Jose Mourinho has agreed to return to Real Madrid. The 63-year-old Portuguese coach will sign a two-year contract as head coach, with the option for a further season.
All terms have been verbally agreed between Mourinho and Real Madrid. The contract awaits final signature on documents. Mourinho will travel to Madrid after the club’s final La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the agreement with his trademark ‘Here we go’.
Mourinho has already said his goodbyes to Benfica, where he was under contract until 2027. Benfica will receive compensation of up to £2.6 million for his release. Mourinho will bring four coaches with him from the Portuguese club.
The return
This will be Mourinho’s second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu. He previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga with a record 100 points, plus the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. No Madrid team before or since has reached 100 points.
The appointment ends a turbulent season for Real Madrid. The club has now gone two consecutive campaigns without winning a major trophy. Alvaro Arbeloa has been in temporary charge since Xabi Alonso was sacked in January.
The mission
Mourinho’s primary task is restoring order. Sky Sports reports the dressing room has become embroiled in off-field controversy following a disappointing end to a trophyless season. President Florentino Perez believes Mourinho’s discipline can fix the fractured squad.
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The players have shown reluctance. According to Cadena SER, the Real Madrid dressing room did not have Mourinho as their preferred candidate, with Jurgen Klopp being the favoured choice. One source described the Portuguese as a “ticking time bomb” who could clash with certain personalities.
Club legend Iker Casillas has publicly opposed the return. “I have no problem with Mourinho. He seems like a great professional to me,” Casillas wrote. “I don’t want him at Real Madrid. I think other coaches would be better equipped to coach at the club of my life.”
Carlo Ancelotti, who succeeded Mourinho in 2013, has backed his friend. The Italian told The Athletic that Mourinho is a “big friend” while endorsing him for a comeback.
The special one
Mourinho arrives in Madrid after an unbeaten season with Benfica, finishing third in the Portuguese league. His trophy count has slowed. Since leaving Manchester United in 2018, his only major success was the UEFA Conference League with Roma in 2022.
But Perez has not forgotten the 100-point season. According to analysts, “nobody is bigger in football really, many are equal, but certainly no bigger name in football still than Jose Mourinho.” The manager has mellowed since his first Madrid spell. He is unlikely to rule with a heavy fist. The arm-around-the-shoulder approach may prevail.
The official announcement will follow Real Madrid’s final La Liga game on May 24. Mourinho will then be unveiled in Madrid next week. The deal must navigate a presidential election period recently called by Perez, but that is not expected to block the appointment.
The Special One is back. The Bernabeu waits.
