Mourinho Dismisses Real Madrid Return Rumours

Benfica manager José Mourinho has firmly rejected speculation linking him with a summer move to Real Madrid, insisting that the Spanish club has made no contact whatsoever — despite mounting reports that the Liga giants are considering a coaching change.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the 63-year-old Portuguese coach addressed the growing rumors head-on. “No one from Real Madrid has spoken to me. I can guarantee that,” Mourinho stated. “I’ve been in football for so many years, and I’m used to these things… but there’s nothing from Real Madrid.”

Mourinho, who previously managed Los Blancos between 2010 and 2013 — a period defined by an intense rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona — is widely understood to feature on Real Madrid’s shortlist of potential replacements for current head coach Álvaro Arbeloa.

The former defender, appointed in January by club president Florentino Pérez to succeed the short-lived Xabi Alonso, appears destined to depart this summer as the team faces a second straight campaign without a major trophy.

Real Madrid currently trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by 11 points with only five matches remaining, and their Champions League hopes ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The lack of silverware has intensified speculation over Arbeloa’s future, reviving memories of Mourinho’s own trophy-laden stint at the Bernabéu, where he guided the club to the 2012 La Liga title.

However, Mourinho was quick to shut down any suggestion of a Bernabéu return, reaffirming his commitment to Benfica. “I have a year to go on my Benfica contract, and that’s all,” he added.

The Portuguese tactician’s current side, Benfica, suffered their own European disappointment this season, knocked out of the Champions League by ironically Real Madrid in the playoff round back in February.

Despite the swirling rumors, Mourinho remains focused on his work in Lisbon, even as the football world continues to link him with one of his former clubs. For now, the “Special One” insists that the story is nothing more than speculation.