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.
Mourinho has three conditions to return to Real Madrid. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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.
