Real Madrid News
Florentino Perez in direct talks with Mourinho’s agent over Real Madrid return; personal terms not an issue
Just a while back, reliable sources claimed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has identified Jose Mourinho as his favourite candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa as manager.
The 63-year-old Portuguese manager, currently in charge of SL Benfica, has a €3 million break clause in his contract which Los Blancos can trigger to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu.
For a while now, it has been reported that Mourinho is intent on making a return to the Spanish capital club 13 years after he said goodbye.
Direct talks between Perez and Jorge Mendes
In that context, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports that Perez has been in direct talks with Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes, for days now over a potential return to Real Madrid.
With the Portuguese tactician ‘100% ready’ to return the Santiago Bernabeu, personal terms and the length of the contract are not expected to be an issue at all.
So, as things stand, there appears to be a strong chance that Mourinho might end up getting the reins handed back to him.
Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid started in 2010 and came to an end in 2013, with the ‘Special One’ winning one La Liga, one Copa del Rey, and one Spanish Super Cup in that period.
Even though there were some controversial moments during his tenure, none more than the falling out with Iker Casillas, Mourinho has continued to remain a popular figure among the Madridistas over the years.
However, his criticism of Vinicius Jr. during the faceoff between Real Madrid and Benfica earlier this year and his reaction to the alleged racism incident targeted at the Brazilian by one of his current players might affect his stature.
Nonetheless, as things stand, Mourinho seems to be the leading candidate to take over as the next Real Madrid manager.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid resolve their pitch problems as the Bernabeu surface returns to good condition
After years of problems with the pitch, Real Madrid now believe that those issues are now a thing of the past, reports MARCA.
For several seasons, the playing surface at the Santiago Bernabeu had become one of Real Madrid’s biggest headaches. Five pitch changes in a single season, paint used to disguise its poor appearance on television and criticism from all sides.
The club had been trying to solve the problem for some time and now, they believe they have finally found an answer.
The Bernabeu begins to put its turf problems behind it
The latest operation was accelerated following the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Commanders, forcing the club to replace the playing surface in just 72 hours to meet the deadline last season. This time, however, there was an important difference.
After establishing that the underlying structure was in good condition, Real Madrid decided to retain the existing turf panels and hybrid stitching system rather than remove everything and start again.
The new grass was installed over the existing base after being cultivated for several months. The variety selected was RyeBlue Deportivo, a high-performance mixture consisting of 50% perennial ryegrass and 50% Poa pratensis.
Real Madrid hoped the combination would provide a definitive solution. The club’s groundskeeping team has since refined the maintenance process, and the results are encouraging.
The Bernabeu is now in a condition that satisfies the club, and there are no plans to make further changes to the playing surface during the season.
It is the outcome Real Madrid have been pursuing for years, following a situation that eventually concerned the players themselves.
Major concerts remain the Bernabeu’s outstanding challenge
While the pitch problem appears to have been brought under control, the return of major concerts remains the Bernabeu’s biggest unresolved issue.
Real Madrid have spent months working to address the noise problems that forced them to suspend large-scale concerts.
The work has included soundproofing improvements and other measures designed to prevent noise from escaping the stadium. However, there is still no confirmed date for the return of major events.
Real Madrid believe the work carried out has brought the stadium closer to an optimal level of sound insulation.
Several areas have been reinforced to reduce noise escaping outside, with particular attention paid to entrances, enclosures and other points through which sound waves could travel.
The structural soundproofing work is understood to be nearing completion, with final architectural finishing work and official sound-emission tests still outstanding.
In the meantime, Real Madrid are exploring ways to make a return to large-scale events more feasible.
The aim is to make full use of the improvements already completed and establish a model that allows the club to revive an activity that was one of the major commercial attractions of the renovated stadium.
Until that becomes possible, Real Madrid continue to explore other ways of generating revenue from the Bernabeu. Corporate events, award ceremonies, conferences and private celebrations remain among the alternatives.
For Real Madrid, resolving the pitch issue is a significant step forward. Restoring large-scale entertainment to the Bernabeu remains the next major objective.
