Real Madrid have confirmed Jose Mourinho as their coach for a second spell, bringing the 63-year-old back to the LaLiga club on a three-year contract after Alvaro Arbeloa's departure was ratified.
Jose Mourinho Returns To Real Madrid
ESPN reported that Madrid announced the appointment Thursday, sending Mourinho back to the Bernabeu 13 years after his first spell ended in 2013. The Spanish club confirmed the deal after Arbeloa's exit, closing one short chapter and reopening a much louder old one.
Mourinho spent last season in charge of Benfica, who said Wednesday that Madrid were willing to pay EUR15 million in compensation to release him from his contract in Portugal. That detail gives the move a neat administrative spine: this was not only a reunion, but a paid extraction.
Florentino Perez Fulfills Election Promise
Madrid president Florentino Perez had made Mourinho's return one of his reelection promises before winning last weekend's vote of club members. ESPN also reported that Perez pledged moves for Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries, plus a EUR150 million bid for a galactico signing.
Madrid have already tested that part of the agenda by offering EUR150 million for Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, a bid that was rejected. Mourinho therefore arrives not just as a coach, but as the most visible piece of a political and sporting reset.
Madrid Bet On Mourinho's Old Formula
Mourinho's first spell at Real Madrid ran from 2010 to 2013. He won one LaLiga title, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa de Espana, and took the club to three Champions League semifinals.
Since leaving Madrid, he has coached Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica. His most recent trophy was the Conference League with Roma four years ago, while his last league title came with Chelsea in the Premier League in 2015.
At Benfica, Mourinho went unbeaten in the Portuguese league last season, although ESPN noted that was still only enough for third place behind Porto and Sporting. Benfica were also knocked out by Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase playoffs.
The assignment in Madrid is direct enough: revive a team coming off back-to-back trophyless seasons under Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa. For a club that rarely does quiet appointments, Mourinho's return is at least honest about its volume.