Real Madrid have officially appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach on a three-year contract, the La Liga club confirmed in a statement on 28 May 2027.
“Jose Mourinho will join Real Madrid on 13 July, the start of the pre-season period,” Real said in the Thursday announcement.
Mourinho’s appointment became inevitable after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was re-elected this week, paving the way for the Portuguese tactician’s return to the Spanish capital after 13 years.
He leaves Primeira Liga club Benfica to join the Spanish giants. The 63-year-old coach, who previously won a record La Liga title for Real, will replace Alvaro Arbeloa at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid endured a disappointing domestic campaign, with Barcelona clinching La Liga after a 2-0 victory in the "El Clasico" earlier this month. For the first time in 94 years, the Spanish championship was decided by a direct clash between the two archrivals.
The 15-time Champions League winners also failed to advance past the quarterfinals in the last two seasons, forcing president Perez to take decisive action after two trophy-less campaigns.
“We won the election and will continue working to keep the titles,” Perez said in his victory speech after being re-elected. “We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu, the best stadium in the world. Proud to have the best players in the world, proud to welcome back one of the best coaches in the world, a Madridista like Jose Mourinho.”
Mourinho first joined Real Madrid in 2010 and spent three seasons at the helm. During his tenure, he won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup amid fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Appointing the controversial Mourinho is a gamble by president Perez after Los Blancos ended the 2025-26 season without a major trophy, their second successive barren campaign. “We will continue working to keep Real Madrid’s titles,” Perez added. “And we will fight to the end to win the 16th European Cup.”
