Former Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon has made the startling claim that Jose Mourinho is in line for a return to Real Madrid. The Portuguese manager has been the subject of countless links with Manchester United, and Calderon believes that if the Red Devils reject Mourinho, he will opt for the Real Madrid job with Florentino Perez keen on re-signing him.
Calderon made these comments in a wide ranging tete-a-tete with Spanish outlet AS ahead of El Clasico, saying “If Mourinho doesn't sign for Manchester United, he will be Real Madrid's next coach. I am completely sure of that. If the team doesn't win anything, sadly, we'll be seeing Mourinho on the bench again. That's my feeling.”
Trending
Not that Calderon approves, however, since he considers Mourinho to be a troublemaker, saying “If he returns then we'll be back to the war games, fire-starting, uncomfortable press conference, FIFA, UEFA, UNICEF – that wasn't the best time for the club. Now, without him, there's a lot more peace. He provoked a series of conflicts which no one wants and it's far from ideal.”
Calderon sounded a note of warning that Zidane must win a trophy to prevent Florentino Perez from replacing him, saying “The president has been trying to coax him back for the past year, he's tried on a number of occasions. Florentino is going nuts to see Mourinho back at the club. If things don't go well, Zidane won't continue.”
Madrid can still win the league
With Real Madrid 10 points behing leaders Barcelona with 8 games to go in La Liga, most pundits have ruled out Los Blancos from the title race. As such this edition of El Clasico isn’t as pivotal as it normally is, with the result unlikely to affect the outcome of the title race.
Calderon however, still remains optimistic, surprisingly claiming that this MSN-powered Barcelona side aren’t as great as the all-conquering side under Pep Guardiola, saying “Barça go into it with an advantage, but watch out for Real Madrid - these games are all about courage and battling. If we win, the league's back on, although the old Barça isn't the same as the current one.”
Calderon wasn’t as optimistic or complimentary about Zinedine Zidane, saying “He came from the Segunda División B, the Third Division in Spain. I hope he's successful, it's clear he has the respect and admiration of the players and he knows what a dressing room full of stars is all about. But he's a Segunda B coach.”
