Sensational Return: Jose Mourinho Heads Back to Real Madrid After 13 Years — Two-Year Deal Agreed

One of Spanish football's biggest transfer bombshells has dropped: Jose Mourinho is returning to the Real Madrid dugout 13 years after his first spell. The 63-year-old Portuguese tactician has agreed a two-year deal (with an option for a further year) with the Spanish giants. An official announcement is expected after Real Madrid's final league fixture against Athletic Club on Sunday, May 24.

Mourinho spent the current season in charge of Benfica, finishing third in the Portuguese league. The Portuguese manager had originally planned to take over the Portugal national team this summer, but his great friend Florentino Perez's personal intervention changed everything. Real Madrid moved quickly to activate the €3 million release clause in Mourinho's Benfica contract, which ran until 2027 — and no major complications are expected from the Portuguese side.

The numbers from Mourinho's first Madrid spell (2010–2013) still resonate: 128 wins from 178 official matches, one La Liga title (2011/12), one Copa del Rey (2010/11) and one Spanish Super Cup. His legendary rivalry with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona during that era remains one of the most intense periods in the history of Spanish football.

The trigger for this return is a season of crisis. Real Madrid closed out 2025-26 trophyless across La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over after Xabi Alonso's January departure, failed to hold the dressing room together; in recent weeks reports surfaced that Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde had come to blows. The board now sees Mourinho as the only manager capable of cleaning up the chaos.

One of the Portuguese coach's most critical tasks will be repairing his relationship with Vinicius Junior and putting the Brazilian star back at the heart of the project. Mourinho is also reportedly demanding reinforcements in three key positions, with talks between his agent Jorge Mendes and Perez already moving in that direction.

Source: Based on reports from Sky Sports' Gary Cotterill and Kaveh Solhekol; transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed the verbal agreement.