Real Madrid have appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach on a three-year contract, marking the Portuguese veteran’s sensational return to the Spanish capital 13 years after his departure.
The 63-year-old succeeds Alvaro Arbeloa following a disappointing campaign in which Real Madrid ended a second consecutive season without a major trophy, finishing behind rivals Barcelona in domestic competitions.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Spanish giants confirmed the appointment, saying “Real Madrid have agreed to appoint Jose Mourinho as the first team’s head coach for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029. Jose Mourinho will join Real Madrid on July 13, the day preseason begins.”
Mourinho returns to the Santiago Bernabéu after a successful first spell between 2010 and 2013, during which he won the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. Under his leadership, Real Madrid became the first club to reach the 100-point mark in a LaLiga season during the 2011-12 campaign.
The Portuguese coach arrives from Benfica, where he guided the Lisbon club through an unbeaten league campaign, although they ultimately finished third. Benfica confirmed on Wednesday that Real Madrid would pay €15 million to secure his services.
Widely regarded as one of football’s most accomplished yet controversial managers, Mourinho is expected to restore discipline and stability to a Madrid dressing room that endured a turbulent season marked by internal conflicts and inconsistent performances.
Reports of dressing-room tensions, including an altercation involving midfielder Fede Valverde and teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni in May, highlighted the challenges facing the club. Previous coaches Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa also struggled to effectively balance the talents of Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham without disrupting team cohesion.
Earlier this year, club president Florentino Pérez credited Mourinho with helping lay the foundations for Real Madrid’s era of European dominance, which saw the club win six UEFA Champions League titles after his departure. Pérez had pledged to bring Mourinho back if re-elected president, a promise he has now fulfilled.
Mourinho’s return signals a remarkable comeback to the top level of European football after several years away from the sport’s elite stage.
The Portuguese coach first rose to global prominence by leading Porto to UEFA Champions League glory in 2004 before winning back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006. He later guided Inter Milan to a historic treble, including the Champions League title, in 2010.
After leaving Real Madrid in 2013, Mourinho returned to Chelsea and won another Premier League title in 2015. He subsequently managed Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup with United in 2017 and the UEFA Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022.
Most recently, Mourinho was dismissed by Turkish club Fenerbahce in August 2025 after failing to qualify for the Champions League. He was appointed Benfica manager the following month before agreeing to return to Real Madrid.
