Jose Mourinho has signed a three-year deal to become Real Madrid’s new head coach, marking a dramatic return to the Santiago Bernabeu more than a decade after his first spell in charge of the Spanish giants.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, the Portuguese manager will not be officially unveiled until after the club’s presidential election on 7 June, but an agreement has already been reached between both parties.
Mourinho, 63, leaves Benfica after taking charge of the Portuguese side in September and guiding them to a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga this season.
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.
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