SOCCER: Mourinho lined up for Real return if Perez wins election

MADRID — José Mourinho will return to manage Real Madrid if Florentino Pérez wins the club’s presidential election on Sunday, the incumbent president confirmed Wednesday as he campaigns for another term at the helm of the LaLiga club.

Pérez, who is facing renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme in the club’s first contested election in 20 years, made the announcement through his social media channels with a short video featuring Mourinho saying simply: “Yes!”

The clip was accompanied by the slogan “So MOUch history to be made,” a clear reference to the Portuguese coach, who guided Real Madrid to a record LaLiga points tally in 2012 but last won a league title with Chelsea in 2015.

The potential move for Mourinho comes after a disappointing domestic season in which Barcelona secured back-to-back league titles.

Real Madrid, 15-time Champions League winners, have also fallen at the quarterfinal stage of Europe’s top club competition in each of the past two seasons. The lack of major silverware has prompted Pérez to call elections.

Pérez’s announcement was released while Riquelme was appearing on the Spanish television program El Hormiguero, where he said Manchester City midfielder and Spain captain Rodri would be his first signing if elected.

Riquelme added that he would also target Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, and that former Real Madrid forward Raúl would serve as his sporting director.

Since leaving Chelsea, Mourinho’s trophy haul has been more modest. He won the League Cup and Europa League with Manchester United, and later led AS Roma to the Europa Conference League title.

His managerial career has also included stints at Tottenham Hotspur, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica, where he was under contract until June 2027 and had previously indicated the club had offered him a contract extension.

While some analysts argue that modern football has moved beyond Mourinho’s pragmatic style, Pérez appears to view him as the manager capable of restoring discipline and competitiveness to a squad featuring Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham. -Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters