Florentino Perez's plan to reunite with Jose Mourinho: A last-ditch gamble at Real Madrid.
Following the collapse of the Xabi Alonso project, President Florentino Perez is turning to Jose Mourinho as the 'iron fist' solution to restore order at the Bernabeu.
At the Bernabeu, farewells are never simply the end; they are often the beginning of a fateful cycle. As the cracks under Xabi Alonso become irreparable, Florentino Perez – the president who always acts with a combination of cold rationality and personal obsessions – is returning with a "final idea": bringing Jose Mourinho back to extinguish the chaos in Madrid.
The collapse of the Xabi Alonso project and mistakes from the top leadership.
Madrid football is not just about trophies; it's a long-running opera about power and expectations. According to journalist Alfredo Relano on the program El Partidazo de COPE, Xabi Alonso's departure from the hot seat was the inevitable consequence of a series of mistakes from the leadership. The humiliating defeat in the Spanish Super Cup was the final straw that caused Perez to lose patience.
Although the Super Cup isn't the most prestigious tournament, for Perez, failing in an event that attracts international attention is unacceptable. Relano bitterly remarked that Perez is losing his sharpness in personnel decisions: "Lately, he's been missing penalties all the time." The sacking of Alonso wasn't just a professional issue; it was an acknowledgment of a "stillborn" project due to an illusion about the current squad's strength.
Ideological conflict: Expertise versus Commerce
Xabi Alonso arrived in Madrid as an architect, but he found himself working on a ground dominated by commercial considerations. The real conflict stemmed from Alonso's lack of enthusiasm for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – a tournament that Perez particularly valued for its image and financial implications.
In Madrid, anyone who doesn't share the president's ideology is easily sidelined. Alonso prioritized player health and professionalism, while Perez chose brand recognition. This mismatch turned Alonso into an outsider within his own team, amidst a makeshift defense and an ineffective pressing system due to attacking stars being lazy in defending.
Why Jose Mourinho?
Perez's desire to reunite with the man who left amidst the storm of 2013 stems from a paradox in his managerial mindset. Perez dislikes overly gentle coaches, yet he often sides with the players when faced with a strategist who is too strong-willed to maintain personal influence. However, in the context of the internal turmoil at Real Madrid, he believes that only Mourinho's "iron fist" can restore discipline.
"Mourinho was the only one who truly satisfied Florentino in the past," Relano revealed. In Perez's eyes, the Portuguese strategist was not just a coach, but a symbol of structure and absolute leadership – qualities that the current Madrid squad is severely lacking.
Benfica's gamble and the role of Alvaro Arbeloa
Rumors of the "Special One's" return intensified when he was reportedly creating tension at Benfica in an attempt to leave the club. If Alonso was a romantic project, then Mourinho was a ruthless, pragmatic plan. Perez needed someone who dared to confront the stars, and Mourinho was eager to prove he wasn't past his prime.
In the meantime, Alvaro Arbeloa was appointed as interim manager. A former loyal pupil of Mourinho, Arbeloa understands the pressure at Bernabeu but insists he will not try to become a "copycat" of his former mentor. However, experts still consider him merely a temporary figurehead to stabilize the dressing room.
Real Madrid is at a major turning point. Behind the tactical calculations lies a power struggle. If Mourinho does return, it will be proof that at the Bernabeu, Perez's instinct is to place his faith in the strongest personalities to salvage a crumbling empire.
