In news that will come as little surprise to most and has been rumored now for weeks, Jose Mourinho will depart Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Perez held a press conference today at 2 p.m. ET to make it official. ESPN has the latest:
BREAKING: Real Madrid confirm that Jose Mourinho will leave club at the end of the season. #RMFC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 20, 2013
World football writer Guillem Balague originally broke the news:
Florentino Perez will announce that Mourinho will leave Madrid after the last game of the season
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 20, 2013
Our colleague @jfelixdiaz says that Florentino has already met with Mourinho and he will leave on the 2nd of June
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 20, 2013
Real Madrid went trophy-less this season, and Mourinho was thought to be on the hot seat given that fact. It is widely believed (h/t Sky Sports) he will return to Stamford Bridge this summer to once again manage Chelsea, where he was the boss from 2004 to 2007.
His tenure at Real Madrid, which began in the 2010-11 season, wasn't as successful as fans and ownership would have liked, but it was hardly a failure. He led Los Blancos to a 2011 Copa del Rey title and last year's La Liga title, the club's first since the 2007-08 season.
But Real Madrid went without silverware this season, and Mourinho was never able to lead the team past the Champions League semifinals, reaching that stage of the tournament in all three seasons.
His tenure was also marked by several controversial moments, including poking then-Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a 2011 match.
Mourinho has also come under criticism for an alleged dispute with Iker Casillas that has seen the world-class keeper relegated to the bench for most of Real Madrid's matches since December. Veteran defender Pepe has also found his ire recently and joined Casillas on the bench in favor of Raphael Varane.
For most clubs, a league championship, a cup victory and three trips to the semifinals of the Champions League would be a successful tenure. At Real Madrid, more is expected.
Mourinho should land on his feet, though, and if he does end up with Chelsea, he would inherit a very talented roster and plenty of cash to spend this summer.
