Portuguese football manager Jose Mourinho has agreed to return to Real Madrid as the club’s new head coach on a three-year contract, more than 10 years after leaving the Spanish giants.
According to BBC Sport on Friday, Mourinho’s appointment will not be officially announced until after Real Madrid’s presidential election scheduled for June 7, although both parties have already reached an agreement.
The 63-year-old leaves Benfica after a short spell with the Portuguese club, where he took charge in September and led the team to a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga this season.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup during his first stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.
His expected return is already generating excitement among Real Madrid supporters, with many eager to see the experienced tactician lead the club into a new era.
The veteran coach previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a successful period at the club.
He replaces Alvaro Arbeloa, who was appointed in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure, but failed to turn around Madrid’s fortunes during a disappointing campaign.
Real Madrid finished the 2025-26 season without silverware, with rivals Barcelona clinching the La Liga title after a 2-0 victory in El Clasico. Los Blancos also suffered Champions League disappointment after a 6-4 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Mourinho returns to Madrid with vast experience after managing some of Europe’s biggest clubs since leaving the Spanish capital in 2013.
The former Chelsea boss enjoyed further success during his second spell at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League and EFL Cup in the 2014-15 campaign before leaving the club by mutual consent in 2015.
He later joined Manchester United in 2016 and won the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield in his first season at Old Trafford. However, he was dismissed in December 2018 following a poor run of results.
Mourinho also managed Tottenham, Roma, where he guided the Italian side to Europa Conference League glory in 2022, and Turkish club Fenerbahce before taking charge at Benfica.
Real Madrid will now hope Mourinho can restore the club to the top of European football after a frustrating and trophyless season
