Benfica coach José Mourinho has finally reacted to reports linking him with a surprise return to Real Madrid.
Mourinho previously managed Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013, winning a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey.
Earlier this week, nearly 13 years after his departure, a report from The Athletic claimed that he is president Florentino Pérez's preferred candidate to replace Álvaro Arbeloa at the end of the season.
Currently, Mourinho is the coach of Benfica and has a contract with the Lisbon club until June 2027, with a release clause of around 3 million euros that allows him to leave up to 10 days before the end of the season.
Although names such as Jürgen Klopp, Didier Deschamps, Mauricio Pochettino and Lionel Scaloni have been mentioned as possible candidates, Pérez is said to prefer Mourinho's experience and winning mentality.
However, not everyone in Real Madrid's management or in the squad agrees with this idea.
On Friday, Mourinho clearly denied these rumors in a press conference before the Liga Portugal match against Famalicão.
"Nobody from Real Madrid has spoken to me. I can guarantee that," he said.
"I have many years in football and I am used to these things... but there is nothing from Real Madrid," he added.
"I have one more year of contract with Benfica, and that's all," Mourinho concluded.
Meanwhile, some reports from Portugal suggest that Benfica are considering offering him a new contract to keep him, but this has not been officially confirmed.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has welcomed the idea of Mourinho returning to Spain.
"If this is what Real Madrid decides, it would be good for them," Tebas said.
"Mourinho is always a spectacle, and that's good for La Liga," he said.
Real Madrid are expected to end the season without a trophy for the second year in a row, with coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa failing to lead the team to success, while Barcelona continues to add trophies to its collection.
The next match for Real Madrid is away to Espanyol on May 3./Express newspaper/
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