Real Madrid's players are back at Valdebebas under a familiar face this month. José Mourinho, 63, is once again in charge of the club he first managed between 2010 and 2013, his return finally confirmed in June and now approaching its first real examination as the new La Liga season begins.
Florentino Pérez pushed the appointment through in June, signing Mourinho to a contract running to 2029, according to Ynet and Haaretz. To free him from his post at Benfica, Real Madrid paid a release fee of around €15 million, roughly equivalent to the manager's annual gross salary in Portugal, Haaretz reported.
He replaces Xabi Alonso, whose brief spell in charge ended amid reported friction in the dressing room. ONE notes that Pérez had been eyeing a Mourinho reunion for some time and never lost faith in him despite a string of underwhelming spells since he last left Madrid, at Roma, Fenerbahçe and Benfica.
The first stint is remembered for its extremes. Mourinho delivered the 2012 La Liga title, ending Pep Guardiola's Barcelona-dominated run, along with a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa, but never the Champions League that Pérez craved. It also produced open conflict with captain Iker Casillas and a exit soured by tension with several players.
The timing added extra noise to his comeback: a Netflix documentary series tracing Mourinho's career had just premiered when his return was confirmed in June, sharpening attention on a reunion that already carried plenty of history, ONE reported.
Squad building has continued through the summer. Bernardo Silva arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City, and Marc Cucurella has also joined, additions meant to reinforce a group still built around Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
According to ONE's report, Mourinho's central task is as much psychological as tactical: restoring discipline after two seasons without a major trophy, and getting Vinícius and Mbappé pulling in the same direction after a first campaign together that was not always harmonious. Some players were reportedly skeptical of his appointment at the outset.
The calendar has been unusual too. La Liga's 2026-27 season opened last weekend, but Real Madrid's start was pushed back because of how many of its players went deep into this year's World Cup, according to beIN Sports and Al Jazeera. Their first competitive fixture is now away to Espanyol on August 22, four days before the club's actual Matchday 1 game against Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu on August 26.
Barcelona arrive at the new season chasing a third straight title, per Al Jazeera's season preview, which only raises the stakes on Mourinho's second Madrid chapter from the very first whistle.
