Mourinho Set for Shock Real Madrid Return
The special one, Jose Mourinho, has signed a 3-year contract to become the new Real Madrid manager from next season onwards, according to David Ornstein The Athletic.
This would mark the return of the Portuguese manager to Real Madrid after 16 years. The official announcement of the managerial appointment will be made after the presidential elections recently announced by Florentino Pérez.
Florentino Pérez Backs Mourinho Appointment
Real Madrid have endured two consecutive trophyless seasons; the prolonged trophy drought forced Florentino Pérez to seek a new mandate through the elections. Despite the criticism and pressure, Pérez was the driving force behind the appointment of José Mourinho.
They both share an excellent professional and personal relationship, which eventually led to Perez choosing him as the troubleshooter to control one of the most demanding dressing rooms in world football.
Florentino Pérez thinks Mourinho will be able to bring discipline and manage personalities within Real Madrid's star-studded dressing room. Mourinho's recent managerial spells at Fenerbahçe, Benfica and Tottenham are far from his prime, despite winning the UEFA Europa Conference League title with AS Roma in the 2021-22 season.
Mourinho's Return Sparks Fan Debate
Many football pundits view Jose as an outdated manager because he failed to replicate what he did at Inter Milan, Porto, Real Madrid and Chelsea in his later chapters.
One of the priorities of Jose Mourinho will be rebuilding the defensive unit that struggles with injuries and inconsistencies in recent seasons. Real Madrid's defensive unit lacked stability throughout the last season, placing additional pressure on emerging talents like Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.
Benfica holds solid defensive numbers under José Mourinho this season, conceding 25 goals from 34 matches and being undefeated throughout the Liga Portugal campaign in 2025-26.
Benfica offered a contract extension to the manager following the third-place finish and undefeated campaign, but he chooses Los Blancos over the Lisboners.
Vinícius Relationship Under Spotlight
In the UCL meeting between Real Madrid and Benfica, the Mourinho-managed Portuguese side generated significant debate, including Mourinho blaming Vinícius Júnior for the racial abuse he received in Spain and in the Champions League. Those comments of the Portuguese manager sparked controversy on the internet, and now the same manager coming to manage Vinícius Júnior at Real Madrid was totally unforeseen.
In a previous spell with Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho won 3 domestic titles, including a La Liga title. Now Florentino Perez wants to repeat the same under Jose's leadership to end the trophy drought even after the signing of Mbappe.