At Benfica, Special One slammed: Mourinho's drought worse than Real's | OneFootball

he continues to be linked with the Real Madrid managerial job and, as the move draws closer, critical voices are also emerging in Spain. This time, it was Jorge Valdano, a former leading figure at Los Blancos, raising concerns over the possible arrival of Benfica’s current coach at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The former Argentina international, 70, began by highlighting the differences between the current context and the one surrounding the Special One’s first spell at the Spanish club. "Florentino believes Mourinho can change the team’s self-esteem. But it is important to say that neither Florentino, nor Mourinho, nor football itself are the same as they were 15 years ago," he said in an interview with influencer Rodrigo Rea.

Valdano went further and questioned the Setúbal-born coach’s recent trophy record. "Mourinho won a Conference League five years ago [2021/22] and a Europa League 10 years ago [2016/17]. Mourinho’s trophy drought is even deeper than Real Madrid’s," said the former Los Blancos director.

Despite the criticism, the former merengue believes Florentino Pérez still has complete faith in the Portuguese manager. "He is one of Florentino’s picks, who has always appreciated him and wants to give him a second chance," Valdano concluded, at a time when the Special One’s departure from Benfica seems increasingly close to being made official.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.