Mourinho wants to bring Sami Khedira to Real Madrid as assistant coach

Khedira's profile and career to date

Sami Khedira is 39 years old and won the FIFA World Cup with the German national team in 2014. After his playing career, he worked as a TV pundit for an extended period. According to the available metadata, he is currently without a club and listed with the role of "management consultant." A position on Real Madrid's coaching staff would be his first role as a coach.

According to consistent reports, Mourinho has taken over the club as the new head coach. The Portuguese has returned to the Royals – where he was already in charge between 2010 and 2013 – after stints at, among others, FC Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma and Fenerbahçe. He left Madrid in 2013 to move to FC Chelsea. In the reports, Khedira is described as the type of profile Mourinho is looking for: a former professional of the Royals who knows the club's identity.

Pepe also reportedly a candidate

The Spanish sports newspaper AS writes that Mourinho wants to bring a former Real Madrid professional into his staff. In addition to Khedira, former centre-back Pepe has also been mentioned as a potential addition to the coaching staff. However, Pepe stated that he had not spoken with Mourinho about a coaching position. Such rumours are "Spekulationen in den sozialen Medien", Pepe said. He does not rule out a return to Real Madrid in the future, but it is not a topic at the moment.

Khedira has not publicly commented on the reports so far and is reviewing the offer according to sources close to him. The club also did not issue a statement on the status of the talks. The Spanish league (LaLiga) is ongoing; Real Madrid sits second in the table behind FC Barcelona. On the previous matchday, the team coached by Arbeloa drew.

Outlook on the collaboration

Should the move go through, it would be the return of a trusted figure to Mourinho's side, with the Portuguese having brought the 39-year-old to Madrid as early as 2010. The two share a long-standing working relationship that began in 2010 and ended with Mourinho's departure in 2013. From Mourinho's perspective, the shared history speaks in favour of the appointment, AS writes. Khedira also brings international experience as a player, both in the Bundesliga, in the Primera División and in the Champions League.

It remains unclear in what capacity Khedira will specifically be brought in and how the division of tasks with the existing assistant team is planned. Mourinho's own contract and the duration of the collaboration have also not been specified in detail. The next official announcement from the club is expected as soon as the talks are concluded.