Real Madrid name Mourinho coach for 2nd time

June 11, 2026 No Comments

José Mourinho named Real Madrid coach 13 years after first stintplayMoreno expects Mourinho at Real Madrid to be a ‘spectacular car crash’ (0:45)ESPNMultiple AuthorsJun 11, 2026, 02:15 PM ET

Real Madrid have verified the appointment of José Mourinho for a second spell as the club’s coach after ratifying the departure of Álvaro Arbeloa.

The Spanish club verified in a statement on Thursday that Mourinho has signed a three-year contract at the Bernabéu.

Mourinho, 63, returns to the Spanish club after a season in charge of Benfica, who had verified on Wednesday Madrid were willing to pay the €15 million compensation to release him from his contract in Portugal.

Madrid president Florentino Pérez had made bringing back Mourinho, who left the club in 2013, one of his re-election promises ahead of his victory in last weekend’s vote of club members.

Pérez also pledged the signings of Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries, as well as vowing to make a €150 million bid for a ‘Galáctico‘ signing.

To honour that vow, Madrid unveiled earlier this week they had offered €150m for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, which was subsequently knocked back.

José Mourinho is back at Real Madrid as boss for the first time since a successful stint in the Spanish capital which ended in 2013. Gualter Fatia/Getty ImagesMourinho returns to Madrid with the task of getting the team back on track after back-to-back trophy-less seasons under first Carlo Ancelotti and then Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa.The Portuguese coach was last in charge of Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning one LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercopa. He also reached three Champions League semifinals.

Since he was last at the Bernabéu he has coached Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahçe and Benfica.

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It has been four years since he last won a trophy — the Conference League with Roma — and over a decade since his last league title, the Premier League with Chelsea in 2015.

At Benfica, he went unbeaten in the Portuguese league last season, although that only equated to a third-place finish behind Porto and Sporting.

Mourinho’s Benfica side were also eliminated by Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase playoffs.