Jose Mourinho has signed a contract to become the next head coach of Real Madrid, setting up a return to the Spanish club on a deal that runs until June 2029. The 63-year-old signed his terms last week, with the formal announcement expected after Madrid’s presidential election on June 7.
The timing matters because the move lands in the middle of a club reset. Real Madrid are coming off a second straight season without a major trophy, and the coaching seat has already changed hands twice this year. Alonso was sacked in January and Alvaro Arbeloa took over for the rest of the campaign, then confirmed on May 22 that the match against Athletic Club the following day would be his last in charge.
Mourinho’s return would send him back to the club where he already left a mark between 2010 and 2013, when he won three domestic trophies and delivered the 2011-12 La Liga title with a record points total. Madrid president Florentino Perez triggered the election on May 12 and is widely expected to remain in place, which is why the club’s plans have moved toward Mourinho even before any public announcement is made.
There is still a small but telling wrinkle in the story. Enrique Riquelme said Mourinho would not be his choice for the Madrid job, a reminder that presidential politics are still part of the calculation even when the preferred outcome looks settled. Madrid were already talking to Mourinho on May 8, and the club’s search had also brushed past names such as Mauricio Pochettino, Massimiliano Allegri, Didier Deschamps and Jurgen Klopp before settling on the Portuguese coach.
Mourinho had been offered an extension at Benfica, but he wanted to wait until their final game of the season before deciding. Benfica beat Estoril 3-1 on May 16, and that result cleared the way for him to finish the move. If the election goes as expected, Madrid should move quickly after June 7 and formally restore a manager who knows exactly what the club demands and exactly how little patience there is for anything less.
