Real Madrid are heading toward another turbulent end to the season, with reports suggesting a possible return for Jose Mourinho gaining traction amid growing instability at the club.
The Los Blancos have now gone two consecutive seasons without a trophy, a barren run that has intensified scrutiny on performances both on and off the pitch.
Internal dressing-room issues have further added to the pressure, leaving the club under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Their struggles were underlined once again on Sunday when FC Barcelona secured a 2-0 win in the Clásico at Camp Nou to wrap up back-to-back La Liga titles with three games still remaining.
In Europe, Madrid’s campaign also ended early, with a quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Current head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who stepped in after Xabi Alonso’s departure in January, is widely expected to leave at the end of the season.
With uncertainty surrounding the dugout, Mourinho’s name has once again emerged as a serious option for a sensational return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to a report on the BBC, Mourinho is in the final stage of negotiations with Los Blancos for a sensational return.
A clause in his Mourinhos' current contract at Benfica reportedly allows him to leave for €3 million (£2.6m) within 10 days of the club's final match of the season.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, during which he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, marking a highly successful spell in charge.
Florentino Perez confirmed on Tuesday that he will not step down as club president, instead calling a board election after a turbulent season in which the storied Real Madrid ended without silverware.
