Real Madrid have confirmed Jose Mourinho’s reappointment as head coach on a three-year deal. The 63-year-old will start work when the club returns for pre-season training on 13 July, after Real Madrid paid Benfica £13m (15m euros) in compensation to bring him
Real Madrid confirmed the return on a day that feels like a door closing and another one opening at the same time: Jose Mourinho is back.
The club agreed a three-year deal with the Portuguese head coach, who is 63 years old. He will begin work when Real Madrid return for pre-season training on 13 July.
To make the move happen, Real Madrid paid Benfica £13m (15m euros) in compensation. It is a significant price tag for a reunion—especially considering Mourinho’s first stint at the Bernabeu ended more than a decade ago.
The decision didn’t come out of nowhere. Florentino Perez had vowed to reappoint Mourinho if he was re-elected as club president earlier this month. Perez is 79 and has been in office since 2009. He won the election against challenger and renewable energy magnate Enrique Riquelme by securing 65% of the votes.
This will be the second time Mourinho has taken charge of Real Madrid. His previous spell began in 2010 and lasted three seasons, delivering a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.
Since then, his career has been built across major European and Premier League stops. Mourinho has taken charge of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and he has also had stints at Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica.
The timing of this appointment also carries weight because Mourinho was still in the middle of his work in Portugal. During his one and only season at Benfica. Mourinho led the two-time European Cup winners through an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign. The run was strong enough to establish dominance at league level. but it still ended in disappointment: Benfica’s form was only enough for a third place finish.
That is why the Benfica side of this story moves quickly into the next chapter. Earlier this week, Benfica agreed a deal to appoint former Fulham manager Marco Silva as Mourinho’s replacement.
Now the focus shifts back to Madrid. where the mood inside the club has been shaped by the question of what comes next—because Real Madrid failed to win a trophy in the last two seasons. Mourinho returns to a job defined by expectation and timing. and a club that has already moved to turn a promised reunion into a new cycle.
Behind the deal is a clear line of cause and effect: Perez’s pledge during the election. his 65% victory over Enrique Riquelme. the compensation paid to Benfica. and the confirmation of a three-year contract that starts when pre-season begins on 13 July. Real Madrid, in other words, are not just changing coaches. They are choosing a familiar face to lead a team that needs a reset.
Real Madrid Jose Mourinho head coach three-year deal pre-season training 13 July Benfica compensation £13m Florentino Perez Enrique Riquelme Marco Silva
So they paid Benfica 15 million just to bring him back? That’s wild, hope he doesn’t just complain the whole time.
I saw a clip that said Mourinho already signed like a month ago, so this whole “three-year deal” thing feels fake or at least delayed news. Either way Madrid better win something this year or Perez is gonna get roasted.
Marco Silva replacing him at Benfica makes no sense to me because Benfica is basically Real Madrid’s feeder or whatever? Like why not just keep the coach that was winning games instead of switching after one season.
Door closing and another opening… ok but Mourinho didn’t exactly have a magical comeback at United, right? Paying £13m in compensation sounds like they’re trying to buy results, and I’m not convinced. Also 13 July pre-season start like who cares, the trophy drought is the real issue.