An official announcement from Real Madrid is expected within days, though the precise timing will depend on the outcome of presidential elections at the club, with candidates having until May 23 to confirm their candidacies. Florentino Pérez, who is widely expected to stand unopposed, must be re-elected before the appointment can be made public.
Madrid will pay €7m to Benfica in compensation. Although Mourinho had a contract until 2027, a clause inserted into his deal allowed him to terminate the agreement unilaterally within a defined window following the end of the European season. That window closes on May 26.
Mourinho will sign a two-year contract at the Bernabéu, according to ESPN, and arrives with significant influence over the squad rebuild already agreed as a condition of his return.
In recent days he has communicated his priorities to Madrid's sporting structure, identifying central defence and midfield as the most urgent areas in need of reinforcement. That assessment aligns with Madrid's own internal analysis, with a right-back, a centre-back and a central midfielder identified as minimum requirements.
Mourinho's first spell at the club, from 2010 to 2013, brought one La Liga title — achieved with 100 points, a record at the time — one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup. He also broke Barcelona's domestic dominance during the height of Pep Guardiola's era, establishing a competitive intensity at the club that subsequent managers built on.
The dressing room turbulence that eventually defined his exit is part of why Madrid believe he is the right appointment now. The club considers his personality, leadership and ability to operate under extreme pressure as exactly what a fractured squad requires heading into a new cycle.