Not many people once thought Jose Mourinho would one day be seen as a "firefighter" of European football. Because for most of his career, the Portuguese strategist has been famous for creating more controversy than extinguishing them.
Mourinho has won a series of titles at almost every club he has led. However, his success is always accompanied by conflicts, controversies and prolonged tense atmospheres. Those noises gradually become a brand associated with the "Special One".
When top European teams were no longer interested in Mourinho, his career also began to enter another stage. Tottenham, AS Roma, Fenerbahce and then Benfica became the final stops in the once glorious journey.
But now, a familiar name suddenly reappears in Mourinho's turbulent life: Real Madrid.
The Royal Spanish team is said to be very close to appointing Mourinho for a second term at the Bernabeu. According to many sources, negotiations have been going on for months since Xabi Alonso left.
A clause in the current contract allows Mourinho to leave Benfica for a fee of about 2.5 million pounds immediately after the end of the season.
This potential return takes place in the context that Real Madrid is sinking into crisis both professionally and internally. Los Blancos have gone two consecutive seasons without winning titles, while in the dressing room there are constantly serious conflicts.
Last week, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were said to have had a scuffle on the training ground, causing Valverde to be hospitalized. The incident further divided Real Madrid's internal affairs and created a negative image for fans.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe continues to be the focus of criticism. The influence of the French star is said to be creating many problems in the dressing room, to the point that more than 70,000 fans have signed petitions asking the club to sell him. The vacation in Sardinia while recovering from injury further puts Mbappe under pressure from the media and fans.
In that chaotic context, President Florentino Perez seems to believe that Mourinho is the person with enough personality to restore order at the Bernabeu. He expects the Portuguese coach to be able to restore discipline, control the dressing room and rebuild the team's identity.
However, Mourinho's return to Real Madrid also brings many doubts. He himself contributed to creating one of the most tense periods in the modern history of the club.
In his first term, Mourinho started with a suspension after the match against Ajax in the Champions League, where Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were sent off in a controversial situation. He also caused a stir in Spanish football when he punched Tito Vilanova in the eye in the 2011 El Clasico.
Not only that, Mourinho is also said to have a bad relationship with Vinicius Junior. Previously, he caused controversy when he said that the Brazilian striker's behavior contributed to Benfica fans having racist actions in a match this season.
That raises doubts about Vinicius' future if Mourinho really returns to the Bernabeu.
In his first time leading Real Madrid, Mourinho left after less than three seasons when everything went out of control. But despite the lessons from the past, Perez is still willing to bet again.
This is definitely a bold, even risky decision. And if Mourinho cannot prove that he has changed after more than a decade, this reunion could become a failed gamble for both sides.
