Jose Mourinho has been welcomed back at Real Madrid following Florentino Perez’s presidential re-election in the Spanish capital.
Mourinho, 63, signed a three-year deal last month to rejoin his former side, but the move was dependent on Perez’s renewal as president. This was confirmed on Sunday evening following an acrimonious campaign in which he vowed to bring back Mourinho as head coach, and both candidates promised to sign superstar players.
Upon his triumphant presidential victory, Perez said, referring to Mourinho: ‘We are proud to welcome back one of the best coaches in the world, a proper Madridista.’
Shortly afterwards, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham boss released a video on social media, saying: ‘Yes, Florentino Perez won. Of course.’
Perez, who has been president for 23 years across two spells – first between 2000 and 2006 and then since 2009, winning the last five elections unopposed – polled 65 per cent to confirm yet another five-year stay at the club.
In the lead-up to the elections, Perez had also promised to make a bid of ‘at least €150m’ (£129m) on Tuesday for an unnamed ‘galactico’ – as well as three new signings. Among the names touted are Nico Paz, Jacobo Ramon and Victor Munoz.
Mourinho, 63, signed a three-year deal last month to rejoin his former side, but the move was dependent on Perez’s renewal as president
Mourinho returns 13 years after his departure in 2013, when he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in his three years in charge, before his move back to Chelsea
He said last week: ‘I’m going to make an offer to a Champions League club soon, on Tuesday, which will be the biggest payment Real Madrid has ever made for a player, at least 150 million.
‘It’s not (Michael) Olise, he’s a great player, but it’s not him; it’s not (Jeremy) Doku, it’s not (Erling) Haaland, it’s not (Harry) Kane… But he plays at a level above midfield. And he’s not from the Premier League. He’s a total Galactico.’
Despite Perez publicly denying that Michael Olise is his target, The Telegraph have reported that the 24-year-old Bayern Munich winger is exactly who the president is prioritising.
His 37-year-old challenger, Enrique Riquelme, lost with 35 per cent after 33,555 members took to the polls. Madrid is owned by its 100,000 members, or ‘socios’. The results were held up after Riquelme challenged the validity of around 1,000 postal votes, of which over 400 were eventually struck off.
Riquelme, an energy millionaire from Alicante, had suggested during the two-week campaign the club was in a ‘serious financial crisis’ after overspending and accused Perez of plotting to privatise it.
He said he would attempt to convince Jurgen Klopp to come as coach, and that he would appoint Raul Gonzalez Blanco as his sporting director. He also said he was confident of signing Manchester City duo Haaland and Rodri.
Congratulating Perez on his victory in the early hours of Monday morning, the defeated Riquelme said: ‘For us, this is not the end. It is the beginning. The club members will not go another 20 years without voting.’
Perez’s reappointment now means that the formalities surrounding payment to Benfica of Mourinho’s €15m (£13m) release clause – a price which has nearly doubled due to the delay caused by the election – will now be completed, and the deal is expected to be wrapped up in the coming hours. Fulham manager Marco Silva will replace Mourinho at the Lisbon club.
Mourinho returns 13 years after his departure in 2013, when he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in his three years in charge, before his move back to Chelsea.
The Portuguese will lead a summer rebuild which has already seen Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries sign up and more expected to arrive in the coming weeks and months, with Dani Carvajal and David Alaba going the other way. Dani Ceballos is also set for the exit door.
Mourinho has undoubtedly been tasked with restoring order to a fractured dressing room following escalating tensions among the players that have intensified throughout the season. This reached its peak with the fight between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni last month.
Florentino Perez won Real Madrid’s presidential re-election, confirming Mourinho’s arrival
Valverde, 27, went to hospital with a head injury after the spat with 26-year-old France international Tchouameni, although he denied the pair ‘came to blows’. Both players attended an internal disciplinary meeting and accepted fines of £432,000 (€500,000) each.
Mourinho will also undoubtedly want to take a look at Madrid’s performance sector, specifically physical conditioning and medical services, as these two issues have plagued the team throughout the season (there were 58 injuries and 20 players sidelined last season) and were a source of friction between Xabi Alonso and the club.
