Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach on June 11, 2026, on a three-year contract beginning July 13, the start of preseason training [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Mourinho returns to the club 13 years after his first spell from 2010 to 2013, during which he won La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup [2, 3, 5, 6, 7].
Mourinho, 63, joins Real Madrid following a two-season trophy drought for the club. Real finished second to Barcelona in La Liga and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals during the 2025-26 season [8, 1, 9, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The campaign was also marked by player unrest, including a notable incident in which midfielder Fede Valverde required hospital treatment after a confrontation within the team [3, 6, 7].
Real Madrid parted ways with interim head coach Alvaro Arbeloa on June 9, 2026, after a mutual agreement [8, 10, 9]. Arbeloa had been appointed in January 2026 to replace Xabi Alonso and guided the team to second place in La Liga but struggled with poor form and a fractured dressing room [8, 10, 9, 3].
Florentino Perez was re-elected as Real Madrid club president earlier in June with 65% of the vote. He fulfilled his pledge to bring Mourinho back to the club, saying, "We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles. And we will fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup" [8, 2, 9, 3, 5, 6, 7].
Real Madrid paid €15 million to Benfica, Mourinho’s previous club, as compensation for the transfer [2, 3, 5, 6, 7]. Mourinho brings a winning but controversial reputation, having won 26 trophies with clubs including Porto, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce, and Benfica [11, 12].
Mourinho's official start date is July 13, 2026, when preseason training begins at Real Madrid [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. He faces the challenge of restoring squad harmony and ending the club’s two-season title drought.
The club has won 15 European Cups to date, with Perez aiming to add a 16th under Mourinho’s renewed leadership [8, 3, 5, 6, 7].
