FOOTBALL – Jose Mourinho is poised to make a dramatic return to Real Madrid after reportedly agreeing to a three-year contract to become the club’s next head coach.
According to reports, the Portuguese manager’s appointment will not be formally announced until after Real Madrid’s presidential election on 7 June.
The agreement is understood to be contingent on incumbent president Florentino Perez retaining his position.
Perez called the election earlier this month during an extraordinary press conference in which he launched a strong defence of his administration, accusing sections of the media and La Liga of participating in what he described as a coordinated campaign against the club.
The 79-year-old, who has led Real Madrid since 2009 following a previous spell in charge between 2000 and 2006, is seeking another term despite overseeing back-to-back seasons without major silverware.
Businessman Enrique Riquelme has emerged as Perez’s challenger, marking the first contested Real Madrid presidential election in two decades.
Nevertheless, Perez remains the favourite to secure victory.
Mourinho would arrive in Madrid after a brief stint with Benfica, where he took charge in September and guided the Lisbon side to a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga.
The veteran coach previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a successful three-year spell.
Should the move be confirmed, Mourinho would succeed Alvaro Arbeloa, who assumed interim control in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure.
Real Madrid endured a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, finishing without a trophy as Barcelona secured the league title, while Bayern Munich eliminated Los Blancos from the Champions League quarter-finals.
Since leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has enjoyed a varied managerial career across Europe.
A second spell at Chelsea brought another Premier League crown and an EFL Cup triumph in the 2014-15 season.
He later joined Manchester United in 2016, winning the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield before departing in 2018.
Subsequent managerial roles included spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Roma — where he lifted the Europa Conference League in 2022 — and Turkish side Fenerbahce before returning to Portuguese football with Benfica.