Real Madrid News: Advantage Mourinho as Valdano sacked

Real Madrid today announced the sacking of Director General and Presidential Aide Jorge Valdano, thus paving the way for a free rein for Jose Mourinho. The club President Florentino Perez deemed the reason for the sacking as organisational restructuring.

Valdano's sacking means the power and focus is now on Jose Mourinho

Jorge Valdano, nicknamed the Philosopher of Football, has been a key figure in the history of Real Madrid, having played as a striker in 1980s and then managing the first team in the 1990s. Having served the club as Director General and Aide to Florentino Perez since 2009, the Argentine has endured a difficult relationship with Jose Mourinho ever since the arrival of the Portugese tactician at the Santiago Bernabeu. Valdano has been critical of Mourinho’s need for total autonomy over the team, which is a territory uncharted in the history of Real Madrid. The duo were not on speaking terms for a long time due to a public war of words and difference of opinion in club policy.

Florentino Perez has however put an end to the rocky relationship between the duo and sacked his aide, thus giving Jose Mourinho free rein in managing the team. The President said,

“As you are all aware, we started last season with a new and exciting sports project that looks to the future, is based on having very young people, and has Jose Mourinho at its helm with all our confidence.

The experience we had during the campaign that has just ended has proved the need for a new organisational structure within the club, by which our coach will be able to manage the team with autonomy, and which will avoid the disfunctions that happened due to the existence of a Director General’s office of a distinct sporting character.

For this reason, the Board has decided to withdraw this Director General’s office, which was run by Jorge Valdano, and incorporate its responsibilities to the Director General’s office run by Jose Angel Sanchez. The coach, whose job will entail many responsibilities, will answer directly to Jose Angel Sanchez.”

Jorge Valdano accepted the decision of the club but stressed the need for Jose Mourinho to continue, thus bringing the saga to a bizarre yet peaceful end.

“They have reorganised the structure of the club which means my position is no longer needed.

“I supported the appointment of Mourinho and I think he should continue as head coach”.

The restructuring represents a major power shift in the favour of Jose Mourinho, who has begun to have things his way in terms of transfers and running the team.