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Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Real Madrid's head coach on a three-year contract, completing a dramatic return to the Santiago Bernabeu more than 13 years after his first and turbulent spell in charge of the Spanish giants.
The Portuguese manager, 63, flew from Lisbon to Madrid on Wednesday to go straight to work at the club's training ground. Real Madrid issued a formal statement confirming his re-appointment on a deal running until June 2029, with Mourinho expected to be formally presented to supporters when his contract begins in July.
He has no current plans for a press conference or welcome ceremony.
Mourinho succeeds Alvaro Arbeloa, the club's interim head coach, who stepped down Tuesday night, clearing the way for the announcement.
Benfica, Mourinho's most recent club, confirmed his departure and named former Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Marco Silva as his replacement shortly afterward.
Mourinho's appointment caps a chaotic 2025-26 season at the Bernabeu that saw Real Madrid finish without a major trophy for the second consecutive campaign.
Barcelona claimed the La Liga title eight points ahead of Madrid, and Bayern Munich knocked Los Blancos out of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. The season also ended with reports of a dressing room civil war at the club.
The dysfunction began in earnest in January, when Xabi Alonso was dismissed by mutual consent just seven months into a three-year deal, a day after a 3-2 Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona in Jeddah.
Alonso had replaced long-serving manager Carlo Ancelotti, who departed in the summer of 2025 to take charge of the Brazil national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Despite a promising start that saw Real win 10 of their first 11 La Liga matches under Alonso, a slump in form and reported divisions within the squad proved fatal to his tenure.
Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid and Spain international defender, was promoted from the club's reserve side Castilla on an interim basis but was unable to reverse the club's fortunes.
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