Why Real Madrid are gambling on Mourinho return

MADRID: After two seasons without major silverware, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez activated the nuclear option.

Finally, the time is ripe for Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu.

It took one of the most chaotic seasons in their history for Perez to turn again to Mourinho, who like the team is in dire need of a trophy after a recent drought

On the pitch, Madrid failed both domestically and in Europe, sparking tensions amongst players and supporters.

There was a dressing room bust-up resulting in Federico Valverde going to hospital, while fans protested against Perez and superstar striker Kylian Mbappe.

With the failed European Super League project finally abandoned, in recent months Perez and Madrid have refocused on going to war with arch-rivals Barcelona again.

Thirteen years after Mourinho left, the combative Portuguese veteran returns with a similar remit to when he was appointed in 2010 — stop Barcelona, at any cost.

Then, it was Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side Mourinho had to battle with, now it is Hansi Flick’s great entertainers.

Real believe Mourinho can once again turn a talented but fragile team into an uncompromising side of winners.

Mourinho’s appointment, after several seasons away from the European elite, with stints in Turkey and his native Portugal, is undoubtedly a gamble.

However, it is one which Madrid’s 79-year-old president has been tempted by for several years.

Perez never lost respect for Mourinho after his first spell at the club, one which the Madrid chief believes laid the foundations for Real’s future European success, making them more resilient and harder-edged.

Mourinho could not lead them to their much-craved 10th Champions League title himself but his successor Carlo Ancelotti did in 2014.

Five more arrived in the decade that followed for the record 15-time winners.

“He raised our competitive level… and from there we won six Champions Leagues in 10 years,” said Perez in May.

Perez acknowledged back in 2013 that Mourinho was leaving by mutual consent and not by his oft-wielded axe. It was an unfinished project.

In the years since, Real have taken on Mourinho’s antagonistic mindset, intensifying the environment he fostered.

They harangue “corrupted” referees on the club’s television channel every week, and have battled with La Liga and Uefa.

The stage is set for Mourinho’s return, and Perez is hoping that the 63-year-old can also bring the dressing room back under control.

The ultra-competitive Mourinho has shown he can manage superstars and their egos, including Cristiano Ronaldo, showing authority and personality.

Mourinho can also take heat from the media and shield his players from pressure and criticism, as he did regularly during his previous spell in Madrid.

The coach led the team to their best ever league season, reaching 100 points in 2011-12, when they ended Barca’s domestic dominance.

The conservative Mourinho, whose Benfica side finished unbeaten this season in the Portuguese top flight despite only coming third, may also be able to fix Real’s leaky defence.

Whether Mourinho is able to connect with younger players seems doubtful. His methods may have worked 10 or 20 years ago, but the current generation do not seem to respond as well to his style.

The Portuguese has not lifted a league title for 11 years and his only trophy in the last nine is a Conference League with Roma, suggesting that he no longer belongs at the helm of true European giants.

Appointing Mourinho may be a desperate Perez turning to nostalgia over coherent strategy.

Since Mourinho left, Real have thrived under man-managers and coaches with a softer approach — Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane — rather than disciplinarians.

“I think he is a great professional but I do not want him at Real Madrid. I believe other coaches would be better qualified to coach the club of my life,” said former Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas earlier in May.

During his exhausting previous reign, Mourinho promoted Diego Lopez above Spanish World Cup winner Casillas — one of a number of calls which split opinion.

Mourinho also caused upset in February when his Benfica side played Real in a Champions League play-off match.

Madrid winger Vinicius Junior claimed to have been racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, but Mourinho said that the Portuguese side could not be racist because their greatest icon was Eusebio.

That may not start him off on the strongest footing in the dressing room.

Perhaps Perez considers even if Mourinho’s spell ends in flames, it will consume the rotting parts at the club and allow for a fresh start. But first, bring popcorn for the show.