Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach in 2026, thirteen years after he last led the team in 2013 [1, 2]. The club is enduring a difficult period, having gone two seasons without major trophies amid internal tensions [1, 2].
Florentino Perez, the 79-year-old Real Madrid president, described bringing back Mourinho as activating the “nuclear option” to arrest the downturn [1, 2]. Perez said of Mourinho’s previous tenure: “He raised our competitive level... and from there we won six Champions Leagues in 10 years.” [1]
Mourinho, now 63, left Real Madrid by mutual consent in 2013 after three seasons, before Carlo Ancelotti succeeded him and guided the team to their 10th Champions League title the following year [1, 2]. Since leaving Madrid, Mourinho spent several years coaching in Turkey and Portugal away from Europe’s top leagues [1, 2].
His main mandate is to stop arch-rivals Barcelona and transform Real Madrid’s talented but fragile squad into consistent winners [1, 2]. Perez hopes Mourinho will restore dressing room discipline and better manage the egos of the club’s superstars, addressing recent off-field issues that included a dressing room fight causing Federico Valverde’s hospitalization and fan protests targeting Perez and striker Kylian Mbappe [1, 2].
Mourinho returns to a club eager to return to glory and stability after turbulent seasons. The next challenge will be measuring how quickly he can reverse Real Madrid’s fortunes on the pitch.