Mourinho leaves door open for Madrid return

Fenerbahce head coach José Mourinho has said he is not ruling out managing Real Madrid again.

Mourinho, 61, guided Madrid to a LaLiga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercup during his three seasons with at the club between 2010 and 2013.

Asked if he would be open to return to coach Madrid one day, the Portuguese manager said: "I'll always be a big fan of Real Madrid. They have the best coach in the world, my friend Carlo [Ancelotti]. He's doing very well. The future depends on what the president [Florentino Perez] wants, if he wants a young coach with a big projection as Xabi [Alonso] or continue in the same line as Carlo, a coach with experience, or look at the youth section [Madrid reserves coach] with Raul or [Madrid youth team coach Alvaro] Arbeloa. It depends."

Former Madrid midfielder and Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso is considered to be among the front-runners to succeed Ancelotti, should Madrid part ways with the Italian coach.

Ancelotti, 65, is in his second spell at Madrid and has a contract with the team through June 2026.

Mourinho, who took over the Fenerbahce job six months after leaving Roma, is convinced Madrid president Perez will make the "right" choice when the time comes to name Ancelotti's successor.

"Florentino [Perez] hasn't made many wrong decisions at Madrid," Mourinho said. "I'm certain as a Madrid fan that his next decision will be the right one."

José Mourinho has been head coach of Fenerbahce since June. Cemal Yurttas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Madrid are second in LaLiga, two points adrift of Barcelona but have a game in hand.

Ancelotti's team won 3-2 at Atalanta in Tuesday's Champions League encounter.

With two games left, Ancelotti's side are 18th in the 36-team Champions League table on nine points, three points off the top eight spots which secure direct qualification to the round of 16.

José Mourinho, currently managing Fenerbahçe, has expressed openness to returning to Real Madrid, a club he led from 2010 to 2013. In a recent interview, Mourinho stated, "I'll always be a big fan of Real Madrid. They have the best coach in the world, my friend Carlo [Ancelotti]. He's doing very well." 

Mourinho acknowledged that the decision regarding future coaching appointments rests with Real Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez. He noted that the club could consider various options, including promoting from within their youth system or appointing a young coach with significant potential, such as Xabi Alonso. 

During his tenure at Real Madrid, Mourinho secured a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Super Cup. His potential return has been a topic of discussion, especially with current manager Carlo Ancelotti's future uncertain amid links to the Brazil national team.

Mourinho's recent comments suggest he remains connected to Real Madrid and open to future opportunities with the club, depending on its direction and leadership decisions.