Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Thursday, June 11, 2026 9:58 p.m. / Updated Thursday, June 11, 2026 10:02 p.m.
Jose Mourinho is the new coach of Real Madrid. The Portuguese technician returns to the “blanco” club after 13 years, signing a contract valid for the next three seasons.
Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid after the Spanish club paid the 15 million euro release clause to Benfica, the amount stipulated in the coach's contract with the Lisbon team.
Real Madrid introduced Jose Mourinho
Real Madrid presented Jose Mourinho // photo: Instagram Real Madrid
Real Madrid's presidential election made the transfer more expensive by 12 million, as the deadline for a reduced clause of just 3 million expired a week after the end of the Portuguese championship, so Florentino Perez's side dug deeper into their wallets.
The return of the Portuguese represents one of the most spectacular moves in recent years at Real Madrid. Mourinho returns to the club he calls “home” after an impressive first spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Between 2010 and 2013, he won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup. Moreover, he brought the team back to the semi-finals of the Champions League in consecutive seasons, after a long period in which the Madrid side were eliminated in the round of 16. “He left behind a competitive team and laid the foundations for future Champions Cups,” said Florentino Pérez, according to Marca.
After his departure from Real Madrid, the Lusitanian coach went on to coach some of the continent's top clubs, although his performances have seen a decline.
He moved on to Chelsea, where he added another Premier League title to his record, coached Manchester United, with whom he won the Europa League and the League Cup, and later arrived at Tottenham.
In Italy, he won the first edition of the Conference League with AS Roma, and then, after an experience at Fenerbahce, he returned to Portugal to take over the Benfica bench.
