According to OKDIARIO, Mourinho landed in the Spanish capital on Tuesday afternoon and will begin working in person at Valdebebas from his first day in the role. His formal presentation is expected later this week.
The appointment has been long in the making. Mourinho has been in contact with Real Madrid's sporting directors almost daily for several weeks, participating remotely in transfer decisions and squad planning before his official arrival. He has given his approval to three signings already confirmed or advanced: centre-back Ibrahima Konaté, arriving on a free transfer from Liverpool; wing-back Denzel Dumfries, joining from Inter Milan; and attacking midfielder Nico Paz, returning from Como for €9 million.
What distinguishes this second stint from his first, according to the OKDIARIO report, is the authority he has been granted by Florentino Pérez. Mourinho will have full decision-making power across all first-team matters — from team selection and signings to contract renewals, disciplinary decisions and squad exits. He will have, as the report puts it, "the final word on everything."
In private, Mourinho has communicated that he is "very happy and excited" about the return and believes the context he faces now is fundamentally different from the one he encountered when he first arrived at the Bernabéu in 2010.
Pérez paid €15 million in compensation to Benfica to release Mourinho from a contract that had been set to run until June 2027. Mourinho joined Benfica last September following a difficult spell at Fenerbahce and led the Lisbon club to a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga.
His first stint at Real Madrid, from 2010 to 2013, produced one LaLiga title, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup.
The job that awaits him is significant. Real Madrid finished the 2025-26 season without a title for the second consecutive year, dismissed two managers — Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa — and saw a dressing room fracture into public disharmony.
The instruction from Pérez is clear: restore order, restore authority, and restore the club to the top of European football.
Mourinho has done it before. He has been given every tool to try again.