Thursday, 31st March, 2011
Reports from Spain suggest that Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez is already planning for the eventuality of life after Jose Mourinho at the club next season. While the Portuguese is not expected to quit the Bernabeu, Perez is keen not to be caught out if Mourinho did decide to seek pastures new.
And according to Onda Cero, Perez has settled on former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as a potential successor to Mourinho. There has even been talk Benitez has signed a pre-contract agreement with Los Blancos, that crucially contains a clause which voids the deal should Mourinho stay in Madrid next season.
Benitez has always been expected to manage Real Madrid, the club closest to his heart, at some stage in his career, and the Spanish giants are where the Spaniard took his first steps into coaching.
While there is no suggestion Mourinho is preparing to leave Real Madrid, and no suggestion Perez wants the former Inter coach to quit, a move for Benitez would indicate not just long-term planning in the Spanish capital, but also that the club would welcome the former Valencia boss as a future manager.
For Benitez, the move would represent the second time he has followed in the footsteps of Mourinho, having succeeded the Portuguese briefly at Inter earlier this season.
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