‘No one from Real Madrid has spoken to me’, insists Benfica manager Mourinho
Jose Mourinho, the seasoned coach currently at the helm of Benfica, has categorically stated that there has been no communication between himself and Real Madrid, despite rampant speculation about a potential return to the Spanish giants this summer.
The renowned Portuguese manager, who previously led Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013 amidst a fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, is reportedly part of Real Madrid’s list of candidates for their vacant coaching position.
It appears that the current head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, is likely to be dismissed as Madrid struggles through a second consecutive season without securing a major trophy.
In addressing the media, Mourinho, who is now 63 years old, emphasized, “No one from Real Madrid has spoken to me. I can guarantee that.” He further elaborated, “Having spent so many years in football, I have become accustomed to this kind of speculation… however, there has been no contact from Real Madrid.” This statement comes despite Mourinho’s successful tenure with the club, where he clinched the LaLiga title in 2012.
Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, appointed Arbeloa in January following the departure of Xabi Alonso, who had an extremely brief stint in the position.
Currently, Real Madrid trails the league leaders Barcelona by 11 points with only five matches left in the season, and their dreams of advancing in the Champions League were dashed when they were eliminated by Bayern Munich during the quarter-finals.
Mourinho, who still has a year remaining on his contract with Benfica, reiterated, “I have a year to go on my Benfica contract, and that’s all.” It’s worth noting that his team faced Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round earlier in February, where they suffered an exit.
