Jose Mourinho is approaching a sensational comeback to Real Madrid – but “something” has emerged, the Whites have backup plans in case it doesn’t happen.
Real Madrid have decided on two surprising options if they cannot hire José Mourinho as their new manager.
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Mourinho is said to have been in talks with Real Madrid for several weeks about replacing Álvaro Arbeloa at the end of the season.
The Portuguese, who is currently the manager of Benfica, has repeatedly publicly denied that he has spoken to club president Florentino Pérez. But according to BBC Sport, he is now in “final negotiations” to return to what would be his second spell at the Bernabéu.
He is even said to have put forward a list of ten major demands for Pérez, including the ability to bring his own support staff to the club.
While it seems almost certain that Mourinho will be the next manager on the Whites’ bench, no deal has been signed yet.
Real Madrid have identified two Mourinho options
According to Spanish journalist Raúl Varela, Real Madrid have identified two alternative candidates out of the mainstream, in case negotiations to hire Mourinho fail.
Raúl
One is club legend Raúl, who was previously in charge of the club’s second team Castilla for six years, between 2019 and 2025. The Spaniard left the club completely after he was passed over in favor of Xabi Alonso in the summer.
Castilla lost twice in the promotion playoffs from the third division under his leadership.
In the statement announcing the departure of the legendary former striker – who scored over 300 goals for the club – Real Madrid spoke exceptionally highly of Raúl.
They stated that it was an “honor to have one of the greatest legends in our history and in world football as a coach and mentor for our academy.”
“Raúl also stands for all the values of Real Madrid. These are values he has also continued as a coach,” the statement continued.
“Raúl will always be in the hearts of all Madrid fans, and Real Madrid will always be his home. Real Madrid wish Raúl and his family all the best in this new phase of his life.”
Pellegrino Matarazzo
The other option is American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, whose rapid ascent in the football pyramid saw him hired as manager of Real Sociedad last year.
The 48-year-old led Sociedad to victory in the Copa del Rey earlier this year, becoming the first American to win a trophy in one of Europe’s five major leagues.
Sociedad are currently in eighth place in La Liga and are on course to qualify for the Conference League next season, although they can still reach the Europa League depending on results elsewhere.
Varela claims that Matarazzo is seen as a “modern alternative” – not by Pérez himself, but by one of his “most trusted advisers.”
It is said that the coach “is liked at the club”, but the journalist admits that his arrival as Real Madrid manager “seems impossible” despite that.
As for Raúl, the club’s board is said to describe him as someone who “has the right profile to meet today’s needs”.
If everything goes as planned with Mourinho, however, neither of these two candidates will be relevant. But Real Madrid clearly have backup plans ready in case the parties do not agree.
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