Real Madrid bring back Jose Mourinho on three-year contract
Real Madrid said Jose Mourinho will return as manager in July, 13 years after his first spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Real Madrid have appointed Jose Mourinho as manager on a three-year contract, the club said Thursday. The move brings the Portuguese coach back to the Santiago Bernabeu after 13 years, with the club seeking to recover from two seasons without a major trophy.
Madrid said Mourinho will start work on July 13, when preseason begins. He leaves Benfica in Portugal’s Primeira Liga and replaces Alvaro Arbeloa, according to the club announcement reported by AFP and Reuters.
The appointment followed Florentino Perez’s re-election as Real Madrid president this week. In his victory speech, Perez said the club would keep working to win titles and referred to Mourinho as “one of the best coaches in the world” and “a Madridista.”
Pressure after two trophyless seasons
Real Madrid ended the 2025-26 season without a major trophy for the second straight year, AFP and Reuters reported. Barcelona sealed the Spanish league title with a 2-0 win over Madrid in an El Clasico match earlier this month.
According to the reports, it was the first time in 94 years that Spain’s league championship had been decided in a match between the two rivals. Madrid, who have won the Champions League a record 15 times, also failed to get beyond the quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons.
Perez linked the managerial change to Madrid’s push for more silverware. “We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles,” he said, according to AFP and Reuters. “And we will fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup.”
Mourinho’s first Madrid spell
Mourinho first took charge of Real Madrid in 2010 and spent three seasons at the club. During that period, he won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup.
His league championship with Madrid came during the club’s intense rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and was described by AFP and Reuters as record-breaking. Mourinho, now 63, returns to a club under renewed pressure to close the gap on Barcelona domestically and challenge again in Europe.
Madrid’s statement sets a clear start date for the new era, with Mourinho due to begin when the squad reports for preseason. His return gives Perez a familiar figure at a time when the club has moved quickly after a disappointing campaign.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.