Let’s look at the timeline of events from the last time we hired Mourinho.
2010/11: Jose Mourinho appointed manager of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane hired by the club as a sporting/technical advisor. Less than a year later, club director Jorge Valdano was let go due to clashes with Mourinho, and Mourinho himself called for Zidane to absorb some of Valdano’s responsibilities. One of Zidane’s famous contributions in this role was bringing Raphael Varane from Lens.
2013/14: The club parted ways with Mourinho at the end of the previous season and sought to replace him with someone of similar pedigree, the main rumoured options being Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti ended up being chosen. Zidane was made the assistant manager to Ancelotti.
2014/15: Zidane shifted over to the head coach position at Castilla. The club parted ways with Ancelotti at the end of the season.
2015/16: Zidane appointed first team manager of Real Madrid following the short-lived tenure of Rafa Benitez. Inheriting a squad still containing many players from the Mourinho era, he goes and achieves history.
Now it seems that we’ve hit a bit of a wall and it’s time to enter a new cycle. Nacho and Modric were the last two players still connected to the Mourinho era, and that officially ended when Modric left last summer. The Xabi Alonso era attempted to launch, but it ended before it really began. The club seems a bit directionless, and Mourinho might look like a short-sighted hire, but I think some seeds might actually be planted here.
2026/27: Mourinho rumoured to be appointed manager of Real Madrid. Toni Kroos rumoured to be hired by the club as a sporting/technical advisor.
The following might be wildly optimistic of me to predict, but it’s not entirely implausible.
2028/29: Mourinho leaves the club at the end of his third season (as is normal for him), ideally it’s an amicable Ancelotti-style departure and he gets take over the Portugal national team in time to lead them at the 2030 World Cup.
2029/30: Another experienced, high-pedigree manager takes over. Kroos is made their assistant. For this reason, I feel like a German could be probable. Maybe Klopp finally decides we’re right for him. Maybe Nagelsmann emerges as the one for us.
Give it a few years after that, and Toni Kroos will be the manager of Real Madrid.
It won’t be seamless — there will be growing pains, drama, and uncomfortable situations while Mourinho is in charge. But, if there’s a chance that Perez isn’t washed, I have a hunch that this is what he wants to build towards.
Looking forward to coming back to this in a few years and seeing how right or wrong I end up being.