Mourinho makes his return to Real Madrid with a three-year agreement
José Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid as head coach, having signed a three-year contract following his departure from Benfica.
Real Madrid has announced the appointment of José Mourinho as head coach for a second term at the club, following the confirmation of Álvaro Arbeloa’s departure.
The Spanish giants announced on Thursday that Mourinho has signed a three-year contract at the Santiago Bernabéu, marking his return 13 years after the conclusion of his first tenure in charge.
Mourinho, 63, comes from Benfica following Real Madrid’s agreement to pay the €15 million compensation clause necessary to free him from his contract with the Portuguese club. Benfica announced the agreement on Wednesday.
The appointment fulfills a significant campaign promise made by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who was reelected last weekend. Pérez had committed to reuniting with Mourinho at the club while also seeking defensive reinforcements in Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries and preparing a €150 million offer for a high-profile signing.
Madrid has already taken action on the latter promise, putting forth a €150m offer for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez earlier this week; however, the proposal was turned down by their city rivals.
Mourinho’s primary objective will be to rejuvenate Real Madrid’s success after a series of seasons without trophies under Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and most recently, Arbeloa.
During his initial tenure from 2010 to 2013, Mourinho steered Madrid to a La Liga championship, a Copa del Rey, and a Supercopa de España, while also directing the club to three successive Champions League semifinals.
Since departing from Madrid, the Portuguese manager has assumed leadership roles at Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica. His latest trophy was secured with Roma in the UEFA Europa Conference League four years ago, and his most recent league title was achieved with Chelsea in 2015.
Mourinho’s Benfica team remained unbeaten in the Portuguese league last season, yet they concluded the campaign in third place, trailing behind Porto and Sporting. They were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid during the knockout phase playoffs.
