Madrid, 11 June 2026
Benfica Lisbon announced on Tuesday evening that José Mourinho is returning to Real Madrid as head coach, succeeding Alvaro Arbeloa on a three-year contract starting this summer.
Mourinho, 63, will begin his second spell in charge of the Spanish record champions on 13 July, when he is scheduled to take his first training session of pre-season, according to Real Madrid. The club said the Portuguese coach, nicknamed "The Special One", has agreed to a three-year deal, returning to the Santiago Bernabéu 13 years after his departure.
Benfica confirmed the transfer via the platform X on Tuesday evening, stating that Mourinho had agreed to the move. According to Benfica, Real Madrid is paying 15 million euros for the transfer. Benfica had already announced the move ahead of an official Real Madrid statement, with Mourinho's contract at the Portuguese club still having one year remaining, subject to an exit clause.