Mourinho’s entire managerial philosophy – the siege mentality, the us-against-the-world framing, the weaponisation of grievance, the use of media as the enemies – is perfectly calibrated for the climate Perez has spent years cultivating at Los Blancos.
A president who is highly critical of referees, who believes the media wants to destroy him, and Barcelona are favoured by La Liga has finally found his ideal coach.
The paranoia runs in the corridors of power at the Bernabeu and will now be in the dugout with Mourinho – although, in fact, predecessor Arbeloa has bought that vision of the world already.
That, more than anything, is why this appointment makes sense in Perez’s mind.
Madrid’s dressing room is fractured. There have been fights between players. Vinicius Jr got what he wanted when Alonso was sacked as manager. Kylian Mbappe is not loved and seems a strange body in the club.
Then, added to that, a squad that finished a second consecutive season without a major trophy.
Into this chaos walks a man with an iron fist, a famous surname and zero tolerance for insubordination. For a president who cannot control his own stars, the appeal of Mourinho is obvious.
But appetite is not the same as wisdom. And before Madrid celebrates the return of the ‘Special One’, it is worth asking a harder question: will he make the same mistakes again?
