Real Madrid eye Didier Deschamps after the Clasico

This Sunday’s Clasico against FC Barcelona looks set to be explosive for Real Madrid, Casa Blanca, and could trigger the departure of José Mourinho. According to several Spanish journalists, Florentino Pérez has already reached his limits and is considering Didier Deschamps, free since the 2026 World Cup, as a successor.

The club has been caught up by lackluster performances in La Liga and the Champions League, despite José Mourinho’s triumphant return last summer. This situation fuels the frustration of the Madrid president, who is already contemplating a change of leadership.

A prospective successor

In case of Real’s defeat against Barça, Mourinho could be dismissed without ceremony and replaced by Didier Deschamps. The former French national team coach, who ended his tenure with a fourth‑place finish at the 2026 World Cup, would be Pérez’s top priority.

Deschamps’ name also resurfaces at Manchester United, where supporters have placed him on their short‑list. However, the English press reports that the executives favor Antonio Conte or Julian Nagelsmann.

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A past already woven

Emmanuel Galasso, journalist at Sud Radio, recalls that Pérez had already contacted Deschamps in 2012, when the latter was leaving Marseille. At that time, José Mourinho was already at the helm of Real, which shows the continuity of the president’s ambitions.

According to Galasso, Real has been a telenovela for fifteen years with Ancelotti, Zidane and Mourinho as main actors, and the idea of fresh blood goes through Deschamps. Internally, Kylian Mbappé is strongly advocating for him, invoking their almost filial relationship.

Another journalist, however, doubts Deschamps’ ability to manage the world’s biggest club, highlighting the lightness of his previous clubs’ records and his sole fourteen‑year experience at the helm of the French national team. He believes that the lack of major trophies since his stint at Juventus reinforces this doubt.

Galasso concludes that, « at the moment I’m speaking to you, this is the most likely scenario in case of Real’s defeat against Barça in Sunday’s Clasico », reinforcing the idea of an imminent shift. This outlook fuels speculation in the Spanish press ahead of the duel.