Jose Mourinho's blockbuster return as Real Madrid manager has been officially confirmed. The 63-year-old Portuguese coach, who previously managed the club from 2010 to 2013, joins the 15-time European champions from Benfica on a three-year contract.
Mourinho's Return Amid Real Madrid Turmoil
Mourinho's appointment comes after a difficult season at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso was sacked in January amid player unrest, and interim head coach Alvaro Arbeloa failed to turn the campaign around. Real Madrid exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Bayern Munich, while Barcelona comfortably won the La Liga title. Internal discord continued, with Fede Valverde requiring hospital treatment for stitches after a confrontation with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.
Florentino Perez, re-elected as president last Sunday, made Mourinho his primary target. The hope is that the Portuguese manager can restore order to the dressing room and bring success on the pitch. Mourinho previously won La Liga in the 2011-12 season and the Copa del Rey in 2010-11 during his first spell at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho's Managerial Career
Mourinho achieved remarkable feats early in his career, winning the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, as well as three Premier League titles across two stints at Chelsea. He returned to Benfica, where he started his managerial career, last September and guided the team to an unbeaten league season, though they finished only third. He also had recent spells at Fenerbahce in Turkey and Roma in Italy.
Real Madrid stated that Mourinho will officially begin his role on 13 July, when pre-season training starts.
Compensation and Benfica's New Manager
On Wednesday, Benfica announced they would receive 15 million euros (13 million pounds) in compensation for Mourinho from Madrid. The Portuguese club also confirmed that an agreement had been reached for Marco Silva to take over on a two-year deal, with an option to extend for an additional season. Silva left Fulham last week after five years in charge.
