José Mourinho will manage Real Madrid for a second time, with an agreement in place for a two-year contract running to June 2028 — and a path to announcement that clears once the club's electoral process concludes at the end of May.
The outline of how the deal came together has been reported by Diario AS. Jorge Mendes first offered Mourinho to Madrid's leadership in the final days of March.
The initial response was negative. The club was still assessing multiple candidates and Mourinho's history at the club — three years that ended in tension and left a legacy of fractured relationships — gave some pause. The normalisation in the relationship between Mendes and Madrid's executive team proved decisive in shifting the position.
Through April, with the dressing room deteriorating, results collapsing and Álvaro Arbeloa's position clearly untenable, the thinking inside Valdebebas shifted. What had been dismissed as impossible in March had become the necessary solution by the start of May. The pattern of episodes — the Tchouaméni and Valverde fight, the confrontation involving a member of the coaching staff, Mbappé's public statements — accelerated the decision.
Journalists Guillem Balagué and Sacha Tavolieri both confirmed separately that an agreement has been reached, with the formal announcement expected after May 23 — when the deadline for presidential candidacies in Real Madrid's elections closes, followed by a two-day window for appeals. The electoral process is not itself an obstacle to the appointment, but protocol requires waiting.
Mourinho has been extensively briefed on the state of the dressing room and is reportedly most concerned about Mbappé's recent behaviour. Informal contact with senior players including Vinícius Júnior and Thibaut Courtois has already taken place.
The announcement will be the second time Florentino Pérez has turned to a former manager in a moment of crisis — Carlo Ancelotti's return in 2021 produced three Champions League titles. A third chapter with Zidane was blocked only by his commitment to the France national team.