Jose Mourinho is closing in on a dramatic return to Real Madrid, with the Portuguese manager now strongly linked with a second spell at the Santiago Bernabéu more than a decade after leaving the club. Madrid’s disappointing 2025-26 campaign has forced the club into another major reset and Mourinho has now emerged as the leading figure to take charge of a squad that struggled both on the pitch and behind the scenes throughout the season.
Real Madrid turn back to Mourinho after turbulent campaign
Real Madrid’s search for stability and authority appears to have led them back to one of the most intense and successful personalities of the modern era. According to a BBC report, Mourinho is currently in final negotiations with the club and is understood to be the only candidate actively being considered for the role. The report added that president Florentino Perez identified Mourinho as his preferred option almost immediately after Xabi Alonso’s departure earlier this year. Alvaro Arbeloa stepped into the role in January following Alonso’s exit, but Madrid’s season continued to unravel from there. Barcelona eventually sealed the La Liga title with a 2-0 victory in El Clasico and finished 14 points clear of their rivals, while Bayern Munich knocked Los Blancos out of the Champions League quarter-finals 6-4 on aggregate.
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa during the press conference in Manchester, England, Monday March 16, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
The pressure surrounding the club only intensified as frustrations inside the dressing room began spilling into public view. Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were fined a combined €1 million earlier this month following a dressing-room altercation, with Valverde later hospitalised with a head injury after the incident, although he denied the pair “came to blows”. Defender Alvaro Carreras was also forced to publicly address reports linking him to a disagreement with Antonio Rudiger, while scrutiny surrounding Kylian Mbappe continued to grow after the French forward travelled to Sardinia during his recovery from a hamstring injury. That trip sparked major backlash among sections of the fanbase, with an online “Mbappe Out” petition reportedly attracting more than 73 million signatures. Against that backdrop, Madrid are now looking for somebody capable not only of rebuilding the team tactically, but also of restoring emotional control and authority inside the dressing room.
Mourinho waiting until Benfica’s season ends before speaking publicly
Mourinho is currently Benfica manager after taking charge of the Portuguese side on a two-year contract last September, but speculation surrounding his future has intensified over recent days. When asked directly about the Madrid rumours, Mourinho made it clear he did not want to discuss the situation until Benfica’s final game of the season against Estoril Praia. “There’s a match against Estoril, and from Monday onwards I’ll be able to answer questions about my future as a coach and Benfica’s future,” Mourinho said. Saturday’s match against Estoril is Benfica’s final fixture of the campaign and could open the door for Madrid to move quickly afterwards. According to the report, Mourinho has a release clause in his contract allowing him to leave Benfica for €3 million (£2.6m) within 10 days of the season ending.
Mourinho’s first spell helped define an era at the Bernabéu
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013 during one of the fiercest periods in Spanish football history. His Madrid side constantly battled Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and eventually broke through by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. His 2011-12 league-winning team famously reached 100 points and scored 121 goals, setting records at the time. After leaving Spain, Mourinho returned to Chelsea for a second spell and added another Premier League title and League Cup to his collection during the 2014-15 season.
FILE – Tottenham Hotspur’s manager Andre Villas-Boas, right, shakes-hand with Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho before the start of their English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane, London, Sept. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)
He later joined Manchester United in 2016, winning the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield in his first year before being dismissed midway through the 2018-19 campaign. Spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Roma and Fenerbahce followed, with Mourinho guiding Roma to the Europa Conference League title in 2022 before eventually returning to Portugal with Benfica. Now, 13 years after his first departure from Madrid, the club appear ready to hand him another chance to restore order at the Bernabéu.
Madrid want more than just trophies again
The pressure waiting for Mourinho would be enormous from the very beginning. Real Madrid are not simply looking for a manager who can improve performances. They are looking for somebody capable of rebuilding a fractured dressing room, managing several superstar personalities and immediately returning the club to domestic and European dominance. Sunday’s 2-0 Clasico defeat to Barcelona summed up the scale of the decline. Madrid managed just one shot on target during the match, the first time that had happened in a league game since February 2023. For a club built around winning, personality and control, that level of collapse has made this summer feel bigger than a normal managerial change. And that is exactly why Mourinho’s name has moved back to the centre of the conversation.
