Former Real Madrid head coach leaves door open for a return

Former Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the Santiago Bernabeu one day in the future. 

During a recent interview with ESPN, Mourinho was asked if he would be open to returning to Real Madrid in the future, to which he responded:

"I'll always be a big fan of Real Madrid. They have the best coach in the world, my friend Carlo [Ancelotti]. He's doing very well. The future depends on what the president [Florentino Perez] wants, if he wants a young coach with a big projection as Xabi [Alonso] or continue in the same line as Carlo, a coach with experience, or look at the youth section [Madrid reserves coach] with Raul or [Madrid youth team coach Alvaro] Arbeloa. It depends."

Mourinho, who currently manages Turkish side Fenerbahce, was in charge at Real Madrid from 2010-2013, leading Los Blancos to a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey title and a Spanish Super Cup title. He also led Real Madrid to the Champions League semifinals in 2011, where it suffered a heartbreaking loss to Bayern Munich.

When it comes to picking Carlo Ancelotti's successor, club president Florentino Perez will have to make a major decision for the direction of the club's future. 

Real Madrid has long been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso in the summer when he is out of contract.

Ancelotti's contract is set to expire in June 2026, but with the results being all over the place this season, it would not be surprising if Real Madrid looks to make a managerial switch this summer.