{"id":240854,"date":"2026-04-28T22:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/legendary-manager-tipped-to-make-bombshell-return-as-greats-reply-reignites-old-feud\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:28:00","slug":"legendary-manager-tipped-to-make-bombshell-return-as-greats-reply-reignites-old-feud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/legendary-manager-tipped-to-make-bombshell-return-as-greats-reply-reignites-old-feud\/","title":{"rendered":"Legendary manager tipped to make bombshell return as great\u2019s reply reignites old feud"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Jose Mourinho has been tipped to make a sensational return to Real Madrid as the Spanish giant prepares to make a change of manager.<\/p>\n

The Athletic<\/a> reported that Mourinho is Real Madrid president Florentino Perez\u2019s preferred candidate to replace current boss Alvaro Arbeloa, who was only appointed in January.<\/p>\n

\ufeffGet all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/amp-img><\/amp-iframe><\/div>\n

Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso after the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder failed to deliver victory in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Alonso was only hired at the end of last season, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti, and Arbeloa is set to have a short stint at the Bernabeu too.<\/p>\n

Real are headed towards a second straight trophyless season.<\/p>\n

With five games remaining in La Liga, they sit 11 points behind leaders Barcelona.<\/p>\n

While they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and failed to deliver any silverware in the domestic cups.<\/p>\n

Perez has now clearly cast his mind back more than a decade ago to Mourinho\u2019s previous spell in Spain.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n

\ufeff\u2018Game for the ages!\u2019: Football world loses its mind over historic NINE-goal CL semi epic<\/a><\/i><\/b>PL Wrap \u2014 Manchester United\u2019s Champions League fate all but sealed after late heart-stopper<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\ufeff\u2018You cheating b******s\u2019: Tempers flare over \u2018keeper controversy in heated FA Cup semi<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The \u2018Special One\u2019 joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 and in three years produced three trophies – including breaking the record points total in a victorious La Liga campaign in 2011\/12.<\/p>\n

The Champions League was the one missing puzzle piece for Mourinho in Madrid, but the current Porto boss appears set to get the chance to correct that if Perez gets his way.<\/p>\n

The Athletic\u2019s report suggested that not everyone with in the club hierarchy is keen on bringing back the polarising Portuguese manager.<\/p>\n

They have not forgotten the angst that caused by tensions between Mourinho and then captain Iker Casillas.<\/p>\n

The former goalkeeper hinted at those memories by posting three popcorn emojis on social media shortly after the news broke.<\/p>\n

Mourinho\u2019s feud with Casillas did not set well with fans and neither did the 63-year-old\u2019s comments following a Champions League clash between Real and Porto in February.<\/p>\n

Real\u2019s star Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior alleged he was racially abused by Benfica\u2019s Gianluca Prestianni.<\/p>\n

Post-game, Mourinho suggested that Vinicius Jr caused the incident by inciting the crowd and players with his earlier celebration.<\/p>\n

<\/amp-img>
SL Benfica’s Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho gestures on the touchline during the Portuguese League football match between SL Benfica and Moreirense FC.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From a football perspective, there are also concerns that Mourinho\u2019s often dour, defensive and hard-nosed style does not suit Real, who have long preferred attacking flair and aesthetically pleasing football.<\/p>\n

He proved that his methods can still work there in his previous time at the club, but the perception that Real needs an attacking coach still lingers.<\/p>\n

British broadcaster Andy Jacobs even made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion on TalkSport that Australian manager Ange Postecoglou should be on Real\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to see Ange there. It\u2019d be great,\u201d Jacobs said with a chuckle. \u201cThey\u2019d play some great football.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he does return, Mourinho will join a long line of managers to do multiple stints in Madrid in recent years.<\/p>\n

Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Benitez, Julen Lopetegui, Alonso and Arbeloa all had previously been at the club as a player or coach.<\/p>\n

Mourinho is under contract with Benfica, the Portuguese club who he started his managerial career with in 2000, until June 2027.<\/p>\n

But his agreement with the club does include a \u20ac3 million clause, allowing either party to end the deal up to ten days after the final match of the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jose Mourinho has been tipped to make a sensational return to Real Madrid as the Spanish giant prepares to make a change of manager. The Athletic reported that Mourinho is Real Madrid president Florentino Perez\u2019s preferred candidate to replace current boss Alvaro Arbeloa, who was only appointed in January. \ufeffGet all the latest football news, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[35113,58906,72339,4153,1641,83,1736,8313,548,15409,1192,13567,5501,1429,9702,42950,4015,149,40546,1425,72344,5250,2011,2725,72310,21676,108,5962,2232,72340,1626,1728,72342,72341,52957,42182,52919,5978,41410,3143,72343,12580,2457,2902,2023,72345,1847],"class_list":{"0":"post-240854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-ahmad-mora","9":"tag-alvaro-arbeloa","10":"tag-andy-jacobs","11":"tag-ange-postecoglou","12":"tag-asia","13":"tag-australia","14":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","15":"tag-australian-manager","16":"tag-bayern-munich","17":"tag-british-broadcaster","18":"tag-champions-league","19":"tag-club-hierarchy","20":"tag-domestic-cups","21":"tag-europe","22":"tag-final-match","23":"tag-florentino-perez","24":"tag-football-match","25":"tag-football-news","26":"tag-football-perspective","27":"tag-getty-images-inc","28":"tag-iker-casillas","29":"tag-internazionale-milano-f-c","30":"tag-istanbul","31":"tag-jose-mourinho","32":"tag-keeper-controversy","33":"tag-legendary-manager","34":"tag-liverpool","35":"tag-madrid","36":"tag-manchester-united-football-club","37":"tag-multiple-stints","38":"tag-new-south-wales","39":"tag-oceania","40":"tag-polarising-portuguese-manager","41":"tag-popcorn-emojis","42":"tag-portuguese-club","43":"tag-portuguese-head-coach","44":"tag-portuguese-league","45":"tag-province-of-madrid","46":"tag-rafael-benitez","47":"tag-real-madrid-c-f","48":"tag-reply-reignites","49":"tag-sensational-return","50":"tag-southern-europe","51":"tag-spain","52":"tag-turkey","53":"tag-turkish-super-league","54":"tag-western-asia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}