Why Mourinho could be Real's 'ultimate wildcard'
With Real Madrid out of the Champions League, and now sat closer to third place Villarreal than La Liga leaders Barcelona, noise around manager Alvaro Arbeloa's future is unsurprisingly increasing. Arbeloa took over after Xabi Alonso departed in January, but has performed worse than his predecessor, particularly in La Liga. Alonso left the Bernabeu with an impressive win ratio of 74%.
Arbeloa has managed five games fewer than Alonso did in the league but has already lost more with his win percentage down at 64%. A shock defeat by second-tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey has not helped Arbeloa's case either - although it was just two days after he took charge. One of the names being mentioned as a potential replacement, if Arbeloa is sacked, is Real's former boss Jose Mourinho, who is currently manager of Benfica in Portugal.
The Portuguese was in charge at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague tells BBC Sport why Mourinho is liked by Real president Florentino Perez but believes he is an unlikely option for now. Mourinho's Real won 100 points in 2011-12 , the joint-highest tally ever in the Spanish top flight Arbeloa has got a year left in his contract but it is clear that chairman Perez is looking elsewhere for a new boss.
Even though Perez appreciates the positives of Arbeloa's tenure, results dictate decisions at the Bernabeu. But to understand who they will hire, you first need to understand how Perez thinks. Perez does not care about style of play.
He does not lose sleep over tactical identity or whether his team presses high or sits deep. What he cares about is winning, and more than that, managing. There is a recurring tension at the Bernabeu between two schools of thought.