Khedira’s first comment on his return to Real Madrid

Portugal manager Jose Mourinho has selected former Germany international Sami Khedira to be part of his coaching staff in preparation for his expected return to Real Madrid, a move that rekindles memories of the era of success that brought the pair together in the Spanish capital.

As reported by the Spanish “Marca” periodical, an agreement was reached to include Khedira in the technical staff of the Royal Club, but this has not yet been officially announced, which prompted the former player to avoid direct comments about the deal.

When the newspaper caught up with him at the German Football Association headquarters in New York, the official home of Germany’s national team for the 2026 World Cup, Khedira was content with one telling statement.

If the deal goes through, it will be Khedira’s second spell at Real after a glittering career as a footballer that stretched from the summer of 2010, Mourinho’s first season at the Bernabeu, to 2015, Carlo Ancelotti’s last.

During that time, Khedira made a clear mark in Real’s history as he started in the La Decima final (the club’s tenth Champions League title) against Atlético Madrid in Lisbon in 2014 and helped Real Madrid achieve a historic victory that had been long awaited for more than a decade.

Khedira’s return to Real Madrid, this time as a member of the coaching staff, is a logical step in his career after retirement, especially as he has a close relationship with Mourinho, who was instrumental in his development during his early years at the Bernabeu.

It is expected that Real Madrid will officially announce the formation of the new technical staff headed by Mourinho in the next few days, after the participation of the teams in the World Cup is over, because the technical staff is likely to have other names close to the Portuguese coach.