José Mourinho is returning to Real Madrid. The 63-year-old Portuguese coach has signed a three-year contract and will officially begin work on 13 July, when the squad reports for pre-season training. Real Madrid paid Benfica £13m (€15m) in compensation to bring him back to the Bernabéu, 13 years after his first spell ended.
The reappointment caps a chaotic season for the 15-times European champions. Xabi Alonso was sacked in January amid player unrest, with Álvaro Arbeloa taking over as interim. Arbeloa could not turn the campaign around: Real exited the Champions League at the quarter‑final stage to Bayern Munich, Barcelona ran away with the La Liga title, and disharmony in the squad boiled over when Fede Valverde needed hospital stitches after a confrontation with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.
“Real Madrid reappoint José Mourinho on a three-year deal after paying £13m compensation to Benfica.”
Florentino Pérez, re‑elected as club president on 2 June after securing 65% of the vote against challenger Enrique Riquelme, had vowed to reappoint Mourinho if he won. The board voted unanimously on Thursday to confirm the former Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan manager as head coach. The club said in a statement: “The Board of Directors … has agreed to appoint José Mourinho as the first team’s head coach for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029.”
Mourinho’s first stint at Real, from 2010 to 2013, brought a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup. Since then he has managed Chelsea (second spell), Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahce and most recently Benfica, where he completed an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign but could only finish third. The Portuguese club announced on Wednesday that Marco Silva, who left Fulham last week after five years, will replace Mourinho on a two‑year deal with an option for a third.
Real Madrid have now failed to win a trophy for two consecutive seasons. Mourinho’s task is to restore order to a fractured dressing room and to challenge Barcelona and Europe’s elite once again. The board expressed deep gratitude to Arbeloa, who “throughout his career at the club … has always demonstrated loyalty, commitment, and professionalism”.