Portuguese legend Luis Figo is one of the greatest players of all time. The former Ballon d'Or winner was the first Galactico at Real Madrid - the man controversially responsible for the rise of president Florentino Perez. His ball knowledge is nearly unparalleled, and just like he was during his career, he remains highly underrated. But when Figo speaks, you had better believe the true diehard Madridistas are listening to his every word.
With the club mired in controversy and big superstars disgracing the club, Real Madrid are on the verge of a new manager to replace interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa. And the overwhelming favorite for both Perez and the fans appears to be a reunion with Jose Mourinho. Currently coaching at Benfica, Mourinho has not won at the elite level in years, and he did not win any Champions Leagues with Real Madrid. But while his tenure blew up in flames, he is remembered fondly for building the Decima side and winning La Liga with record points, building the greatest counterattacking team of all time to compete with Barcelona's best ever squad.
Despite the hype around Mourinho, the nostalgia of another reunion with a legendary figure in managing, and the prevailing belief in the need for a coach with a big personality in the dressing room, Luis FIgo doesn't seem to see eye to eye with this notion that Mourinho is the right man for the job.
Luis Figo is not sold on Jose Mourinho
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona winger had a warning about the management style of Jose Mourinho, believing that the gentler, strong but silent types and fatherly figures are the best fits for the characters at Real Madrid.
Figo said, via Spanish page Madrid Sports, I DON'T think Madrid needs a HARD-HANDED coach knowing the club, the environment, the atmosphere...You have to know how to manage 25 people and 25 egos to convince those players to go in the same direction. In relationships, and especially at Madrid, it has to be someone with common sense who understands the environment. If you look at the most recent coaches who've been successful like Zidane, Del Bosque, Ancelotti... they're not the hard-handed profile. As someone who's lived in the club, the hard-handed approach doesn't work"
The point Figo is making is well taken, and it is one that true Madridistas will no doubt be famliiar with. The three managers Vicente del Bosque, Carlo Ancelotti, and Zinedine Zidane have been by far the most successful of the modern era, managing big, big players with even larger than life personalties while navigating the exhausting politics of Florentino Perez and the club.
Mourinho had some success at Real Madrid, but it was limited and he was kicked out after fighting the locker room. It blew up. Figo's word of warning needs to be listened, because while Mourinho is fighting fire with fire, the explosion is never far away after the initial spark's fleeting moment leaves.
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