When Real Madrid fell 3-0 to PSG in the Champions League opener, the Jose Mourinho rumors began swirling. And although Real have recovered since then, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from doing its work.
Real Madrid are riding high on confidence heading into a critical Matchday 7 test at the Wanda against crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. Zinedine Zidane’s sharply responded to his critics by orchestrating two masterful defensive performances against Sevilla and Osasuna, who came into their games against Madrid without a single defeat in 2019-2020.
So good were Real on defense, in fact, that they failed to surrender a single shot on target in either contest despite using different back fours and goalkeepers. Sergio Ramos, who did not play in the team’s disastrous 3-0 Champions League defeat to PSG, was the only man to start both games.
Despite Real’s ability to bounce back from that oft-discussed defeat to PSG, the Jose Mourinho rumors haven’t gone away.
Goal.com’s Bruno Andrade reports that Mourinho would like to return to Real Madrid and would be “very interested” if they chose to call him up.
That’s the “if”. Because Zidane has won multiple Champions League trophies at Real and is just getting started in his second stint with the club, attempting to turn things around after a poor 2018-2019 campaign under two different managers. So far, Zidane has guided Real to first place in La Liga despite dealing with an entirely new lineup that is still gelling together.
Per Goal, Mourinho has rejected offers from AC Milan, Schalke, Wolfsburg, and other mid-level clubs, as he has his eyes on teams like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Clubs befitting of the status of a man known as one of the greatest managers in football history.
Real fans have fond memories of Mourinho, who brought an exciting brand of counterattacking football to Real and helped Los Blancos compete against a once-in-a-lifetime Barcelona squad that was stacked beyond belief in terms of homegrown talent.
Mourinho is a fabulous manager, and it’s no surprise that he wants to go back to Real Madrid. In fact, it is flattering. But Zinedine Zidane is doing a great job as Real’s manager right now. That could change, yes, so this situation is worth monitoring. That said, Real fans would do well to continue to stand by Zidane, especially with the club legend ready to coach his team against their arch, in-city rivals on Saturday.
That makes the timing of this report of Mourinho’s interest all the more interesting. If Real can’t secure a point against Atleti or have a PSG-like performance, the rumor mill will have its joys in Zidane’s misery. But it’s more likely that Real get a result and the rumor mill takes a more cautious approach with this situation.