Jose Mourinho back to Real Madrid: Hiring old coach as a new Carlo Ancelotti shows Florentino Perez's delusion

Jose Mourinho back to Real Madrid: Hiring old coach as a new Carlo Ancelotti shows Florentino Perez's delusion originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . "If you're going to get mad at me every time I do something stupid, then I guess I'll just have to stop doing stupid things.

" That's the ineffable wisdom of Homer Simpson. But Florentino Perez would have been as well saying something similar at his peculiar press conference this week, another bizarre event that — even by the standards of Real Madrid 's eternal psychodrama — continued a bizarre period. Ever since he swept into office for his first term as Madrid president in 2000 on the back of a promise to audaciously swipe Luis Figo from Barcelona , launching his Galacticos project, Perez has been the embodiment of everything his club represents.

When Real Madrid are not functioning, it reflects badly on him. Los Blancos will finish 2025/26 trophyless. Perez oversaw the appointment of Xabi Alonso as Carlo Ancelotti's successor.

One of the most sought-after head coaches in Europe and a former Santiago Bernabeu crowd favourite, Alonso lasted half a season, leaving by mutual consent having had his fill of the nonsense. MORE: Xabi Alonso sacking highlights Real Madrid's unsolvable manager problem Alvaro Arbeloa took the reins and, presented with a man who was never likely to be a long-term incumbent, squad discipline and harmony have disintegrated entirely. Recent weeks have seen Federico Valverde sidelined by a head injury from a training-ground fracas with Aurelien Tchouameni, and Kylian Mbappe subjected to boos from Madridistas and a fan poll in the millions demanding he be sold .