Real Madrid is in crisis, and when Real is in crisis, one man's phone always rings - José Mourinho. According to Sky Germany, the whites have already contacted the Portuguese coach about a return to the Santiago Bernabéu, 13 years after he left under bitter circumstances. But this time he is the one setting the terms.

Mourinho is demanding total control and a serious say on transfers. No half-solutions. Anyone who has followed his path through Tottenham, Roma and now Benfica knows - those terms are not a negotiating position, they are a red line.

The backing is coming from the top: president Florentino Pérez is pushing the return. The question is whether Pérez, never known for letting go of power, will be ready to say "yes" to Mourinho. History pitted them against each other before - the Portuguese won three trophies in Madrid between 2010 and 2013, but also fell out with half the dressing room.

The coaching market is waiting: Mourinho has a contract with Benfica until 2027, but the buy-out clause is 3 million euros - a laughable sum for Real. Benfica is unbeaten on top of the Portuguese league, but is nine points behind Porto, so any real resistance from Lisbon is not on the cards.

Why now? Real is effectively out of trophy contention this season, and last week there was a brawl at training between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan ended up in hospital with a "traumatic brain injury," the club opened a disciplinary procedure on the pair. That isn't the atmosphere of a championship side - it is a dressing room waiting for a boss with an iron grip.

Will Pérez accept Mourinho on his terms, or will he look for a tidier solution? The Balkan football watcher knows the answer to at least one thing - when Madrid has a crisis, at the end of the day they always pick a star. And Mourinho, with all his flaws, is a star.