Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Thursday, January 15, 2026, 8:27 p.m. / Updated Thursday, January 15, 2026, 8:28 p.m.
Real Madrid's season is far from being a successful one. After the defeat with Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, 2-3, Florentino Perez dismissed Xabi Alonso. Spanish journalists propose a spectacular appointment on the technical bench.
In Arbeloa's debut on the bench, the “galacticos” were eliminated from the Copa del Rey de Albacete, the team in 17th place in La Liga 2. The team from the second echelon won 3-2, the decisive goal being scored in the last minutes of the game by Jefte Betancor, who played in the Super League for CFR Cluj, Farul Constanța and FC Voluntari.
The Spanish press announces that Real Madrid is already investigating several coaches on the market. Arbeloa would stay until the end of the season, but even that is not certain.
Alfredo Relano, a journalist at Marca, analyzed the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, criticized the choice of Arbeloa as his successor and offered a tip on who could take over the technical bench of the Madrid players.
Spanish press announcement: “Florentino Perez's final idea is to bring back Jose Mourinho”
“Florentino Perez cannot be happy with Real's disastrous performance in the Super Cup. Anyone who disagrees with Florentino Perez is considered an idiot, that's how things work for the president,” he began to argue, before floating the name of current Benfica coach José Mourinho as a possible option to coach Real Madrid.
“Arbeloa is not a figure to inspire anyone. Zidane was a figure. None of the players wanted to be Arbeloa when they were kids, that's for sure. Florentino Perez's final idea is to bring back Jose Mourinho.
He is a coach who causes a stir at Benfica, only to be sacked. Mourinho was the only one Florentino Perez was happy with. I wouldn't be surprised if Florentino Perez brought him back“, he added, according to abola.pt.
Jose Mourinho, Benfica coach // photo: Imago Images
Jose Mourinho coached Real Madrid in the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 seasons and won three trophies: La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Spanish Cup.
Benfica is not doing well under Jose Mourinho
Benfica is not going through the best season under Mourinho. The team is only in 3rd place after 17 stages, with 39 points. Porto is the leader, with 49.
The Portuguese are not doing great in the Champions League either, where they have collected only two wins and 4 defeats. It ranks 25th, with 6 points.
