The divisions in this Real Madrid squad are clear. Mourinho needs all of his managerial experience to fix a broken dressing room.
| Real Madrid markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| To win to nil vs Athletic Club | 7/4 |
| To win La Liga 2026/27 | 6/5 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Future looks familiar for Los Blancos
Real Madrid opted for a cultural change last summer when they appointed Xabi Alonso. They hoped the former Bayer Leverkusen boss could bring a progressive, modern style of football to the club.
However, Alonso struggled to win over the dressing room and was dismissed in January. Tensions only appeared to grow under his successor Alvaro Arbeloa. Reports of training ground altercations and a fan backlash against Kylian Mbappe this month have added to the sense of chaos.
Club president Florentino Perez has seemingly concluded that he needs a respected leader and big character to turn things around. Real Madrid have previously enjoyed success during the second spells of both Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti. They are once again turning to a familiar face.
Mourinho’s return is expected to be formally announced following this weekend’s final La Liga game against Athletic Club. The Portuguese coach is still well regarded by many in the Spanish capital. His side famously beat Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona team to the title in the 2011/12 season.
Los Blancos set records that year, with 100 points and 121 goals in the league. At that time, Mourinho had little trouble commanding the respect of what can be a challenging Real Madrid dressing room. The big question is whether he still has the ability to bring harmony to this club nearly 15 years on.
Will Mourinho’s return spark life into Real Madrid?
It promises to be a very interesting summer in the transfer market at the Santiago Bernabeu. The hierarchy may be tempted to cash in on some of their high-profile stars. That policy might help heal a few of those divides, while creating funds to rebuild Mourinho’s squad.
Saturday’s home clash with Athletic Club will be the last chance for players to make a positive impression. That may help spark a bit more intensity than we’ve seen from Los Blancos in recent weeks.
Despite their problems, Real Madrid have still managed to win three of their last four games without conceding. They should be too strong for mid-table Athletic, who are not competing for anything. With the visitors missing the injured Nico Williams, backing the hosts to win to nil appears to offer value.
Looking ahead to next season, Real Madrid are given an implied probability of 45.5% to win La Liga. Despite all of their problems this term, they’ll hit 86 points with a victory on Saturday. They’ve won 70% of their league fixtures.
Those kinds of numbers are normally enough to put a team in title contention in Spain. Only two teams in the past eight years have passed 90 points, and one of those was Barcelona this season. Even if Mourinho only makes slight improvements in terms of squad harmony and attacking balance, Real Madrid are still serious contenders.
On paper, they still have a better squad than their rivals in terms of raw individual talent. Barcelona’s attack is likely depleted by the departure of Robert Lewandowski. Finding an elite replacement won’t be easy, given the ongoing financial restraints in Catalonia.
No team has won three straight La Liga titles since Guardiola’s Barca between 2008 and 2011. Backing Mourinho’s men to deny their rivals another three-peat could be the way to go.