The highly anticipated return of José Mourinho to the Real Madrid bench has still not been officially confirmed, despite multiple reports across Europe claiming that a verbal agreement is already in place between both parties. What initially appeared to be a straightforward deal has now been slowed down by a combination of internal political issues and financial complications inside the Spanish giants.

According to reports from both Spanish and English media, the primary reason behind the delay is the upcoming presidential election at the Bernabéu. For the first time since 2006, Florentino Pérez will face opposition in an election after businessman Enrique Riquelme officially announced his candidacy.

The political situation has forced the current president to focus much of his attention on securing another term before finalizing major sporting decisions within the club.

Presidential Elections Have Slowed Down Mourinho’s Arrival

Sources close to Mourinho reportedly remain confident that Florentino Pérez will ultimately win the election. In fact, bringing the Portuguese manager back could become one of the strongest pillars of Pérez’s campaign strategy.

Meanwhile, Mourinho continues monitoring developments from Portugal, where he remains under contract with Benfica. That situation has created another major obstacle for Madrid.

The Spanish club reportedly missed the deadline on a release clause that would have allowed them to secure Mourinho’s departure for approximately €7 million. Since the agreement was not finalized before the expiration date, Benfica now holds significantly more leverage in negotiations and may demand tougher financial conditions.

Recent tensions between both clubs regarding transfer negotiations have also complicated the relationship further.

Mourinho Already Planning Squad Changes

Despite the delay in the official announcement, reports suggest that Mourinho has already started outlining plans to rebuild Real Madrid following a disappointing trophyless campaign.

One of the players reportedly on his wishlist is Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, the current captain of Sporting CP. Mourinho is also believed to be interested in bringing back Marcus Rashford, who recently spent time on loan at Barcelona.

There are even rumors that club legend Toni Kroos could join Mourinho’s coaching staff as an assistant.

Mourinho’s return would represent a major attempt to restore competitiveness and stability at the Bernabéu. During his first spell between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese coach helped transform the club into one of Europe’s most feared sides again, including a historic 100-point LaLiga-winning campaign. Now, he could be preparing for a second chapter in Madrid.

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