Former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has played down reports linking him with a return to the Spanish giants as a potential replacement for current manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
The Portuguese tactician, who is presently in charge of Benfica after taking over earlier this season, addressed the rumours following his team’s Liga Portugal victory over Rio Ave on Saturday night.
Mourinho dismissed the speculation as baseless, urging the media to stop dragging him into what he described as fabricated storylines.
“Real Madrid? Stop involving me in your ‘soap opera,’” he said, according to @MadridXtra on X, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Benfica’s win ended a three-match winless run, coming on the same day Arbeloa’s Real Madrid side secured a 2–0 victory over Levante.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid after a highly successful spell with Inter Milan, where he won three major trophies during the 2009/2010 season. He later led Los Blancos to the La Liga title in the 2011/2012 campaign, setting records for points, goals scored and total wins in a single league season.
He left the Bernabeu in 2013 to return to Chelsea. In the wake of Xabi Alonso’s dismissal last week, several high-profile managers have been linked with the Real Madrid job. While Arbeloa has since been placed in charge, reports suggest club president Florentino Perez is keen on appointing Jürgen Klopp as the club’s next permanent manager.