Why Mourinho missed out on Real Madrid job

Real Madrid dressing room flatly rejected the idea of reappointing Jose Mourinho as the next manager, former president Roman Calderon has revealed.

Zinedine Zidane has thus bee reappointed after Santi Solari was sacked for poor performances that led to the defending champions exiting the Champions League race with defeat from Ajax at home. This is the third managerial change Madrid is making after the initial hiring and firing of Julen Lopetegui before Solari was plucked from the junior team and handed the senior team. It has now emerged that Mourinho was considered but the dressing room did not want him back.

“The dressing room leaders pushed to reject the possibility of Jose Mourinho. He left [Real Madrid] a lot of problems and I think he would have been another problem to the ones we already have if he had come. I think Jose Mourinho would have been a step backwards, there was a lot of problems and controversy when he was here. He is a good coach with a lot of trophies but many of the leaders in the dressing room didn’t like him and I think that was important in the decision-making.” Calderon told Sky Sports.

“The players loved him and he was able to change the ideas of coaches like Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho who managed with a strong hand. And of course, he is an idol with the fans – playing for the club as well as managing them to three Champions League trophies in a row,” he concluded.