Real Madrid is considering two surprising options if the deal with Jose Mourinho doesn’t go through.
Real Madrid have picked two unexpected backup options if they can’t hire Jose Mourinho as their new manager.
Mourinho has reportedly been talking with Real for weeks about taking over from Alvaro Arbeloa at the end of the season. The Portuguese coach, who currently manages Benfica, has publicly denied discussing this with club president Florentino Perez. However, according to BBC Sport, he is now in “final talks” to return for a second time at the Bernabeu.
He’s even said to have given Perez a list of 10 big requests, including bringing his own staff. While it looks very likely Mourinho will be the next coach, the deal isn’t done yet.
Spanish journalist Raul Varela says Real have found two surprise alternatives just in case talks with Mourinho fall through.
One option is club legend Raul, who managed Real’s Castilla team for six years between 2019 and 2025. Raul left the club after last summer when Xabi Alonso was picked over him for a job. In his time, Castilla came close but didn’t earn promotion twice during the playoffs.
When announcing Raul’s departure, Real spoke very warmly of him. They said it was an “honor to have one of the greatest legends in our history and world football as a coach and mentor for our academy.” The club added, “Raul shows all the values of Real Madrid, and he passed those on as a coach. He will always have a special place in the hearts of fans, and Real Madrid will always be his home. We wish him and his family all the best in this new chapter.”
The second choice is American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who quickly climbed up the coaching ranks and was named Real Sociedad manager last year. The 48-year-old led Sociedad to win the Copa del Rey earlier this year, becoming the first American to win a major trophy in Europe’s top leagues.
Sociedad sits in eighth place in La Liga and is likely to qualify for next season’s Conference League, with a shot at the Europa League depending on other results.
Varela says that Matarazzo is seen as a “modern option,” not by Perez but by one of his most trusted advisors. The coach is “liked within the club,” though his hiring as Real manager “seems unlikely” for now.
As for Raul, the board thinks he has the right skills and profile to meet the club’s current needs.
If things go smoothly with Mourinho, then these two won’t move forward. But Real clearly want to keep backup plans ready if the deal with Mourinho doesn’t work out.