Real Madrid will have a complex week that could define the direction of José Mourinho’s project. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Merengues will face RB Leipzig in the Champions League, and on Sunday, Oct. 25, they will play El Clásico against FC Barcelona.

Beyond the results, the team’s performance has not fully convinced, and according to the latest reports, the Portuguese coach’s continuity is not assured.

Journalist Sergio Valentín of Radio Marca posted on social media that Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid’s president, has a Plan B if The Special One fails to lift the club. The Spanish businessman would reportedly seek to bring in Didier Deschamps, the former France coach, as Mourinho’s replacement.

“Here’s a piece of news based on (Jorge) Picón’s information. Florentino Pérez has told his closest circle that he already has José Mourinho’s replacement in mind if things don’t improve. It’s Didier Deschamps,” Valentín wrote on X (Twitter).

The French coach is currently a free agent after managing Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup.

As a coach, Deschamps can boast winning the 2018 World Cup, finishing runner-up in the 2022 edition, and placing fourth in 2026.

At club level, his most notable work came at AS Monaco, where he led the team to the UEFA Champions League final in the 2003-04 season.

At Madrid, Deschamps would reunite with players he knows very well, such as Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Ibrahima Konaté.

It’s impossible not to link him particularly to Mbappé, since the Frenchman has perhaps shown his best version under Deschamps’ command, with an honorable mention to his time at PSG under Mauricio Pochettino.

It even seems that Deschamps is Kylian’s choice rather than Florentino’s.

Could Jose Mourinho Leave Real Madrid After El Clásico vs. Barcelona?

After Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, Real Madrid has experienced uncertainty in the dugout. José Mourinho returned to the Merengue club this summer after Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso failed.

In his second spell in charge of the white team, Mou has won eight and lost two in 10 matches. While his numbers are far from negative, the team has lacked solidity, and several results have come from individual brilliance rather than collective play.

Right now, the pressure is at its maximum, and a heavy defeat in the Clásico against Barcelona could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.