Real Madrid have confirmed the appointment of Jose Mourinho as the club’s new head coach, marking a dramatic return to the Spanish giants more than a decade after his first spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Portuguese tactician signed a three-year contract that will keep him at the club until June 30, 2029, replacing Alvaro Arbeloa after a disappointing season in which Madrid ended without a major trophy for the second consecutive year and fell behind rivals Barcelona.
In a statement announcing the decision, the 15-time European champions said Mourinho will officially begin his second era at the club when pre-season preparations commence on July 13.
Mourinho returns to Madrid after leaving Portuguese side Benfica, where he guided the club through an unbeaten league campaign but ultimately finished third. Reports indicated Real Madrid paid €15 million to secure his services.
The appointment brings one of football’s most successful and often polarising managers back to a club where he previously enjoyed both success and controversy between 2010 and 2013.
During his first spell, Mourinho delivered the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, while overseeing Madrid’s record-breaking 100-point league season in 2011–12 and helping restore the club as a serious European force during Barcelona’s dominant era under Pep Guardiola.
However, his time in Madrid was also marked by dressing-room tensions and internal divisions.
This time, Mourinho arrives with a different challenge: rebuilding unity and restoring balance within a squad packed with elite talent. Madrid endured a difficult campaign marked by internal disagreements and questions over how to effectively integrate stars including Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
Club president Florentino Perez recently credited Mourinho with helping lay the foundation for Real Madrid’s later Champions League dominance and had openly expressed his desire to bring the Portuguese coach back.
Mourinho’s return also represents a major comeback to European football’s elite stage after recent spells with clubs including Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce.
Now back in Madrid, the self-proclaimed “Special One” will be tasked with returning the Spanish giants to winning ways and ending Barcelona’s recent domestic dominance.
Advertisement