Mourinho meets with Florentino Perez to discuss Real Madrid return

Real Madrid president Florentino has taken another step in his bid to return Jose Mourinho to the Santiago Bernabéu, holding a direct video call with the 63-year-old manager. 

Initial reports indicated that the current Benfica boss had flatly rejected the Spanish giant's preliminary approach through his long-term agent, Jorge Mendes. 

However, Pérez insisted on bypassing the representatives to speak directly with the Portuguese tactician to hash out the terms of a potential contract to replace outgoing manager Álvaro Arbeloa. 

According to Esdario, Mourinho made certain demands, including the overhauling of the medical department and total control of disciplining the dressing room.

Despite the enthusiasm from Perez, the prospect of Mourinho's return is incredibly polarising. Legendary former goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who endured a toxic, public fallout with the manager during his initial tenure, dramatically reacted to the reports on X (formerly Twitter) by posting three popcorn emojis, seemingly anticipating an impending circus. 

Inside the Valdebebas dressing room, the squad is reportedly vehemently opposed to the appointment, with senior players allegedly labelling the manager a "ticking time bomb.”

The apprehension is tied to the dark, civil-war legacy of his previous stint and is currently exacerbated by lingering outrage over recent, controversial off-pitch remarks Mourinho made regarding superstar forward Vinícius Júnior.