Why Mourinho could be Real's 'ultimate wildcard'

Müsabaka gündeminden önemli bir haber: Why Mourinho could be Real's 'ultimate wildcard' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Jose Mourinho's Benfica sit second in Liga Portugal By Guillem Balague Sport Columnist Published 9 minutes ago 9 Comments By Josh Lobley Sport With Real Madrid out of the Champions League, and now sat closer to third place Villarreal than La Liga leaders Barcelona, noise around manager Alvaro Arbeloa's future is unsurprisingly increasing. Arbeloa took over after Xabi Alonso departed in January, but has performed worse than his predecessor, particulaly in La Liga. Alonso left the Bernebeu with an impressive win ratio of 74%.

Arbeloa has managed five games fewer than Alonso did in the league but has already lost more with his win percentage down at 64%. A shock defeat by second-tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey has not helped Arbeloa's case either - although it was just two days after he took charge. One of the names being mentioned as a potential replacement, if Arbeloa is sacked, is Real's former boss Jose Mourinho, who is currently manager of Benfica in Portugal.

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The Portuguese was in charge at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague tells Sport why Mourinho is liked by Real president Florentino Perez but believes he is an unlikely option for now. Could Mourinho really go back Real Madrid?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mourinho's Real won 100 points in 2011-12 , the joint-highest tally ever in the Spanish top flight Real do not have a manager for next season. Arbeloa has got a year left in his contract but it is clear that chairman Perez is looking elsewhere for a new boss. Even though Perez appreciates the positives of Arbeloa's tenure, results dictate decisions at the Bernabeu.

But to understand who they will hire, you first need to understand how Perez thinks. Perez does not care about style of play. He does not lose sleep over tactical identity or whether his team presses high or sits deep.

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What he cares about is winning, and more than that, managing. Managing egos, stars, the dressing room. For Perez, the ideal manager is a conductor.

There is a recurring tension at the Bernabeu between two schools of thought. On one side, the number two at the club Jose Angel Sanchez argues that Real need an organiser, a tactically rigorous coach who can impose order on a talented but chaotic squad. That line of thinking has produced appointments such as Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui and, most recently, Alonso.

None of them lasted more than a few months. The president was never truly behind them, and when results gave him the excuse, they were gone. On the other side sits Perez's own preference: the grand manager, the aristocrat of the touchline, someone whose presence alone commands respect in the dressing room.

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