There was a reason the name taxes Mourinho came up.
The British broadcaster BBC reported on the 29th (Korea time), "Real Madrid cannot avoid uncomfortable questions right now. The question is whether coach Arveloa can really lead the team until next season," adding, "Mourinho is Real's strongest hidden card."
After Xabi Alonso left in January and Arveloa took the helm, he did not stabilize the team as expected. While Alonso left with a 74% winning percentage, Arveloa, despite having played fewer league matches, has already recorded more losses. His winning percentage fell to 64%. On top of that, losing to second-division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey just two days after his appointment was close to a knockout blow.
The point highlighted by BBC's Spain football expert Guillem Balague is simple. It's the kind of coach Florentino Pérez wants.
What matters to Pérez is not the intensity of pressing, the build-up structure, or possession philosophy. The core, as he sees it, is victory and the authority to control a locker room full of star players. The Real Madrid coach must be a conductor before being a tactician.
This is where Mourinho's name comes up. Mourinho led Real from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. He is currently under contract with Benfica through 2027, but according to Balague, despite public comments to the contrary, he strongly wants to return to the Bernabéu.
Of course, that does not mean Mourinho is the first choice. In fact, the core of the BBC analysis is that he is not "plan A." Mourinho is the ultimate hidden card to pull out when every other option is blocked. Pérez knows him well; he can seize the locker room, and the very fact of taking a second stint at Real carries enormous symbolism. That is precisely why Mourinho remains on the list of candidates.
There are other candidates. Mauricio Pochettino is popular within the club. He has experience managing diverse squads at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. The problem is the U.S. national team. World Cup scheduling could complicate his arrival at Real.
Didier Deschamps is also an attractive option. He has led France's stars with quiet authority for the national team and has connections with French players including Kylian Mbappé. But he, too, can only move after the World Cup.
Massimiliano Allegri is also mentioned as a serious candidate. Like Carlo Ancelotti, he has experience handling star players and is a coach who does not force grand football philosophies. His name has circulated within the club for a long time. Some even mention a scenario in which he returns to the Bernabéu alongside Luka Modrić.
Jürgen Klopp's name is also in the mix. But Klopp is a risky choice. He is not simply a coach who takes charge of a team; he is someone who tries to change the entire team in his image. Pérez's Real would not easily accept such a coach. Ultimately, the answer lies in Pérez's tastes.
That is why Mourinho's name keeps coming up. It is not because the current Mourinho is perfect. It is because when Real falls back into chaos, he is the name Pérez is most likely to think of. The speculation about Mourinho's return is not romance but insurance. And at Real Madrid, insurance can sometimes be the strongest card.
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