Real Madrid have held talks to bring Jose Mourinho back to the club, but the Portuguese coach will only return if two of his major demands are met.
Los Blancos parted ways with Xabi Alonso just months after appointing him to the Bernabeu and replaced him with another former player, Alvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted from the club's B team.
However, things have not gone according to plan under Arbeloa, with Real Madrid expected to end the season without a major trophy for the second year in a row.
Barcelona can win La Liga if they triumph in Sunday's "El Clasico" at the "Camp Nou", while the recent period at Real Madrid has been chaotic, with fights, tensions in the dressing room and a lack of trust in the coach - who has even been called a "cone" by some of the team's players.
Real Madrid are in complete crisis and a new report from "The Athletic" claims that the club wants Mourinho to save them by returning for a second term.
Mourinho, who won three trophies in his first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013, is considered the preferred candidate of president Florentino Perez, who is leading the search for a new coach.
Xabi Alonso's appointment was largely managed by executive director Jose Angel Sanchez, with Perez giving final approval.
The 79-year-old sees Mourinho as the man who can get the club back on track and talks with his agent Jorge Mendes are ongoing.
Mourinho is currently happy at Benfica, where he moved in September after being sacked by Fenerbahçe.
However, he would be open to a return to Real Madrid, who would have to pay around £2.6m to release him from his contract.
He can leave within 10 days of the end of the season if the clause is activated.
Mourinho knows better than most how Real Madrid works and according to a report from Esdario, he has laid out a list of demands that must be met before his return to the Bernabeu.
It is said that Perez held a video conference with Mourinho, where Jorge Mendes was also present.
During the conversation, Mourinho laid out his terms, which include a minimum two-year contract as well as full control over the squad and dressing room.
He will not accept any interference from the players regarding team selection and has no intention of relenting from this stance, as he was said to be "absolutely uncompromising".
Mourinho wants to bring the same technical staff with him, but is not opposed to Arbeloa remaining at the club - although fitness coach Antonio Pintus should leave.
He wants to address the problems in the medical department, demanding a direct line of communication with this sector after the alarming number of injuries at Los Blancos.
The 63-year-old also wants to "limit himself to communicating with the media as a coach", preferring that another person be the club's main spokesperson.
Seven players are expected to leave Real Madrid, as Mourinho does not consider them part of his plans, while he only wants to communicate with Florentino Perez and not with other club employees.
This was one of the sources of frustration during his first term, and he wants Perez to be his main point of contact.
Although Real Madrid is one of the biggest clubs in the world, Mourinho reportedly does not want a big pre-season tour and instead prefers some more controlled friendlies to protect the players physically and mentally.
The final requirement is that all of these conditions be accepted as a complete package, and if even one of them is not approved, the agreement fails./Express newspaper/
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