Real Madrid are considering hiring back Jose Mourinho as manager.
The 63-year-old is reported to be the favoured candidate of Real president, Florentino Pérez, to replace Álvaro Arbeloa, who is expected to lose his job, with the Spanish giants set to finish a second successive season without silverware.
In his first spell as manager, Mourinho won the league, the Spanish Cup and the Super Cup, but that was 13 years ago, and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Mourinho’s career has seen him take a series of jobs with clubs where his claim to be the “Special One” has seemed increasingly hollow.
The last league title he won was at Chelsea in 2015, whilst he is now managing back in Portugal, after a turbulent spell in Turkey with Fenerbahçe.
Meanwhile, his coaching methods, with an emphasis on pragmatism, defensive solidity and results over style, are looking increasingly out of step with modern thinking.
Whilst Mourinho is still guaranteed to generate headlines and content for the social media mavens, his reputation alone might no longer be enough to impress the big and difficult characters in the Real Madrid dressing room.
This will not end well. Mourinho was an elite manager, but that was in the past.
