Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is being touted by the Spanish press as the next manager of Real Madrid.The Portuguese has been linked to a number of leading European clubs since his high-profile departure from Chelsea last September, with Mourinho's former club Barcelona previously being the most widely-speculated destination in the Spanish media.
But Real's exit from the Champions League at the last 16 stage to Roma has led Spain's two leading sports dailies - Marca and El Mundo Deportivo - to both claim that Mourinho will be instead on the Madrid bench next year.
Madrid based Marca, infamously biased towards Real, believe that Merengue president Ramon Calderon's vote of confidence in Bernd Schuster following the Champions League exit - the club's fourth consecutive failure at the last 16 stage - in fact signals the end of the German's reign at the club.
The paper claims that Madrid directors contacted Mourinho last March before appointing Schuster, and will go to him again at the end of this season regardless of whether or not Madrid retain their league title.
In March 2007 the paper quoted Mourinho as saying: "I'd like to coach them (Real Madrid), but not next year because I still have a contract with Chelsea."
Barcelona based El Mundo Deportivo agree with their rivals, despite having claimed on a number of occasions that Mourinho had already signed a deal with Barca.
But after Mourinho denied this on Thursday the paper say Madrid's tendency to sack coaches even after winning leagues - as was the case last season with Fabio Capello - makes them favourites to land the Portuguese coach's services.
Under the headline "Madrid also in for Mou" the paper said: "If the Blancos are serious (about getting Mourinho) then watch out because they will give it everything, with no sentimentality towards their current coach.
"They are the ones most prone to radical change."
On Thursday Mourinho told a press conference in Valencia: "I am free, I don't have pre-contracts or a 'gentlemen's agreement'.
"I don't want to take someone else's seat, but I would like to coach a top team in Italy or Spain."
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