Jose Mourinho turned down high-profile job before Real Madrid return

Jose Mourinho turned down high-profile job before Real Madrid return Back in June, Jose Mourinho was re-appointed as Real Madrid manager, 13 years after his first spell in charge came to an end. Florentino Perez tasked him with being the man to turn things around at the Bernabeu after back-to-back seasons without a major trophy, although things could have been different for The Special One. Weeks before Mourinho was officially appointed, it was reported that he had an agreement in place to take over as manager on the condition that Perez won the presidential election against Enrique Riquelme, which was the case. Had that been delayed by a couple of weeks, there was a chance that the 63-year-old would not have been available, with Diario AS reporting that the Portuguese FA wanted him to take over as the national team’s head coach. Going into the summer, it was agreed that Roberto Martinez would leave his position as Portugal head coach after the 2026 World Cup, and Mourinho was the top choice to replace him. Talks took place, but when Real Madrid and Perez came calling, he made it clear that his priority was to return to the Bernabeu, a decision that the Portuguese FA understood. Mourinho’s second spell has started shakily Although Mourinho has been enjoying life back at Real Madrid , it’s safe to say that his second spell has not got off to the best start. Things started well enough, but two defeats in their last five matches (1-0 vs Real Betis, 2-1 vs Atletico Madrid) mean they trail Barcelona by six points at these early stages of the La Liga season. Furthermore, his side’s performances have been concerning, especially over the last few weeks. Regardless, Mourinho will fancy his chances of turning things around. As for the Portugal jo, it could be something he considers in the future, although it’s likely that current head coach Jorge Jesus stays in charge until the 2030 World Cup at least.