Tag: Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as their coach on Thursday on a three-year deal, with the Portuguese veteran making a sensational return to the Spanish capital after 13 years away.

The 63-year-old replaces Alvaro Arbeloa after Madrid finished a second consecutive season without a major trophy, falling behind domestic rivals Barcelona.

“(Real Madrid have) agreed to appoint Jose Mourinho as the first team’s head coach for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029,” said the 15-time European champions in a statement.

“Jose Mourinho will join Real Madrid on July 13, the day preseason begins.”

One of football’s most successful yet divisive managers, Mourinho arrives from Benfica, where the Lisbon club completed an unbeaten league campaign but finished third.

Benfica said on Wednesday that Real Madrid were paying 15 million euros ($17.25m) for the Portuguese coach.

Mourinho managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during an intense period of rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s golden era Barcelona side.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

Real Madrid became the first club to reach 100 points in a La Liga season under Mourinho in the 2011-12 campaign, although Barcelona did the same in the subsequent season before Mourinho departed.

Mourinho divided the Real Madrid dressing room, with some players, including predecessor Arbeloa, fiercely loyal to him, while others were at loggerheads with the coach.

Known to rule with an iron fist, Mourinho is charged with bringing Real Madrid’s dressing room egos in check, after multiple conflicts and problems marked a troubled season.

Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde was treated in hospital after a row with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni in May, among other flashpoints.

Coaches Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa also could not find a way to successfully deploy star players Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham together without destabilising the balance of the team.

In an appearance on Spanish television earlier in May, Madrid president Florentino Perez credited Mourinho with laying the groundwork for Real Madrid’s last six Champions League titles, achieved in the years after the Portuguese departed.

The chief said he would bring back Mourinho if he was re-elected president earlier in June, which he was.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mourinho’s return to Madrid also signifies a jump back to the European elite after several years away from the game’s peak.

The coach burst into the limelight as he won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, before helping Chelsea claim back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.

Mourinho labelled himself a “special one” as his team dominated the English top flight, before guiding Inter Milan to Champions League glory in 2010 as part of a unique treble for an Italian side.

Madrid chief Perez appointed him to try and stop Guardiola’s powerful Barca team, which he achieved to an extent, in a fractious spell which also disrupted the harmony in the Spanish national team.

Mourinho returned to Chelsea, winning the Premier League in 2015, before modest spells at Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma, among other clubs.

He won the EFL Cup and Europa League with Manchester United in 2017 and, since then, has only lifted the Conference League trophy with Roma in 2022.

The coach was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August 2025 after failing to guide them past Benfica in a Champions League qualification play-off, before he was appointed by the Portuguese side the following month.

READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Groups, full schedule and Pakistan match timings

Benfica on Tuesday parted company with coach Jose Mourinho, who is close to returning to Real Madrid, and announced an agreement with Fulham boss Marco Silva to replace him.

The Lisbon club said Real Madrid had “formalised their intention to sign Mourinho for a fee of 15 million euros ($17.25 million)” in a statement sent to Portugal’s financial markets regulator.

The amount corresponds to the release clause in Mourinho’s contract.

Benfica subsequently announced they had struck a two-year deal with Silva, who left Fulham last week after five seasons at the Premier League club.

Florentino Perez’s re-election as Real Madrid president at the weekend paved the way for Mourinho to return to the Spanish capital.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mourinho, 63, first joined Real Madrid in 2010, spending three seasons at the club.

During his tenure, he won one La Liga championship, one Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a period of fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Appointing the divisive Mourinho will be a gamble on the part of president Perez after Los Blancos finished without a major trophy in 2025/26, making it a second consecutive barren season.

Real Madrid confirmed the departure of coach Alvaro Arbeloa earlier on Tuesday.

Arbeloa, who arrived in January to replace Xabi Alonso, had announced last month that he would be leaving his post at the end of the season.

READ: Iran to travel to USA one day before first World Cup match

Portuguese giants Benfica confirmed on Thursday that Spanish club Real Madrid would have to pay 15 million euros to prise away their coach, Jose Mourinho.

Real president Florentino Perez has vowed to bring back Mourinho to the Bernabeu, 13 years after he left the club in 2013, as he seeks re-election this weekend.

Benfica released a statement saying that Perez had told them of his “firm intention to recruit” Mourinho, while stipulating that the Portuguese boss’s release clause was worth 15 million euros ($17.4m).

“Sport Lisboa e Benfica announces that, as part of his campaign for the Real Madrid CF presidency, President Florentino Pérez has stated his firm intention to appoint José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix as manager should he win the club’s presidential election, scheduled for 7 June 2026,” the Benfica statement shared with Portugal’s financial regulator, the CMVM, said.

“Should this scenario arise, the appointment will be made for a fee of €15,000,000, corresponding to the termination clause in the current sports employment contract.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Previous media reports had suggested that it could cost the Spanish giants as little as three million euros.

Mourinho has already appeared in a video on Perez’s Instagram account, affirming that he was ready to return to the club he first joined in 2010.

During his tenure, he won one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.

Appointing the divisive Mourinho would be a gamble on the part of Perez after Los Blancos finished without a major trophy for a second consecutive season.

But Perez sees Mourinho as the man to bring some discipline to a divided dressing room in which player power is rumoured to have got out of control.

Mourinho joined Benfica in September 2025 and led them to an unbeaten league season, although they only finished third. He has one year left on his contract.

READ: Hafeez labels spin-friendly formula a ‘failed’ approach for ICC events

Jose Mourinho will return to Spanish club Real Madrid should current president Florentino Perez secure re-election in next Sunday’s vote for the club presidency.

In a brief video shared on the official Instagram account of Perez’s campaign, Mourinho appears wearing a Real Madrid shirt and simply says: “Yes.”

The announcement was released at almost the same time as Perez’s electoral rival, Enrique Riquelme, was preparing to unveil a major signing on a television programme.

The video starts with the caption: “While they talk and talk and talk on TV”, before cutting to Mourinho, dressed in white, delivering his response.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Should Perez win the election, Mourinho would return to the club 13 years after his departure in 2013.

For the unversed, Mourinho first joined Real Madrid in 2010, spending three seasons at the club. During his tenure, he won one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.

Appointing the divisive Mourinho would be a gamble on the part of president Perez after Los Blancos finished without a major trophy for a second consecutive season.

READ: Haris named in Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for Global Super League

MADRID: Jose Mourinho has agreed to return to Real Madrid on a two-year contract, sources told ESPN, with the veteran manager set for a second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 63-year-old is expected to replace Alvaro Arbeloa, who took charge earlier this year following the departure of Xabi Alonso.

Sources revealed that Mourinho’s agreement with Madrid has been reached verbally, although the contract has not yet been formally signed.

Mourinho is currently in charge of Benfica, where he guided the club through an unbeaten domestic league campaign this season. Despite the strong run, Benfica narrowly missed out on the Portuguese league title.

According to reports, the Portuguese club are set to receive around €7 million in compensation as Mourinho still has a contract running until 2027.

Real Madrid had reportedly considered several high-profile candidates for the managerial role, including Jurgen Klopp, Didier Deschamps and Mauricio Pochettino.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

However, club president Florentino Perez is understood to have backed Mourinho as the ideal figure to revive Madrid after two disappointing seasons without a major trophy.

Madrid currently trail champions Barcelona by 11 points in La Liga with one match remaining, while their UEFA Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.

Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa de España during a fiercely competitive era dominated by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Since leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahçe and Benfica.

Mourinho himself hinted at an imminent decision regarding his future after Benfica’s season concluded.

“My future should be decided this week,” Mourinho said on Sunday, while confirming that his agent Jorge Mendes had been in contact with Real Madrid officials.

READ: Neymar back in Brazil squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho insisted he is capable of saying no to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as he played down rumours of a return to the Spanish giants on Monday.

Mourinho’s Benfica host Real Madrid in a Champions League play-off round clash on Tuesday, before the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.

The 63-year-old Portuguese coach, who led Madrid between 2010 and 2013, has a clause in his contract with Benfica which would allow him to depart the club, fuelling rumours Perez may turn to him again next season.

Mourinho guided Benfica to a 4-2 victory over Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid in the league phase of the Champions League in January, leading both teams to face each other again in the two-legged play-off round.

“Can you say no? Yes,” Mourinho told reporters when asked if he could reject an approach from the Madrid chief. “Yes, you can.”

Mourinho admitted he has a “great friendship” with Perez and a permanent connection with Madrid, but said the break clause was agreed because of the Benfica presidential elections, which were approaching in November 2025, a few weeks after he signed his contract.

“I gave everything to Real Madrid, everything that I had, I did good things, I did bad things, but I gave absolutely everything, and that’s all,” said Mourinho.

“When (someone) leaves a club with those type of feelings, I think a connection always exists… the fans think highly of me, and that is fantastic, but with this, I don’t want to encourage stories that don’t exist…

“The only thing that exists is that I have another year on my contract with Benfica. It’s a special contract because it was signed in an electoral period.”

Mourinho said the deal was signed to protect a hypothetical new president, although in the end, Rui Costa was re-elected.

“There is a clause that is very easy for both me and Benfica to break the contract, but the only thing that exists is the contract with Benfica, and there is nothing with Real Madrid,” said Mourinho.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I would very much like to eliminate Real Madrid (from the Champions League), but I would like Alvaro to win La Liga and for Alvaro to stay at Madrid for many years.

“I think he’s a coach with a lot of capability and a boy who has Madrid within him, and with the personality to coach Madrid, which isn’t something anyone can do.”

Mourinho said he expected a different game to the one his side dominated in Lisbon against Madrid in January, and highlighted the power of Arbeloa’s side, record 15-time champions.

“The Real Madrid I expect tomorrow is the Real Madrid who are number one favourites to win the Champions League,” added Mourinho.

Arbeloa said, despite his good relationship with Mourinho, he was determined to reach the last 16.

“My objective is to eliminate Benfica, and after that he can win everything else, after that I wish him the best,” explained Arbeloa.

The coach would not reveal whether French superstar Kylian Mbappe was ready to start the game, after knee discomfort kept him on the bench last weekend in the win over Real Sociedad.

“Kylian came with us, he will train and tomorrow you will see if he plays or doesn’t,” said Arbeloa.

Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga said Los Blancos were out for revenge at the Estadio da Luz.

“I think we have to change our mentality (from the league phase game), we’re better on that front now, we have to attack and defend together,” Camavinga told reporters.

“We want to play a great game, because losing a game like that was tough for our fans… we want to win tomorrow with the spirit of revenge.”

READ: Barcelona suffer title defence blow in Girona derby defeat

Benfica sacked coach Bruno Lage following Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to minnows Qarabag, the club announced, with some media reports claiming that Jose Mourinho is in line to take over.

Mourinho actually began his coaching career at Benfica but quit after just two and a half months before making his name at the Lisbon giants’ arch rivals, Porto.

He was dismissed by Fenerbahce last month after just over a year in the job following the Turkish side’s elimination from the Champions League qualifying competition, ironically at the hands of Benfica.

The Eagles led 2-0 early on at home to Azerbaijan’s Qarabag on Tuesday before falling to a shock 3-2 reverse in their opening league stage game.

“We have just reached an agreement with Bruno Lage, who today leaves his post as Benfica coach,” former Portugal midfielder Rui Costa, the club’s president, told reporters late Tuesday.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lage, who was in his second spell at Benfica, was already under pressure after his team dropped their first league points of the season away to Santa Clara at the weekend.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Costa said that Benfica expected to have their new coach in charge in time for Saturday’s league encounter with AVS.

All three of Portugal’s sports dailies mentioned 62-year-old Mourinho as a possible successor.

A Bola said that Benfica wanted to negotiate with the self-styled “Special One”.

Mourinho’s previous spell at Benfica lasted just 11 matches at the back end of 2000. Still, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined Porto and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004.

That set him on the path to a hugely successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid before his fortunes started to nose-dive after joining Manchester United in 2016.

Lage won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2019 in his first spell with Benfica, while last season he guided them to Portuguese Cup success.

READ: Kylian Mbappe penalty double gives Real Madrid opening win over Marseille

Fenerbahce on Friday sacked Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho after they failed to make the lucrative Champions League group phase, the Turkish club said in a statement.

Mourinho, whose side was knocked out on Wednesday by Portuguese outfit Benfica, was sacked shortly after domestic rivals Besiktas fired another former Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Besiktas on Thursday lost to Swiss side Lausanne and missed out on the third-tier UEFA Conference League league phase.

Fenerbahce issued a short statement announcing the departure of Mourinho.

“We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who served as head coach of our professional A team since the 2024-2025 season. We thank him for his efforts for our team and wish him success in his future career,” it said.

The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Roma coach, who arrived at the club in June 2024, led Istanbul’s Yellow Canaries to second place in the league last season behind Galatasaray.

When the 62-year-old arrived in Istanbul 14 months ago, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ received a rockstar’s welcome from fans decked out in Fenerbahce’s yellow and black.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“No promises. But it is obvious that the main target, the main dream is to win the Turkish Super Lig,” said the two-time Champions League-winning coach when he arrived.

But he failed to make good on his dream of ending the title drought that has plagued the club since 2014.

Mourinho, whose recent coaching record at Spurs, Roma, and now Fenerbahce has taken the sheen off his reputation, also had several setbacks during his time in Istanbul.

In April, he grabbed the face of Okan Buruk, coach at fierce local rivals Galatasaray, after a 2-1 defeat in the Turkish Cup quarter finals, tweaking his nose.

He was fined for comments made after another explosive derby match against Galatasaray in which he also repeated criticism of Turkish referees, accusing the fourth referee of bias.

His remarks were judged as “contrary to sporting ethics”.

In recent weeks, he appeared downcast at press conferences, regularly harping on about the limitations of his squad, which clocked up 37 wins, 14 draws, and 11 defeats during his tenure.

READ: Pakistan name squad for AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers