Real Madrid News
Three conditions Jose Mourinho has set to return to Real Madrid – report
The possibility of Jose Mourinho returning to Real Madrid is beginning to gather serious momentum, but the Portuguese coach reportedly has very clear ideas about how a second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu would work.
With uncertainty continuing to surround Madrid’s managerial situation ahead of next season, Mourinho has once again emerged as one of the strongest names linked with the role.
The experienced coach remains highly appreciated by club president Florentino Perez, who reportedly sees him as a figure capable of restoring authority, competitiveness and intensity inside a dressing room that has faced growing scrutiny this season.
What makes the situation even more interesting is that Mourinho has already started gathering information.
As reported before, the former Madrid manager has made informal contact with figures close to the club, including people inside the dressing room, in an attempt to better understand the current atmosphere at Valdebebas.
Despite these developments, however, Mourinho is not willing to return under just any conditions.
As confirmed by Sergio Valentin, the manager has already put forward three demands if he is to take over the Real Madrid bench next season.
What are the conditions?
The first condition concerns contract length. Mourinho reportedly wants a guaranteed two-year deal, giving him enough time to rebuild and stabilise the project properly rather than working under immediate short-term pressure.
The second request is linked to media responsibilities. During his first spell at Real Madrid, Mourinho often became the public face defending the club through constant controversy and tension.
This time, the Portuguese coach wants a different structure. He only wishes to appear in mandatory football-related press conferences and discuss first-team sporting matters.
For institutional issues, controversies or club politics, he wants Real Madrid to appoint another official spokesperson.
That demand reportedly comes from the exhaustion Mourinho experienced during his previous years in Madrid, when he frequently felt isolated while defending the club publicly.
The third condition may be the most sensitive, as Mourinho wants complete control over his own coaching staff.
That would mean arriving with his trusted team and potentially moving away from several figures currently involved behind the scenes.
The report specifically claims that Antonio Pintus would not form part of Mourinho’s plans, although the Portuguese coach would not oppose Alvaro Arbeloa remaining connected to the first team in some capacity.
Perez’s response
So far, Florentino Perez’s response has been, “We’ll talk about it.”
The Madrid president is understood to have told Mourinho’s camp that discussions would continue, without immediately agreeing to the requested conditions.
That reaction has apparently left Mourinho and his agent, Jorge Mendes, somewhat disappointed, as they were hoping for a more direct commitment from the club.
This means for now, the decision rests entirely with Florentino Perez to make the move.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
