:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46362234/GettyImages-487410533.0.jpg)
Earlier this week, Guillem "The Torres Whisperer" Balague claimed that Jose Mourinho snubbed a potential return to Real Madrid. It sounded, at best, a dubious claim. Not the rejection part, that was more than reasonable, but the part where Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez would even think to sound out Mourinho for the job that the Chelsea manager left amid so many bad vibes not 24 months ago.
It turns out that there was a nugget of truth amid all the nonsense. A very tiny one, but a nugget of truth nonetheless.
"I called and it is not true that he offered me the coaching job. The reality is that I called the president to congratulate him on the basketball title. I know what this success means for him."
"What will I do in the future? I have my contract with Chelsea for two years and plan to continue here."
-Jose Mourinho; source: Marca via Sky Sports
Granted, it could just be banter. Brought about by our Premier League title, Mourinho has indeed been in a bit of a trollish mood lately. But Real Madrid (the basketball part of the organization, obviously) did win Euroleague last weekend for the first time in 20 years, and Pérez spoke of his delight at doing so. And Mourinho's a nice guy, as we know.