering appointing Mourinho as Real’s next permanent manager, in the hope that the current Benfica boss can help the Spanish giants return to winning silverware next season.
Mourinho lifted three trophies as Real head coach between 2010 and 2013 including the 2011-12 La Liga title, pipping Pep Guardiola’s star-studded Barcelona side by amassing an incredible 100 points that season.
However, while Mourinho continues to be strongly linked with a return to the Spanish capital, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is adamant he has not spoken to Real about replacing Arbeloa.
In quotes carried by Spanish publication Marca, Mourinho said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Benfica’s Liga Portugal clash against Famalicao on Saturday: “No, nobody from Real Madrid spoke to me, I can guarantee that. I’ve been in football for too many years, just like you have in journalism, and we’re used to these things, but nothing from Real Madrid.”
When pushed further on the speculation, Mourinho added: “I can’t say anything more. I already told your colleague that, regarding Real Madrid, nothing, and regarding Benfica, you already know the situation. I have one year left on my contract with Benfica, and that’s all.”
After leaving Turkish side Fenerbahce in August, Mourinho was appointed by Benfica the following month, in a move that saw him return to the club with whom he began his trophy-laden managerial career with in 2000.
Mourinho led Benfica to a dramatic 4-2 victory over Real in the league phase of the Champions League in January, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a dramatic 98th-minute goal to send the Portuguese side into the play-offs.
When the two sides met again in the first leg of their play-off tie in February, the match was halted after Real winger Vinicius Junior accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. Prestianni was subsequently given a six-game ban for homophobic conduct by UEFA.
Mourinho was widely criticised for suggesting Vinicius had incited the incident after celebrating scoring the only goal at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, with Real going on to win the second leg 2-1 in Madrid and the tie 3-1 on aggregate.
Analysis: Mourinho shuts down Real speculation – but is that the end of it?
While Mourinho has moved to quash talk of him completing a dramatic return to Real in the summer, the speculation will no doubt continue unless he is no longer Perez’s preferred choice to replace Arbeloa.
In the event that Real firm up their interest in Mourinho and make him an offer, it would be hard for the self-proclaimed Special One to turn down their advances, whether you believe he is the right man or not.
One thing is for sure: should Mourinho return to Real, it would be box office, one way or another.
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