Mourinho signs three-year deal to return as Real Madrid manager for second stint

Real Madrid have officially appointed José Mourinho as head coach on a three-year contract, the club confirmed on Thursday, June 11, with the Portuguese set to begin his second stint at the Bernabeu when pre-season opens on July 13.

Mourinho, 63, previously managed Real between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey during that first spell. He now returns on a deal running until June 30, 2029, replacing Alvaro Arbeloa, who was confirmed as departing the club on Tuesday.

A club statement signed off by president Florentino Pérez read: “The Board of Directors of Real Madrid C.F., meeting today, Thursday, June 11, and presided over by Florentino Pérez, has agreed to appoint José Mourinho as the first team’s head coach for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029. José Mourinho will join Real Madrid on July 13, the day preseason begins.”

Real paid €15 million (£13m) to terminate Mourinho’s contract at Benfica, where he had just completed a season in which the Lisbon club went unbeaten but could only finish third. Marco Silva, formerly of Fulham, has been named as his successor at the Estádio da Luz.

Mourinho’s appointment comes after a bruising campaign for Real. They surrendered La Liga to Barcelona, who sealed the title with a 2-0 win over their rivals, were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich, and suffered a Copa del Rey exit at the hands of second-division Albacete in January.

Arbeloa had himself only recently taken charge, stepping in after Xabi Alonso was dismissed less than eight months into his contract at the club. In the intervening years since his first Real tenure, Mourinho has also managed Chelsea for a second time, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, and Fenerbahce.

The club said they were “deeply grateful” to Arbeloa, praising the former defender for his “loyalty, commitment, and professionalism” throughout his association with the club from academy level onwards. Mourinho now inherits the task of returning Real to the summit of Spanish football.