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Real Madrid’s Álvaro Arbeloa gave his blessing to former boss José Mourinho on Saturday amid intense speculation that the Portuguese coach is set to replace him and start a second spell at the European powerhouse.
Speaking like a coach who knows his days are numbered, Arbeloa told reporters in Madrid on Saturday that “if he (Mourinho) is the one who is here next season, I will be happy to see him at home.”
Arbeloa played for Madrid when Mourinho was in charge from 2010-2013, a tumultuous time in which Madrid won the Spanish league and Copa del Rey titles but were overshadowed by Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona side. Mourinho’s abrasive attitude towards opponents such as Guardiola as well as some of his own players put off many in Spain. He also had his loyal backers, like Arbeloa and some hardcore fans.
Madrid’s sports papers are rife with rumors that Mourinho is the leading candidate to replace Arbeloa, who was always seen as an interim coach after he was promoted from the club’s reserve team mid-season to fill in for the sacked Xabi Alonso.
(Photo by Bruno de Carvalho/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Second-placed Madrid have two more Spanish league games to play this campaign, which it will end without a major title. It visits Sevilla on Sunday and ends the season at home to Athletic Bilbao on May 23.
The 15-time European Cup winners have been embarrassed by a series of inappropriate events in recent weeks. There was a fight between players and a loss in Barcelona that allowed its fierce rival to win the league title. Kylian Mbappe was also jeered by fans, with the star striker publicly calling out Arbeloa not to play him anymore.
Club president Florentino Pérez added to the sense of a club in crisis by holding a press conference to announce he would call an early election, which he is expected to win, while blasting the media for what he viewed as a campaign to force him to quit.
Pérez is expected to make a coaching change soon and it is understandable that he believes Mourinho’s strong personality is what the squad needs.
Mourinho, who led Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League titles in 2004 and 2010, ends his season with Benfica this weekend. The 63-year-old coach said on Friday that he had received an offer from the Lisbon-based club to continue, but that he will decide his future in the coming days.
Asked what he thought of Mourinho’s possible return, Arbeloa echoed similar praise he has given Mourinho on other occasions.
“For me as a player, and above all as a Madrid supporter, I feel and believe he is number one,” Arbeloa said.
Report from the Associated Press.
