Mourinho to Real Madrid? Perez plans shock return as Jose ’causes a stir’ to force Benfica sack

Jose Mourinho could make a sensational return to Real Madrid following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal, with reports claiming the Portuguese coach is ‘causing a stir’ at Benfica in order to force an exit.

Mourinho is currently in charge of Benfica, but journalist Alfredo Relano has claimed he wants to leave as the Real Madrid job is waiting for him.

Why Real Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso

• Bellingham slams journalist ‘misinformation’ amid claims of Alonso rift
• Alonso’s stock remains high after winning 20 of 28 games in charge
• Vinicius Jr issues believed to be the root of the problem

The fallout from Alonso’s sacking, which Madrid said was a ‘mutual decision’, has been spectacular.

His exit effectively comes down to player power, with several high-profile names reportedly unhappy with his tactics and personal approach.

The most notable anti-Alonso player was Vinicius Junior, who has threatened to leave the club with his contract set to expire in 18 months.

The disgruntled players have won following Alonso’s dismissal and will now be managed by Alvaro Arbeloa, another former Los Blancos and Liverpool player.

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Arbeloa has six months to prove he can be Florentino Perez’s long-term answer to the head coach position, with Madrid trailing La Liga leaders Barcelona by four points and sitting seventh in the Champions League standings, with favourable matches against AS Monaco and Benfica coming up.

Their trip to Benfica will be the second time Mourinho has faced a former club in this season’s competition after losing 1-0 at Chelsea in September.

He should be in the dugout come January 28, but the home dugout, or the away dugout?

READ: Unbreakable Premier League records feature Mourinho’s stingy Chelsea and Erling Haaland

Could Jose Mourinho return to Real Madrid?

COPE journalist Alfredo Relano believes the timing of Alonso’s sacking was right after losing Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona and has revealed that Mourinho is Perez’s top choice to replace the 44-year-old.

In what Relano calls a “stone bombshell”, he stated: “His ultimate goal is to bring Mourinho back. [Mourinho] is currently causing a stir at Benfica, precisely so they’ll fire him.”

Relano adds that Mourinho is “the only one Florentino Perez has been happy with” and that he “wouldn’t be surprised at all if he ended up bringing him back.”

The journalist was rather cutting when analysing Arbeloa’s appointment over someone like Zinedine Zidane. He said: “Zidane was a character… none of the players I coach wanted to be Arbeloa as a child, that’s for sure.”

Mourinho won’t manage a Champions League contender again

Mourinho getting one last dance at a big club would be fantastic, but it’s extremely unlikely we will see it happen, and surely not at Real Madrid.

It’s all about Arbeloa for the time being, but some big names are being linked with the job, including Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp.

However, Klopp is in no rush to return to management and insists news of Alonso’s exit and potential interest “did not trigger anything for him”.

Klopp said: “There were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it. First of all, I think it’s another sign that something isn’t quite right there at the moment.

“This has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me either, which would probably have been the follow-up question. I was surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.”

Incredible Alonso outburst revealed: ‘I didn’t know I was coming to coach a nursery’

Klopp also said: “If Xabi Alonso is then forced to leave Madrid just six months later, it shows a few things.

“It shows that nowadays there’s no time anymore. On the other hand, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous. I think we’d already been hearing rumours for a while.”

🚨 A video from last night shows tensions between Xabi Alonso and his squad following the Spanish Super Cup loss. Mbappé declined a guard of honour for Barcelona, with teammates following his lead.

According to reports, Xabi Alonso believed he no longer had control of the squad.… pic.twitter.com/Yj0JE9CvnL

— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) January 13, 2026

There are lots of rumours circulating about what really went on at Madrid under Alonso’s watch, and a report from Marca has pinpointed the moment the Spanish coach ‘began to lose’ the club.

It was in early November when the ‘rift between the squad and Alonso’ truly began.

During one training session, Alonso apparently lost his cool, ‘exploding’ at the players: “I didn’t know I was coming to coach a nursery!”

The report adds:

It wasn’t your typical warning to get your players’ attention, nor was it just a one-off outburst at work; it was a cry of desperation, of weariness, and almost of boredom.

Xabi had been annoyed for some time because his players weren’t keeping up with the demands he wanted to place on each and every training session, especially the tactical ones.

Sulking faces, a lack of effort, whispers… until he couldn’t take it anymore and uttered a phrase that marked the beginning of the end. He told them what he’d been thinking for a while, opening a wound within the squad that would never heal.

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