Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is suddenly up for elections against ambitious upstart Enrique Riquelme, and one of the biggest tricks he has up his sleeve to convince Madridistas, as if they need much convincing, to vote for him again is the impending hire of Jose Mourinho, which, to every transfer insider, is but a mere formality at this point.
Perez continues to speak with great reverence of Mourinho to this day, as he was the one who brought the fire back to the Santiago Bernabeu, setting the stage for six Champions League crowns in the subsequent decade after he departed.
Even though everyone and their mother thinks Mourinho is coming back despite the elections delaying the seemingly inevitable reunion, Perez himself is singing an entirely different tune to the press.
Florentino Perez won't make a confirmation
At the latest conference ahead of the elections, Florentino Perez admitted to not even talking to Jose Mourinho. He said, via the Madrid Zone, "José Mourinho? He's a great coach. I know him, and he knows Real Madrid and the players. With him, we reached three Champions League semi-finals and, for various reasons, didn't qualify for the final, but it instilled in us a tremendous competitiveness. I have to say that. And from then on, the others, who were also good coaches, won six Champions Leagues in 10 years. But I haven't spoken to Mourinho."
The thing about Florentino stating he has not spoken to Mourinho is that it sounds a lot like when Mou was saying he has not spoken to Real Madrid, with many reading between the lines and seeing that he was protecting Benfica but that Jorge Mendes was likely doing the talking on his behalf. So maybe Jose Angel Sanchez is the one actually talking to Mourinho.
Real Madrid need a coach who can get Kylian Mbappe to fight for the team, stand up to the superstars in the locker room, and rock the boat. Mourinho is a volatile personality and always a risk, and it has been years since he has won at the elite level of European football. But a dog like him does not forget his old tricks, and Florentino knows that as well as anyone.
As time goes on without Mourinho getting announced officially, Real Madrid fans will worry about the closure of the deal and even the final cost with the release clause set to expire soon, and Florentino not confirming him may give Madridistas just that little bit of pause.
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