Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid agree deal for ex-Man Utd boss to return as head coach on two-year deal
Real Madrid have elected to bring Jose Mourinho back to the Santiago Bernabeu 13 years after his first spell in the Spanish capital; Mourinho has spent the season in charge of Benfica, who finished third in the Portuguese league after an unbeaten campaign
Monday 18 May 2026 17:59, UK
Jose Mourinho has agreed to return to Real Madrid as head coach on a two-year deal.
Real Madrid have elected to bring Mourinho back 13 years after his first spell to bring order to a dressing room that has become embroiled in off-field controversy following a disappointing end to a trophyless season.
An announcement is expected after Real Madrid's final game of the season against Athletic Club on Sunday. Mourinho, whose contract includes the option for a further year, is then set to be unveiled in Madrid next week.
Alvaro Arbeloa has been in temporary charge of Real Madrid since Xabi Alonso was sacked in January, seven months into the job. Mourinho will hope he can fare better than his two former players.
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Mourinho finished the season with Benfica on Saturday, beating Estoril 3-1 to finish third in Liga Portugal in an unbeaten league campaign.
A clause in Mourinho's two-year Benfica contract, signed just eight months ago, allows him to walk away for £2.6m. Sky Sports News understands Mourinho will take four coaches with him from Benfica to the Bernabeu.
Mourinho has a close relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez from his first spell.
Jorge Mendes, Mourinho's agent, has negotiated the deal with Perez and Real Madrid for his client.
Carragher: Mourinho appointment a strange one
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"He's managed some of the greatest football clubs in the world and has made a success of it. Whether he is the right man to fix a dressing room, I don't know.
"It's a strange one, but it tells you where the world is in terms of big name managers of the past. For Real Madrid to go back to Jose Mourinho tells you there's not that quality out there.
"When Real Madrid appoint managers, they don't do it the way we do in this country. The vision is for them to be here for three or four years. It doesn't always work out like that, but that is the idea.
"Unless Real Madrid win the league or the Champions League, we always know that it is going to be a year. It changes that often that it is bound to come back round to the same people again."
Analysis: 'Mellow' Mourinho will not rule with 'heavy fist'
"Jose Mourinho is preparing to fly out to Madrid. He's in Lisbon at the moment. He's very excited by the challenge of going back to Real Madrid.
"I actually met him for a bit of lunch [on Sunday] and he was buzzing at the prospect.
"Real Madrid want him back because of his record the last time he was there, including that LaLiga victory with 100 points. No Real Madrid team before or since has achieved that. That's not been forgotten by Pérez.
"And of course nobody is bigger in football really, many are equal, but certainly no bigger name in football still than Jose Mourinho.
"The egos in that dressing room, the difficulty that Real Madrid have had with discipline, he has to go in and sort it out. I don't think any longer he rules with a heavy fist. He's mellowed quite a lot. It's more the arm around the shoulder these days.
"He's not going to be doing any World Cup punditry because he wants to concentrate solely on getting the best out of that array of brilliant players at Real.
"Jose believes he is still capable of replicating his success of the past. Mourinho was also offered the Real Madrid job in 2021 but he had to turn it down then because he had already given his verbal word and contractual word to Roma.
"Carlo Ancelotti went to Real Madrid having been sacked from his two previous jobs, Bayern Munich and Napoli, and finishing 10th with Everton. Eyebrows were raised similarly then. We know how that ended."
Analysis: Why Perez wants Jose to clear up Real Madrid mess
Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
"They say you should never go back, but after 13 years, Jose Mourinho is returning to Real Madrid. The big question is, why is he going back? The simple answer is you cannot say no to Real Madrid.
"Mourinho's plan this summer was to leave Benfica and take over the Portugal national team. But then Real Madrid, and his great friend Florentino Pérez came calling, and he just could not say no.
"Why do Real Madrid want him? Well, simply because they are in such a terrible state, on and off the pitch. Every time we read about Real Madrid recently, it has been for the wrong reasons.
"What are the major issues that Jose Mourinho will have to deal with? Firstly, he has to sort out his relationship with Vinicius Junior.
"How will Vinicius Junior feel about Jose Mourinho coming to Real Madrid and will it have any kind of impact on his decision whether to extend his contract at Real Madrid or not?
"Also, Mourinho has to sort out this issue that Real Madrid have had all season. Can you have a Real Madrid team with both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius in it?
"Pérez thinks Mourinho is the kind of character who has the personality to sort out this Real Madrid dressing room once and for all."
What has Mourinho won at Real Madrid?
Mourinho was tasked with ending Pep Guardiola's dominance with Barcelona in his first Real Madrid spell.
The Portuguese struggled in his first season in 2010/11 up against a side that is widely regarded as the greatest ever in club football.
Real Madrid were humbled 5-0 in a damaging November defeat to Guardiola's Barcelona, who won LaLiga and the Champions League that season.
However, Mourinho's side denied Barcelona a second treble in three seasons by beating them in the Copa del Rey final.
Real Madrid then won LaLiga with Real Madrid in 2011/12, ending a four-year title drought, in a record-breaking campaign.
His Real Madrid team became the first Spanish champions to win the league with 100 points - a record which was equalled by Barcelona the next season but has never been bettered.
That Mourinho side still holds the record for most goals in a LaLiga campaign (121) and shares the record for most wins (32) in a league season in Spain.
