Two days after Álvaro Arbeloa’s departure was officially announced, Real Madrid officially announced the appointment of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach’s return to action after 13 years has been an open secret for much of the last month.
Benfica notified the stock market last week that Real Madrid intended to pay him a release fee of 15 million euros, and confirmed the payment on Tuesday. Shortly after, Los Blancos announced that Arbeloa had left the club by mutual consent. After Thursday’s board meeting, Real Madrid confirmed the re-election of president Florentino Pérez until 2030, while also approving his appointment until 2029 on a three-year contract. They say Mourinho will take over as manager on July 13, the first day of pre-season, but he has already influenced transfer decisions.
Mourinho: Appointment led by Florentino Perez
Mourinho’s return has been an open secret for the past month, with Perez confirming he would become manager if Mourinho is re-elected. General manager José Ángel Sánchez is said to have pushed for Xabi Alonso, but Perez was adamant in his support for the return of Mourinho, who he described during the campaign as having “made Real Madrid competitive again”. In his eyes, the Portuguese coach laid the foundations for Los Blancos’ historic Champions League victory.
Mourinho’s first period at Real Madrid
During his first period at Real Madrid, Mourinho could only win two major trophies in three seasons, the league title and the Copa del Rey at the time. Given that Real Madrid set a record of 100 points during that league title and ended Josep Guardiola’s run at Barcelona, Mourinho still retains the affection of many Real Madrid players, including Perez, although he lost some along the way due to divisive attitudes and tactics.
