BREAKING - Jose Mourinho Returns to Real Madrid

Mourinho Returns with Los Blancos

Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho have reached a verbal agreement for the Portuguese manager to return to the Los Blancos dugout this summer, reports Fabrizio Romano.

Mourinho joined Portuguese giants Benfica earlier this season after his dismissal from Turkish club Fenerbahçe and has guided them to an unbeaten campaign although his side finished third behind champions Porto and second-place Sporting. Now, he is closing in on a return to the club he managed for three seasons, during which he won two major trophies.

🚨 BREAKING: José Mourinho back to Real Madrid, HERE WE GO! 💣🤍

All terms have been verbally agreed between José Mourinho and Real Madrid, waiting to sign all documents.

Plan for initial two year deal, JM to travel to Madrid after Real-Bilbao game.

The Special One is back. pic.twitter.com/K267WgiqjC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 18, 2026

According to Romano, there is now a verbal agreement in place between Madrid and Mourinho for the legendary manager to sign a two-year deal with the appointment expected to be confirmed following their final game of the season - a home clash with Athletic Club.

During his first stint with Los Blancos, Mourinho oversaw 178 games in all competitions with a record of 128 wins, 28 draws, and 22 defeats. Whilst there, he won one La Liga title and the Copa del Ray.

Jose Mourinho's Legendary Career

Jose Mourinho is one of the more legendary managers of the modern game.

He started his managerial career with Benfica in the year 2000, but resigned from his post after just nine league games following the lack of a new contract offered amidst tensions with the board. He would take up a position with União de Leiria after that, and then moved on to FC Porto in 2002. At Porto in, Mourinho's stocks rose dramatically - he guided the club to back-to-back Primeira Liga titles, the 2003 UEFA Cup and, most famously, the 2004 Champions League to become the youngest manager to ever lift the trophy at the time. He would also become known worldwide for his charismatic press conference quotes, passionate displays on and away from the pitch and his super-solid defensive tactics.

He made the jump into English football for the first time in 2004 with Chelsea. Arriving with the self-earned moniker of the "Special One", Mourinho took Chelsea to two Premier League trophies, an FA Cup and two League Cups whilst laying the foundations for Chelsea to become a modern-day superpower. He then made his way to Inter in 2008, sealing a historic treble with the Milan-based outfit with two Serie A wins, whilst adding the Coppa Italia and the Champions League again in 2010.

José Mourinho is set to return to Real Madrid on a two-year deal, per multiple reports ⚪ pic.twitter.com/AhOllDKGmI

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 18, 2026

He then made his way to Real Madrid for the first time in 2010, having coached their arch-rivals Barcelona as a younger manager, and won the 2011 Copa del Rey and a record-smashing La Liga title in 2012, scoring 121 goals and winning 100 points. He would then return to Chelsea in 2013, and delivered another Premier League trophy and a League Cup win, before a poor title defence the following year saw him dismissed.

Manchester United was next on his journey, winning the Europa League, Community Shield and yet another League Cup, before taking the reigns with Tottenham in 2019 - funnily enough, this was the only club in England he failed to win silverware with, and the club opted to sack him days before a League Cup final. They'll never learn.

A move back to Italy beckoned with AS Roma, where he won the 2022 Europa Conference League to become to the first manager to hoist all three of UEFA's major crowns, and then went to Turkiye for a spell with Fenerbahce which preceeded another return, this time to his native Portugal and Benfica. After an undefeated league season, albeit one that saw them finish third, the Portuguese gaffer is heading back to the Bernabeu to fix a squad that seems intent on tearing itself apart.