Jose Mourinho will return to coach Real Madrid if Florentino Perez wins the club's presidential election on Sunday, according to Perez's campaign statements for a new term at the La Liga giants.
Perez faces renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme in the first contested election in 20 years. He made the campaign announcement on his social media channels, releasing a short video in which Mourinho simply says, "Yes!"
The clip follows the slogan "So MOUch history to be made"—a thinly veiled reference to the Portuguese coach, who led Real to the La Liga points record in 2012 but last won a league title with Chelsea in 2015.
The move comes after a disappointing domestic season in which Barcelona won their second consecutive La Liga title. The 15-time Champions League winners have also been eliminated in the quarterfinals of Europe's top competition in the last two seasons.
Perez's announcement came while Riquelme appeared on the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero, where he said Manchester City midfielder and Spain captain Rodri would be his first signing if elected. He also said he would target City striker Erling Haaland and appoint former striker and club legend Raul as sporting director.
Since leaving Chelsea, Mourinho's trophy collection has grown more modest. He won the League Cup and Europa League with Manchester United, then led AS Roma to the third-tier Europa Conference League title. His coaching career has also taken him to Tottenham Hotspur, Fenerbahce, and Benfica, where he has a contract until June 2027 and says the Portuguese club has offered an extension.
While pundits argue that football has "moved past" Mourinho's pragmatic style, Perez appears to see him as the man to restore discipline and edge to a squad featuring Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Jude Bellingham. Mourinho previously stated no contact had been made with Real Madrid.
If Perez wins, Mourinho would return to the club 13 years after leaving in 2013. He first joined Real Madrid in 2010, spending three seasons at the club and winning one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey, and one Spanish Super Cup. Xabi Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid in January, during his first season in charge of the Madrid side, while Alvaro Arbeloa led the team to the end of the season as interim coach.
