Alvaro Arbeloa’s future in danger as José Mourinho could make a comeback to Real Madrid due to a reported clause
Following Xabi Alonso’s surprising departure, Álvaro Arbeloa became Real Madrid’s leader, aiming to compete for every title this season. However, his continuity at the club is far from guaranteed, which is why the board remains alert to a potential replacement. With this in mind, José Mourinho’s return is emerging as an increasingly strong possibility, as the Portuguese coach reportedly has a clause in his contract that could facilitate such a move.
According to Mundo Deportivo, José Mourinho has included a release clause in his contract upon joining Benfica. With this in mind, the Portuguese coach could activate it within the ten days following his final match of the current season with the club. Although the value of the clause has not been disclosed, the Real Madrid‘s return of the experienced manager has always been on the table, given the strong impact of his previous spell with the team.
José Mourinho has successfully reinvented himself after challenging tenures with Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma, and Fenerbahçe. Back in Portugal, he has restored his influence, guiding the team to the UEFA Champions League playoffs. Although Real Madrid have shown increasing interest, no negotiations have started, leaving it as speculation that might solidify pending his team’s advancement in European competition.
Not only Real Madrid remain interested in José Mourinho. Like the Spanish side, Portugal are reportedly keeping an eye on the experienced coach, looking to pair him with Cristiano Ronaldo. Given this, he has decided to remain quite cautious about his future. When asked if he would be able to turn down Florentino Perez in the event of an offer from Los Blancos, he said: “Yes, you can. I can also do it.” With this, he makes it clear that his comeback would not be easy.
José Mourinho left an impressive legacy at Real Madrid
After shining impressively with Inter Milan, José Mourinho was chosen to lead Real Madrid. Coming off six years without reaching the Champions League Round of 16, the Portuguese coach broke that poor run by guiding the team to three consecutive semifinals. In addition, he imposed a strong winning mentality, significantly raising the team’s competitiveness. For this reason, the coach decided to speak about his legacy at the Spanish side.
“I am one of the few coaches who left Madrid without being sacked. I have no reproaches…The day I left, the president told me ‘you’ve done the difficult thing, now comes the easy’… I gave it everything I could in Madrid. I succeeded at some things, I failed at others, but I really did give it everything I could. And when you give it everything, you build a connection that lasts forever,” José Mourinho said at the press conference.
Despite securing only three titles during his tenure at Real Madrid, the Portuguese coach successfully reignited the team’s competitive spirit. He elevated the performance level of several players and left an indelible legacy, embedding a culture of hard work into the club’s DNA. For this reason, José Mourinho’s potential return is supposedly viewed as pivotal in unlocking the full potential of the team’s young talents.