Mourinho will return to the La Liga giants for the first time in 13 years following the re-election of Florentino Perez as club president.
Published June 11, 2026
Real Madrid have appointed Jose Mourinho as their new manager on a three-year contract, the La Liga club confirmed in a statement.
“José Mourinho will join Real Madrid on July 13, when pre-season begins,” Real said in a statement on Thursday.
Mourinho’s appointment became inevitable after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was re-elected this week, paving the way for the Portuguese to return to the Spanish capital for the first time in 13 years.
He left Portuguese Primeira Liga side Benfica to join the Spanish giants.
The 63-year-old tactician, who once led Real to a record-breaking La Liga title, will replace Alvaro Arbeloa at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Real had a humiliating end to their domestic campaign, with Barcelona clinching the league title with a 2-0 victory in El Clasico earlier this month.
It was the first time in 94 years that the Spanish league was decided by a match between fierce rivals.
The player, who has won the Champions League a record 15 times, has failed to make it past the quarter-finals in the past two seasons, and after two seasons without a major trophy, Perez has made the bold move.
“We won the election and we will continue to strive to win the title,” Perez said in his victory speech after being re-elected.
“We remain proud that the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the best stadium in the world,” Perez said.
“We are proud to have the best players in the world and proud to welcome back a Madrid player like Jose Mourinho, one of the best managers in the world.”
Mourinho first joined Real Madrid in 2010 and spent three seasons with the club.
During his tenure, he won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey title and one Spanish Super Cup title in a fierce rivalry with Josep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Appointing the divisive Mourinho will be a gamble for President Perez after the Whites ended the 2025-26 season without winning any major trophies for the second straight barren season.
“We will continue to work hard so that Real Madrid continues to win titles,” Perez said.
“And we will fight until the end to win our 16th European Cup.”
