Real Madrid must now navigate the presidential vote scheduled for June 7 before formally completing Mourinho’s return. Although the expiration of the Benfica clause has increased the financial cost of the deal, it is not expected to alter Madrid’s plans. Mourinho remains Perez’s preferred candidate, and the club appears determined to press ahead with a reunion aimed at restoring success in Spain and Europe.
However, Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu could be doomed if Riquelme surprisingly wins the election and becomes club president, as he has previously insisted that Los Blancos’ new manager has never managed the Spanish giants before.
