Perez Names Jose Mourinho as Real Madrid Manager amid Presidential Election Battle

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez used his X account to announce Jose Mourinho as the new manager of the first team.

Real Madrid via Getty Images

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez officially announced Jose Mourinho as the new manager of the first team on Wednesday evening, conditional upon winning the upcoming presidential election on June 7 against challenger Enrique Riquelme.

Perez made the announcement via social media while Riquelme was appearing on the Spanish television program El Hormiguero. The post featured the caption “MOUcha historia para hacer,” a play on Mourinho’s surname and the Spanish word for “a lot,” translating to “a lot of history to be made” if Perez secures re-election.

The announcement video showed Mourinho wearing a Real Madrid shirt and responding with a simple “Si” (yes) when speaking to Perez. Spanish media interpreted this as Perez signaling his intention to rework the Mourinho appointment first made in the early 2010s, when the Portuguese coach was at his peak and considered among the world’s best managers.

Mourinho will have a similar message to that era at Real Madrid

During his previous tenure, Mourinho was tasked with challenging Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona side led by Lionel Messi. While Champions League success eluded Madrid then, the club won La Liga with a historic 100-point campaign and eventually sent Guardiola on sabbatical.

Currently, Barcelona maintains dominance in Spanish football with young talent Lamine Yamal emerging as a key player at Spotify Camp Nou. With Hansi Flick managing Barcelona’s resurgent outfit, Mourinho would need to devise strategies to counter their high-scoring approach should he return to the Madrid bench.

Back in Madrid, Riquelme promised to sign Rodri from Manchester City if he wins the election, while Perez confirmed the club will announce their first major signing milestone on Thursday.

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