Hot rumours in Spain! Real Madrid have apparently already chosen Jose Mourinho’s successor

Doubts about coach Jose Mourinho are apparently growing at Real Madrid, with the club’s management accusing him of a lack of further progress.

Jorge C. Picon (of AS, among others) and Sergio Valentin of Marca have both reported on X that Real Madrid’s hierarchy are disappointed by how the season has gone so far. President Florentino Perez and other influential officials expected much more from Mourinho’s return, particularly after reportedly giving him complete freedom to assemble the squad in the summer.

According to the reports, the team’s performances fall short of the club’s high standards and look too much like those of last season, when Real failed to win a title. The players reportedly remain behind Mourinho, but the hierarchy are increasingly sceptical about the lack of a clear playing identity.

Perez is already preparing behind the scenes for a possible separation, according to Valentin. The club president has reportedly told those closest to him that he has a specific successor in mind for the coaching job: Didier Deschamps.

After his 14-year stint with France’s national team, the 49-year-old Frenchman has been without a club. Deschamps led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018 and the World Cup final in 2022, but left his post after a fourth-place finish at the finals in North America. He said at the time that a difficult environment, rather than sporting factors, prompted his resignation, and that he stepped down to prevent further damage to the national team.

Mourinho and Real face pivotal fixtures in the coming days, already seven points behind champions Barcelona after nine league games. A Champions League match against RB Leipzig comes first, followed by the Clasico away to the Catalans next Sunday.

For Mourinho, that match could prove make-or-break. The Portuguese coach has won nine of his 11 competitive matches since returning to Madrid, but an early departure is considered a realistic possibility, according to the latest rumours, if Real again disappoint with their play against Barca.

This article first appeared on Goal.com and was syndicated with permission.

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