Real Madrid has officially appointed José Mourinho again as the first team’s head coach on a three-year contract until June 30, 2029.
Florentino Pérez’s re-election as club president paves the way for the appointment. Mourinho arrives from Benfica, where he completes an unbeaten league campaign yet finishes third. Benfica confirms that Real Madrid pays a €15 million ($17.25 million) release fee for the coach.
The Portuguese veteran makes a sensational comeback to the Spanish capital 13 years after his first spell, replacing Álvaro Arbeloa
Mourinho, one of football’s most successful and polarizing managers, previously managed these clubs: Benfica, União de Leiria,Porto, Chelsea (two spells), Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United,Tottenham Hotspur ,Roma,Fenerbahçe, and Benfica again.
During his first stint at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, he wins La Liga (including a record 100-point season in 2011-12), the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup amid fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Real Madrid states in an official announcement: “Real Madrid agrees to appoint José Mourinho as the first team’s head coach for the next three seasons.” The Portuguese tactician joins the squad on July 13, the first day of preseason.
Mourinho joins a storied list of Real Madrid managers. Recent predecessors include Álvaro Arbeloa (2026), Xabi Alonso (2025–2026), Carlo Ancelotti (2021–2025), Zinedine Zidane (multiple spells, including 2016–2018 and 2019–2021), Santiago Solari (2018–2019), Julen Lopetegui (2018), Rafa Benítez (2015–2016), and others such as Manuel Pellegrini, Bernd Schuster, and Fabio Capello in earlier years